Long Beach, California
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| Image:Long Beach in LA County map.png | |||||
| County | Los Angeles County, California | ||||
| Area - Total - Water | 170.6 km² (65.9 mi²) 40.0 km² (15.4 mi²) 23.42% | ||||
| Population |
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| Time zone | Pacific: UTC-8 | ||||
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Latitude
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33°48'15" N | ||||
| City of Long Beach | |||||
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 461,522. By 2004 its population is estimated to have increased to 476,564. It is the 34th-largest city in the nation, 5th in California and 2nd in Los Angeles County (after Los Angeles). Long Beach is also the largest U.S. city that is not a county seat, and is more populated than many more well-known cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana and Cleveland, Ohio.
According to the 2000 US Census, Long Beach is the most ethnically diverse large city in the United States [1]. For example, Long Beach has the second-largest population of Cambodians outside of Asia (after Paris), and the area along Anaheim St. is sometimes called "Little Phnom Penh". There are also sizable populations of African-Americans, Mexicans, Salvadorians and other Central Americans, Filipinos, Vietnamese and other Asians. There is a small population of Pacific Islanders in Long Beach and the surrounding communities, especially Samoans. There is also a significant population of gays and lesbians, with many gay-owned businesses along Broadway, 2nd Street and 4th Street between Downtown Long Beach and Belmont Shore.
The R.M.S. Queen Mary has been located in Long Beach since her retirement in 1967 and now serves as a hotel, convention center, and tourist attraction. The Aquarium of the Pacific, a world-class research facility, is a popular tourist destination.
The Long Beach Grand Prix, an annual Champ Car race, takes place on city streets near the Convention Center and is one of the largest Grand Prix events in the world. The Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade & Festival, is the second largest event in Long Beach, and is the third largest Gay Pride Parade in the United States.
Long Beach is the location of the largest California State University, CSULB (largest student population as of 2005-2006 academic year), and the headquarters of the California State University system. The city also has a Veterans Affairs hospital.
Signal Hill is an incorporated city surrounded entirely by Long Beach.
Contents |
History
The area was originally occupied by the Tongva people who lived in a rancheria named Tibahangna. Along with other Tongva villages, it disappeared in the mid-1800s.
The Rancho los Cerritos was divided from the larger Rancho Los Nietos, which had been granted by the King of Spain to a mulatto soldier, Manuel Nieto. Rancho Los Cerritos was bought in 1843 by John Temple, a Yankee who had come to California in 1827. Soon after he built what is now known as the "Los Cerritos Ranch House," an adobe which still stands and is a National Historic Landmark. Temple created a thriving cattle ranch and prospered, becoming the wealthiest man in Los Angeles County. Both Temple and his ranch house played important local roles in the Mexican American War.
Meanwhile, on an island in the San Pedro Bay, Mormon pioneers made an abortive attempt to establish a colony (as part of Brigham Young's plan to establish a continuous chain of settlements from the Pacific to Salt Lake).
In 1866 Temple sold Rancho Los Cerritos to the firm of Flint, Bixby & Co, which consisted of brothers Thomas and Benjamin Flint and their cousin Lewellyn Bixby, for $20,000. Later that year the company selected Lewellyn's brother Jotham Bixby, the "Father of Long Beach", to manage their southern ranch, and three years later Jotham bought into the property and would later form the Bixby Land Company. It was during this period that the Rancho Los Cerritos was converted to sheep ranching. In the 1870s as many as 30,000 sheep were kept at the ranch and sheared twice yearly to provide wool for trade. In 1880, Bixby sold 4,000 acres (16 km²) of the Rancho Los Cerritos to William E. Willmore, who subdivided it in hopes of creating a farm community, Willmore City. He failed and was bought out by the "Long Beach Land and Water Company." They changed the name of the community to "Long Beach", which was incorporated as a city in 1888. When Bixby died in 1916 the remaining 3,500 acres (14 km²) of Rancho Los Cerritos was subdivided into the neighborhoods of Bixby Knolls, California Heights, North Long Beach and part of the city of Signal Hill.
The town grew as a seaside resort (The Pike was one of the most famous beachside amusement parks on the West coast from 1910 until the 1960's) and then as an oil, Navy, and port town. The town was once referred to as "Iowa by the sea," due to a large influx of people from that state and other states in the Midwest. Huge picnics for each state were a popular annual event in Long Beach until the 1960s.
