What to Know Before Moving to Long Beach 

If the coastal California lifestyle sounds ideal, you’ll love Long Beach. But before you move, here are a few more things you may want to know. 

Historical Long Beach

Before the town formally incorporated in 1888, Long Beach was part of a massive Spanish land grant. The Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Railroads and the Port of Long Beach, established in 1911, were responsible for tremendous growth. In 1921, when oil was discovered, the city became a thriving commercial center. The 1990s saw the development of the Long Beach Convention Center, the sprawling entertainment, dining, and shopping complex known as Long Beach Towne Center, and the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. The city continues to restore, renovate, and build to provide residents, businesses, and tourists an array of contemporary services.

Long Beach Attractions

Known as “The International City”, Long Beach offers everything from world-class convention facilities to the Grand Prix. The Promenade, an open-air pedestrian way through the Entertainment District, is where locals and tourists enjoy al fresco dining and public art amid beautiful landscaping. If you love museums, you’ll be happy exploring The Long Beach Museum of Art, the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum, and the Museum of Latin American Art, the nation’s only museum dedicated to contemporary Latin American art. The Queen Mary provides entertainment and lodging while boats of a more modest nature, like kayaks and gondolas, ply through Naples’ canals. East Village and Belmont Shore’s Second Street are popular boutique shopping destinations.

Walkability and Public Transportation

According to walkscore.com, Long Beach is the nation’s 10th most walkable large city. With an overall walk score of 72, most of your errands can be completed on foot. Downtown is especially walkable with a score of 92. Long Beach has the typical public transit challenges of most Southern California cities – the overall transit score is 52. Metro Rail Blue Line runs directly into LA and Long Beach Transit provides extensive bus service.

With great biking, Long Beach has earned a bike score of 69. Long Beach BikeShare has 84 hubs throughout the city. If you’re familiar with the old song,  “26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is a-waitin’ for me . . . ”  you know that Catalina is within easy reach. The Catalina Express ferry heads out to Catalina Island several times a day. 

Economy and Job Opportunities

Health care and social assistance, education, aerospace, retail trade, and manufacturing are the largest industries. Boeing, Frontier Communications, the Long Beach Unified School District, and the Port of Long Beach are some of the area’s biggest employers. The Port of Long Beach is the nation’s second-largest shipping port.

Some of the Best Neighborhoods

Bixby Knolls, developed between 1920 and 1940, is popular for its central location with easy access to freeways and downtown. Naples, with its three islands separated by canals, has lovely old homes, lush landscaping, and walkways along the canals that add to the charming, intimate atmosphere. Belmont Shore offers a walkable beach lifestyle with fantastic boutiques, cafes, and coffee houses. Small bungalows with picket fences line narrow streets, but there are also condo and apartment options. 

Lakewood Village is located on the northeast side of the city near Long Beach Airport and has conveniences like Hartwell Park Community Center and the Lakewood Golf Course. On the southeast end of downtown, you’ll find the East Village Arts District with its restored historic buildings, creative shops, art galleries, and a variety of restaurants.