Long Beach, California is a bustling community by the sea: only 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, visitors to this beautiful city are impressed by the city’s quintessential Southern California sun, surf and scenery. Long Beach was, at one time, a simple seaside resort town in Los Angeles County but grew due to the discovery of two large oil fields in the 1920’s. As industry flourished in Long Beach, the area became more and more settled: today, Long Beach serves as both major maritime and recreation center in the county. The city is known as the “Aquatic Capital of America” for its excellent sailing waters, Olympian athletes and the important Port of Long Beach.
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Thousands of workers in Long Beach are employed within the medical, education and aerospace industries, respectively. The city’s largest employer is the Long Beach Unified School District with close to 8,000 employees: Boeing is a close second with over 7,000 employees. Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach are also major employers within the city. Many residents in Long Beach commute to jobs within the greater Los Angeles area: Long Beach is a commuter friendly city as the LA Metro links with the city as do several major freeways.
The city’s schools are operated by the Long Beach Unified School District, a district which has both won and been nominated for, many times over, the Broad Prize (the largest education prize awarded in the country). The Woodrow Wilson Classical High School has been recognized as a California Distinguished School two times and, as a classical school, sets high standards for its students. Long Beach Polytechnic High School, distinguished for its excellence in humanities and athletics, this high school has the highest amount of admissions to CSU in the state and has sent more players to the NFL than any other school in the nation. In addition to the many schools within the Long Beach Unified School District, the city has over 20 private primary and secondary schools for families to choose from. For residents looking to continue their educations, Long Beach is the place to live. California State University, Long Beach is the largest campus in the CSU network. Long Beach City College and Devry University, Long Beach are also excellent schools that call Long Beach home.
Long Beach has award-winning parks: the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department has won several gold medals from the National Recreation and Park Association.
Long Beach has 92 city parks and over 3,000 acres of public space for its residents to enjoy. The crown jewel of the parks department is El Dorado Regional Park, with over 800 acres of trails, streams, forest and meadows, this park is also home to a 100 acre nature center. The Long Beach Greenbelt is full of flowers, plants and walkers: it’s a wonderful fitness path and natural setting in the city. Silverado Park has everything from indoor soccer to a weight room and is an excellent resource for community members of all ages. Rosie’s Dog Beach is popular among Long Beach’s furriest friends: it is the only legally zoned off-leash beach area in Los Angeles County for dogs to enjoy.
Long Beach is full of fun and educational things to do: East Village, the Long Beach Arts District, has a feel similar to New York’s SoHo with its mix of artist lofts, residences, studios and galleries. The Second Saturday Art Walk occurs every month and focuses on introducing community members with local art and artists. The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center hosts trade shows, musicians and bands, and sporting events from hockey to basketball. The famous Long Beach Symphony frequently plays at the center in addition to regular performances at the Terrace Theater, a large arts venue that presents a variety of performances throughout the year. The Aquarium of the Pacific, located on Rainbow Harbor, is a hit with locals and tourists alike. The aquarium features over 11,000 different animals, 500 species of animals and three permanent galleries, mostly focusing on animals native to the Pacific ocean.
With such an active community, it’s not surprising that Long Beach’s dance card is full of special events throughout the year. The largest annual event is the Long Beach Grand Prix, an open wheel IndyCar race held on the streets of Long Beach. The annual Long Beach Sea Festival is a community event full of fun, fresh air and all things oceanic. Highlights of this festival include the water-ski race, a sandcastle building competition, the delicious Long Beach lobster fest and movies by moonlight on the beach. Traditional New Orleans jazz comes to Long Beach every summer for the Long Beach Bayou and Blues Festival.
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