The Long Beach earthquake of 1933 was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that caused significant damage to the city and surrounding areas. Most of the damage occurred in unreinforced masonry buildings, especially schools. One hundred twenty people died in this earthquake.
Long Beach used to have a sizable Japanese-American population mostly working in the fish canneries on Terminal Island and small truck farms in the area, but with intermarriage and other factors, it is now less than 1% of the population of Long Beach. There is still a Japanese Community Center and a Japanese Buddhist Church in Long Beach.
The early silent film industry in Long Beach
One of the places where the film industry started in Southern California was in Long Beach. Balboa Amusement Producing Company, also known as Balboa Studios, was located at Sixth Street and Alamitos Avenue, and they used 11 acres (45,000 m²) on Signal Hill for outdoor locations. Silent movie stars who lived in Long Beach included Fatty Arbuckle and Theda Bara. The 1917 film Cleopatra, starring Theda Bara, was filmed at the Dominguez Slough just west of Long Beach, and Moses parted the Red Sea for Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 black-and-white version of "The Ten Commandments" on the flat seashore of Seal Beach, southeast of Long Beach.
Shipping and transportation
Image:Long Beach, CA at night.jpg The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest seaport in the United States . The port serves shipping between the United States and the Pacific Rim. The combined operations of the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles are the busiest in the USA.
Rail shipping is provided by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway, which carry about half of the trans-shipments from the port. Long Beach has contributed to the Alameda Corridor project to increase the capacity of the rail lines, roads, and highways connecting the port to the Los Angeles rail hub. The project, completed in 2002, created a 20 mile (32 km) long, 33 ft (10 m) deep trench in order to eliminate 200 grade crossings and cost about US$2.4 billion.
Long Beach is the southern terminus for the Los Angeles Metro Blue Line light rail corridor. Blue Line trains run from Long Beach City Hall to Downtown Los Angeles. The Metro Rail Blue Line Maintenance Shops, are also located in Long Beach just south of the Del Amo Blue Line station.
There is an Amtrak Thruway bus shuttle starting in San Pedro, with stops at the Queen Mary and downtown Long Beach, that then goes to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, and ends in Bakersfield. There is also a Greyhound Lines terminal downtown.
Public transportation in Long Beach is provided by Long Beach Transit. Besides the normal bus service, which charges a fare, Long Beach has free routes, the "Pine Avenue Link" and Passport routes, which use mini-buses to shuttle passengers within the downtown area. The Passport "C" route between the downtown and the Queen Mary, and Passport "A" and "D" buses go East-West along Ocean Boulevard, linking the Catalina Landing in the west with Belmont Shore in the east. (The Passport "B" has been renamed the Pine Avenue Link.) A 90-cent fare is required when traveling east of Atlantic Avenue. Another free route, "Village Tour D'art" in the East Village, visits museums and other points of interest.
Long Beach Transit also operates the 49-passenger AquaBus water taxi, which stops at the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Queen Mary, and four other stops; and the 75-passenger AquaLink water taxi, which travels between the Aquarium, the Queen Mary, and Alamitos Bay Landing next to the Long Beach Marina.
There is also limited bus service to Orange County through Orange County Transportation Authority buses. Route 1, which ends in San Clemente is the longest bus route in the OCTA system. Traveling along Pacific Coast Highway for most of the route, it takes 2-2.5 hrs to complete.
Torrance Transit buses goes from downtown Long Beach to the South Bay. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) has bus service from downtown to San Pedro, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has two regional bus lines that serve downtown Long Beach.
Long Beach Municipal Airport serves the Long Beach, South Bay and northern Orange County areas, but is relatively small, considering the area's population. It is the West Coast hub for JetBlue Airways. It is also the site of a major Boeing (formerly Douglas, then McDonnell Douglas) aircraft production facility, which is the city's largest employer.
