What you need to know before moving to Long Beach CA
Long Beach CA is growing and attracts more and more newcomers. Not just from the US, but from the whole world. If you are looking for a new place to call home, then Long Beach CA might be that place.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before you make your decision.
It’s a really big city
Did you know that Long Beach CA is the 36th largest (most populous) city in the US? Impressive, right? Here you can expect to find everything that’s common in large US cities – a vast variety of places to eat, vivid nightlife, art events for every taste, and busy street traffic. And then, there are those things that make this place unique and distinguish it from any other in the USA.
It’s close to the ocean
That’s probably not a surprise to anyone. Long Beach is located right on the ocean shore, stretching 10 miles along the coastline. What people often miss about this fact is that there is a constant ocean breeze, which keeps the temperatures relatively low. Even though Long Beach is about 22 miles south of Los Angeles, normally it is 10 degrees cooler than in LA. Most of the time, you don’t have to worry about the exhausting heat that LA residents face. In addition, the summer season is marked by frequent morning fogs, that sometimes don’t go away until noon. Don’t expect any rains before winter, though.
It is not a good place for surfing
Yes, the waves break about a mile before reaching the shore, which makes Long Beach CA a bad surfing spot. Surfing aside, Long Beach has 10 miles worth of amazing, sandy beaches where you can have a wonderful time with your friends and family, or by yourself. Virtually any water sport is being offered here – including sailing (the Congressional Cap in April), diving, water skiing (Catalina Ski Race in July), water polo, and many more. You can often witness people playing beach volleyball, or practicing yoga in groups of hundreds. And of course, the most popular thing to do on the beach is laid down on the sand and enjoy life.
At The Rosie’s Dog Beach you can let your dog run free
And that’s the only beach in the county where this is allowed, so if you’re a dog lover you are going to appreciate it a lot. The best thing is that everyone knows that this is the beach for dogs. What you will find here is plenty of like-minded people, and plenty of dogs for yours to play with. What you won’t find is people who frown upon your dog for throwing sand on their towel or scaring their 3-year-old kid. The beach is open all day long – from 6 in the morning till 8 in the evening. Don’t forget to bring your pet’s license. Needless to say, aggressive dogs are not welcome.
You don’t have to get yourself wet if you don’t want to
There is much going on outside of the water and away from the beach. Long Beach has a lot of park and recreation areas to offer, where you won’t get your shoes filled with sand. Basketball, baseball, football, volleyball, are probably the most practiced. (Running? Everybody is running here.)
The most popular sporting event is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and that is the single largest event here. It takes place in April and if you are a fan, you most definitely want to see it. If you’re not a fan, you should stay away from downtown LB. It gets unimaginably crowded and there is no chance you’d find a parking spot.
The Long Beach Marathon is held in October and attracts about 50,000 participants. Like we said, everybody is running.
Your mind and soul will be happy, too
It’s not just your body. You can easily satisfy the needs of your mind and soul. May be because Long Beach CA attracts people from all walks of life, the arts, music, and culture scene are diverse and unique.
If you are interested in fine arts, there are plenty of art museums where you can spend your time. The Long Beach Museum of Art, the University Art Museum, the Museum of Latin American Art, The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum, and many more. There is a whole district here called “the East Village Arts District” where dozens of art shops and galleries give an opportunity for local and foreign artists to exhibit their work. Street art is taken to a very high level – the city has its own Mural and Cultural Arts Program to support that type of art.
If you have a sophisticated taste in music you’d be happy to learn that Long Beach is not all about Snoop Dogg. (No disrespect for Snoop Dogg). But no matter what your taste in music is, LB got you covered. There is a school of music named Bob Cole Conservatory of Music organizing classical, jazz, and world music concerts every year. Then we have the Long Beach Symphony, playing classical and pop concerts at the terrace theatre several times a year. There is, of course, an Opera House. And various music festivals are hosted in the city throughout the year. You can hear local bands playing live in many pubs around the city.
It’s not all rainbows and unicorns
Water and air pollution here is a serious problem. The city is one of the most polluted in all of the United States. Partly, this is because it is located between two large ports – the one of Long Beach and the one of Los Angeles. Ships and the trucks serving them are to blame for huge amounts of diesel exhaust and then the wind brings the toxic gasses right to the city. Water quality mostly suffers during the wet season (winter), when heavy rains pollute the Los Angeles River, which discharges in San Pedro Bay. Beaches here often get D or F grades for water quality during those periods. Each year, there are several days when beaches are closed for swimming because of water pollution.
Still, it is a great place to be. Education, healthcare, infrastructure – everything to meet your needs. Far enough from LA to allow for a much more relaxed lifestyle. And close enough to go there on a day trip. Give it a try. You would love it!