Several freeways run through Long Beach, connecting it with the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas. The San Diego (405) freeway roughly bisects the city and takes commuters northwest or southeast to the Golden State (5) freeway. The Long Beach (710) freeway runs north-south, starting at the southern end between the Port of Long Beach and downtown Long Beach, and terminating just past the intersection with Santa Monica (10) freeway on the border between El Sereno neighbor or Los Angeles and Alhambra. The eastern border of the city is traversed by the San Gabriel River (605) freeway, which joins the 405 at the Long Beach/Los Alamitos border. The Artesia Freeway California State Route 91 runs east-west near the northern border of Long Beach.
California State Route 1 (more commonly known as Pacific Coast Highway or PCH) runs through Long Beach. Where it intersects with Lakewood Boulevard (California State Route 19) and Los Coyotes Diagonal is the "infamous" Long Beach Traffic Circle.
Long Beach has some bike paths along city streets, plus the Long Beach bicycle path along the ocean from Shoreline Village to Belmont Shore, plus there are bike paths along both the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers.
Culture
Art
The Long Beach Museum of Art is owned by the City of Long Beach, and operated by the Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation. Long Beach also features the Museum of Latin American Art, founded in 1996 by Dr. Robert Gumbiner. It is the only museum in the western United States that exclusively features Latin American art.
The University Art Museum on the Long Beach State campus (founded in 1973) has a national reputation for its high-quality and innovative programs. [2] Long Beach State is also home to the largest publicly funded art school west of the Mississippi.
In 1965, Long Beach State hosted the first International Sculpture Symposium to be held in the United States and the first at a college or university. Six sculptors from around the world and two from the United States created many of the monumental sculptures seen on the campus. There are now over 20 scuptures on the campus.
The Southern California is known for its street art and the Long Beach area has many fine examples. Some of the murals were created in conjuction with the city's Mural and Cultural Arts Program, but many others were not. [3] [4]
On the exterior of the Long Beach Sports Arena is one of environmental artist Wyland's Whaling Walls. At 116,000 square feet (11,000 m²), it is the world's largest mural (according to the Guinness Book of Records).
The second Saturday of every month local artists and artisans in the city congregate in the East Village Arts District downtown Long Beach to sell their wares and perform.
Music
The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra plays numerous classical and pop music concerts throughout the year. The symphony plays at the Terrace Theater in the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. [5]
KJAZZ 88.1 FM (KKJZ) broadcasts from California State University, Long Beach. The station features jazz and blues music exclusively and can also be listened to over the Internet. [6]
Long Beach is the host to a number of long-running music festivals. They include the Bob Marley Reggae Festival (February), the Cajun & Zydeco Festival (May), the Aloha Concert Jam (Hawaiian music, June), the Long Beach Jazz Festival (August), the Long Beach Blues Festival (September, since 1980), and the Brazilian Street Carnaval (Brazilian music, September).
The bands Sublime, the Long Beach Dub Allstars (formed by the members of Sublime after their lead singer Brad Nowell died of a heroin overdose) and Long Beach Shortbus (formed after the break-up of the Allstars) are from Long Beach.
New-wave punk band Le Shok hailed from Long Beach.
Rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Zack de la Rocha were born and raised in Long Beach. The city is also home to the VIP Records store which has been featured in music videos by Snoop Dogg and other rap music artists. (The corner of "21 and Lewis" that Warren G mentions in "Regulate" is very close to VIP Records.)
Melissa Etheridge got her start performing at Que Sera, a former lesbian bar in Long Beach.
The Long Beach Municipal Band, founded in 1909 is the longest running, municipally supported band in the country. In 2005, the band played 24 concerts in various parks around Long Beach. [7]
The Long Beach Community Band, including the Shoreline Concert Band and the Blue Pacific Swing Band, is an all volunteer group of musicians that's been performing concerts in the Long Beach area since 1947. [8]
The Vault 350, a music performance nightclub, is one of several bars and nightclubs located on Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach. The popular Blues Cafe is located nearby.
Sports
The Long Beach Grand Prix in April is the single largest event in Long Beach. It started in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race on the streets of downtown, and became a Formula One the following year. Since 1984 it has been a Champ Car event. During the same week as the Grand Prix, there are also Trans-Am, and Toyota Atlantic races, plus an Historic Grand Prix features pre-1990 cars, and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race.
Long Beach is home to the Long Beach Ice Dogs minor-league (ECHL) hockey team. The Ice Dogs play their home games at the Long Beach Sports Arena. The city is also home to a minor league baseball team called the Long Beach Armada who play in the independent Golden Baseball League. The minor league basketball team nicknamed the Long Beach Jam play in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Image:Longbeach pyramid.jpg The Southern California Summer Pro League is a showcase for current and prospective NBA basketball players, including recent draft picks, current NBA players working on their skills and conditioning, and international professionals hoping to become NBA players. The league plays at the Pyramid (a pyramid-shaped gym) on the Long Beach State campus during July. [9]
Since its inception in August 1964, the Congressional Cup has grown into one of the major international sailing events. Now held in April, it is the only grade 1 match race regatta held in the United States. The one-on-one race format is the same as the America's Cup, and many of the winners of the Congressional Cup have gone on to win the America's Cup as well.
In July, there is the annual Catalina Ski Race, which starts from Long Beach Harbor and goes to Catalina Island and back to complete a 100 km (62 mile) circuit. This race has been held annually since 1948 and features skiers from around the world. [10]
During the two Olympics held in Los Angeles, Long Beach has hosted a number of the competitions, including rowing events in the Marine Stadium, sailing events off the coast of Long Beach, volleyball in the Long Beach Sports Arena, and archery at El Dorado Regional Park. For the 1984 Summer Olympics, Long Beach hosted yachting, volleyball, fencing and archery competitions. For the 1932 Summer Olympics, Long Beach hosted the rowing competition. The Belmont Plaza Pool hosted U.S. Olympic swimming trials in 1968, 1976, and 2004.
Blair Field (built in 1958) has hosting numerous American Legion baseball, Connie Mack baseball, high school, junior college, college, minor league baseball and major league spring training exhibition baseball games. It has also been host of six MTV Rock & Jock softball games, and has been the filming location for numerous film, TV and commercial productions. [11]
The Leeway Sailing and Aquatics Center on Alamitos Bay in Belmont Shore is a youth sailing program founded in 1929. It is recognized as one of the premier municipal instructional sailing programs in the country. [12]
Long Beach has five municipal golf courses, as well as the private Virgina Country Club in the Bixby Knolls area. Recreation Park, built in 1917, is one of the busiest golf courses in the United States. [13] [14]
Long Beach is the childhood home of tennis legend Billie Jean King and eight-time National League batting champion and longtime San Diego Padres outfielder Tony Gwynn.
2004 Summer Olympics gold medal winning beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor graduated from California State University, Long Beach (where she won a national championship and several other awards), and currently resides in Long Beach.
Parks and recreation
The Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine received a Gold Medal award from the National Parks and Recreation Society in 2002, 2003, and 2004, recognizing the Department's "outstanding management practices and programs." The Department manages 92 parks covering over 3,100 acres (13 km²) throughout the city, including the 815 acre (3.3 km²) El Dorado Regional Park, which features fishing lakes, an archery range, youth campground, bike trails, and picnic areas. The Department also operates four public swimming pools, and four launch ramps for boaters to access the Pacific Ocean.
The 102.5 acre El Dorado Nature Center is part of the larger El Dorado Regional Park. The center features lakes, a stream, and trails, with meadows and forested areas. [15]
Rancho Los Alamitos is a 7.5 acre historical site owned by the City of Long Beach that is near Long Beach State. The site includes five agricultural buildings, including a working blacksmith’s shop, four acres of gardens, and a adobe ranch house dating from around 1800. The Rancho is within a gated community, so you must pass through security gates to get to it. [16]
Rancho Los Cerritos is a 4.7 acre historical site owned by Long Beach in the Bixby Knolls area near the Virginia Country Club. The adobe buildings date from the 1880s. The site also includes a California history research library. [17]
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach.
Multicultural events
Scottish Festival and Games (Queen Mary, Feb.) [18], Annual Indian Pow Wow (CSULB, March), Cambodian New Year Celebration (El Dorado Park, March or April), the Kaleidoscope Festival (CSULB, April) [19], Cinco de Mayo (at the Museum of Latin American Art, plus several celebrations in city parks, May 5), Long Beach Pride Festival (May) [20], Juneteenth Festival (Martin Luther King Park, mid-June), Tafesilafa'i (Pacific Islander festival, Shoreline Village, July), E Hula Mau (Hula and Chant competition, Terrace Theater, Labor Day weekend) [21], Annual Grecian Festival (Greek Orthodox Church of Long Beach, Labor Day weekend), and the Brazilian Street Carnaval (Sept.) [22].
Parades
The Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade & Festival has been held in May or June since 1984. It is the second largest event in Long Beach, attracting over 125,000 participants over the two day celebration. It is the third largest Gay Pride Parade in the United States. [23]
Christmas boat "parades" are a Southern California tradition, with at least one held every weekend night from December 1st till Christmas. The "Naples Island Christmas Parade" has been held since 1946, and passes through the canals of Naples and around Alamitos Bay past Belmont Shore. The "Parade of A Thousand Lights" is in the Shoreline Village area (near Downtown Long Beach and the HMS Queen Mary). [24] There is also a Christmas boat parade in the nearby Port of Los Angeles/San Pedro area, and another in the Huntington Harbor community of nearby Huntington Beach.
Other parades in Long Beach include the Martin Luther King Parade (Jan.), Cambodian New Years Parade (March or April), Brazilian Street Carnaval (Sept.) [25], Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade (Oct.) [26], Long Beach Veterans Day Parade (Nov.) [27], Belmont Shore Christmas Parade (Dec.) [28], and Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane & Parade (Dec.).
Other cultural events
In October, Long Beach State hosts the CSULB Wide Screen Film Festival, at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. The festival started in 1995 as a showcase for movies filmed in the widescreen format, but has since been transformed into an artist-in-residence event. A major film artist (such as former CSULB student Steven Spielberg) screens and discusses their own work as well as the ten films that most influenced their cinematic vision. [29]
Business
The top commercial businesses in Long Beach, based upon the number of employees, are: Boeing, Verizon, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, and The Bragg Companies (crane and heavy transport sales). Several local hospitals are major employers, including: Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Mary Medical Center, and Pacific Hospital of Long Beach. Major government and educational employers include: Long Beach Unified School District, City of Long Beach, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach City College, United State Postal Service, and Long Beach Transit.
- Douglas Aircraft Company (later McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and now part of Boeing) had a plant at the Long Beach Airport where they built aircraft for World War II, and later built DC-8s, DC-9s, DC-10s, and MD-11s.
- Boeing now builds the Boeing 717 and the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter in Long Beach and is the largest employer in the city.
- Polar Air Cargo, an international cargo airline, is based in Long Beach.
- TABC, INC., a part of Toyota, makes a variety of car parts, including truck beds, steering columns, and catalytic converters, in Long Beach.
- Epson America, the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, is headquartered in Long Beach.
- SCAN Health Plan, a non-profit "Medicare Advantage" HMO for seniors, is headquartered in Long Beach.
- Parker Law Firm, the legal firm of the personal injury attorney Larry H. Parker (most noted for his series of television commercials), is headquartered in Long Beach. (Because of the backlash to his commercials, a law was passed in California making it illegal for law firms to quote lawsuit award amounts in their commercials.)
- Molina Health Care, Inc., a Medicaid management healthcare program, is headquartered in Long Beach.
- Jesse James' West Coast Choppers custom motorcycle shop is located in Long Beach, and much of the Monster Garage cable TV show is filmed in Long Beach.
Media
The local newspaper is the Long Beach Press-Telegram, which is distributed throughout most of the Gateway Cities and South Bay areas of southwest Los Angeles County. The Press-Telegram is part of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, which has several local newspapers in the Southern California area.
Long Beach also gets distribution of the daily Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, and La Opinión newspapers, the weekly Los Angeles Sentinel and the free OC Weekly. Business news is covered by the biweekly Long Beach Business Journal.
Long Beach is part of the Los Angeles DMA radio and television markets.
Education
Public schools
The primary school district that serves Long Beach is Long Beach Unified School District. It is the third largest school district in California. The district is noted for starting a trend to the return to school uniforms for public schools in the 1990s. It has also won several awards in recent years, including the 2003 Broad Prize for Urban Education, as the best urban school district in the US.
Other school districts, including ABC Unified School District, serve small portions of Long Beach.
Private high schools
- Cambodian Christian School - K-12 - Baptist
- First Baptist Church School (Long Beach, California) - PK-12 - Baptist [30]
- Gethsemane Baptist Church School - PK-12 - Baptist
- Pacific Christian School - K-12 - Baptist
- Parkridge Private School K-12 - Private
- Regency High School - 7-12 - Private
- St. Anthony High School - 9-12 - Roman Catholic [31]
- S W Longview Private School - K-12 - Private
- Zinsmeyer Academy - 6-12 - Private (ChildNet Youth and Family Services) [32]
Private non-high schools
- Bethany Lutheran School - K-8 - Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
- Grace Christian Schools Long Beach - PK-6 - Brethren
- Holy Innocents Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- Light and Life Christian School - K-6 Methodist
- Long Beach Adventist School - K-8 - Seventh-Day Adventist
- Los Altos Grace Brethren School - K-6 - Brethren
- Nazarene Christian School Of Long Beach - PK-8 - Christian
- Oakwood Academy - K-6 - Christian non-denominational
- Our Lady Of Refuge Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- St. Anthony Elementary School PK-8 - Roman Catholic
- St. Athanasius Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- St Barnabas Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- St Cornelius Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- St Cyprian Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- St Joseph Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- St Lucy's School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- St Maria Goretti Elementary School - K-8 - Roman Catholic
- Westerly School of Long Beach - K-8 - Private [33]
Colleges and universities
- California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)
- Long Beach City College (LBCC) Pacific Coast and Liberal Arts campuses
- California State University, Dominguez Hills is in the nearby community of Carson, California
- Brooks College, a two-year private for-profit vocational school best know for its fashion design and fashion marketing programs (and their ads on late-night television).
- DeVry University
Geography
Long Beach is located at 33°47' North, 118°10' West, about 20 miles (30 km) south of downtown Los Angeles. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 170.6 km² (65.9 mi²). 130.6 km² (50.4 mi²) of it is land and 40.0 km² (15.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 23.42% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 461,522 people, 163,088 households, and 99,646 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,532.8/km² (9,149.8/mi²). There were 171,632 housing units at an average density of 1,313.8/km² (3,402.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.16% White, 14.87% African American, 0.84% Native American, 12.05% Asian, 1.21% Pacific Islander, 20.61% from other races, and 5.27% from two or more races. 35.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among its Asian population, Long Beach is home to a large Cambodian community, the second-largest Cambodian community outside of Asia (after Paris).
There were 163,088 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.55.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,270, and the median income for a family was $40,002. Males had a median income of $36,807 versus $31,975 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,040. 22.8% of the population and 19.3% of families were below the poverty line. 32.7% of those under the age of 18 and 11.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Famous people born in Long Beach
- James Blaylock: fantasy/science fiction author
- Jeff Burroughs: baseball player, 1974 American League MVP and Little League World Series Championship coach
- Bobby Burgess: one the original Mouseketeers
- Nicolas Cage: actor
- Eva LaRue Callahan: soap opera actress
- Percy Daggs III: UPN's Veronica Mars
- William E. Dannemeyer: Orange County politician
- Zack de la Rocha rapper/rocker
- Bo Derek: actress
- Daz Dillinger: rapper
- Nate Dogg: rapper
- Snoop Dogg: rapper
- John Dykstra: 1978 Visual Effects Oscar Winner (for Star Wars)
- Floyd "Bud" Gaugh: drummer for bands Sublime, Long Beach Dub Allstars, and Eyes Adrift
- Warren G.: rapper
- Dave Hansen: Major League Baseball player
- Spike Jones: bandleader and comedian
- Sally Kellerman: actress
- Billie Jean King: tennis player
- William Joseph Levada, current Pro-Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Roman Catholic Church
- Dan Lungren: Republican politician
- Willie McGinest: NFL Linebacker
- Bradley "Brad" Nowell:founder and vocalist of the band Sublime
- Michelle Phillips: singer and actress
- Sheldon Rampton: editor of PR Watch
- Tim Salmon: Major League Baseball player, 1993 Rookie of the Year
- Tiffani-Amber Thiessen: actress
- Eric Wilson: bassist of the bands Sublime, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Dubcat ,and Long Beach Shortbus
- Anthony Zerbe: actor
Famous residents of Long Beach
- Greta Andersen: Olympic swimming gold medalist, and long distance swimmer, originally from Denmark
- Bad Azz: rapper
- Fatty Arbuckle: actor
- Richard Bach: author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
- Theda Bara: actress
- Frank Black (aka Black Francis): leader of the Pixies rock group
- Milton Bradley: baseball player (Long Beach Polytechnic High School)
- Jan Burke: Mystery author, 2000 Edgar Award for Best Novel (for "Bones")
- George Chakiris: Academy Award-winning actor
- Dorothy Buffum Chandler: Los Angeles philanthropist (wife of Norman Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times) and namesake for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
- Nat King Cole: singer and jazz piano player
- Jonathan Davis: lead singer for KoЯn
- Tray Deee: rapper
- George Deukmejian: Governor of California
- Cameron Diaz: actress (Long Beach Poly High School)
- Melissa Etheridge: rock singer
- Bobby Grich: baseball player (Wilson High School)
- Chris Gwynn: baseball player, (Long Beach Polytechnic High School)
- Tony Gwynn: baseball player (Long Beach Poly High School)
- John Lee Hooker: Blues singer
- Marilyn Horne: opera singer (Long Beach Poly High School)
- Thelma Houston: R&B singer
- Jesse G. James: West Coast Choppers & Monster Garage, custom motorcycle and car builder
- Long Gone John: entrepreneur, owner and CEO of Sympathy for the Record Industry
- Paula Jones
- DeForest Kelley: Star Trek actor
- Vicki Lawrence: comedian
- Bob Lemon: baseball player and baseball manager, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
- Camryn Manheim: actress
- Misty May: professional beach volleyball player
- Mike McCready: Pearl Jam's guitarist
- Robert Mitchum: actor
- Bradley Nowell: singer songwriter of Sublime
- Elizabeth Short (aka "The Black Dahlia"): famous murder victim
- Upton Sinclair: author
- Alan Stock: conservative KXNT Las Vegas radio talk show host
- Chase Utley: baseball player (Long Beach Poly High School)
- Carl Weathers: football player & actor (Long Beach Poly High School)
- Wheely Willy: celebrity dog, featured in children's books, etc.
Neighborhoods of Long Beach
Long Beach is a mosaic of neighborhoods, with some of them well-defined, while others blend into nearby neighborhoods. The most desirable properties in Long Beach are in the Belmont Shore and Naples areas in southeast Long Beach near Alamitos Bay and the Pacific Ocean, the homes near the Virginia Country Club in Bixby Knolls and California Heights in west-central Long Beach, and the areas near El Dorado Park and Long Beach State on the east side of Long Beach. The most dangerous area in Long Beach is the area on the east of 710, south of 405, north of 7th street. The downtown area, especially south of Ocean Boulevard and along the Pine Avenue corridor, has experienced significant gentrification in recent years. The center of the East Village district, the area around the Long Beach Convention Center, and the Pine Avenue entertainment district are generally considered safe areas.
Both Pine Avenue and the Linden Avenue area of the East Village in downtown Long Beach, as well as Broadway in Belmont Shore are known for their restaurants and nightlife. The 4th Street Corridor is known for its funky shops, antique stores and vintage clothing stores. The Broadway Corridor between downtown and Belmont Shore has the greatest number of gay-owned and oriented establishments in Long Beach.
- Belmont Heights
- Belmont Shore
- Bixby Knolls
- Bixby Village
- Bluff Park
- Broadway Corridor
- California Heights
- College Park
- Downtown Long Beach
- East Village
- Eastside
- El Dorado Park
- 4th Street Corridor
- Lakewood Village
- Little Phnom Penh (aka Anaheim Corridor)
- Long Beach Marina
- Los Altos
- Naples
- North Long Beach
- Northside
- Park Estates
- Rose Park
- Shoreline Village
- Silverado Park
- Stearns Park
- Terminal Island
- Traffic Circle
- University Park Estates
- Westside
- Wrigley Neighborhood
Two Eastsides?
There are two very different "Eastsides" in Long Beach. The traditional Eastside is on the east side of the city. The boundaries are (roughly) Carson Blvd. (N), Interstate 605 (San Gabriel Freeway) (E), The Pacific Ocean (S), and Redondo ave (W).
The second Eastside is an area on the east side of the Los Angeles River Refered to as Central Long Beach by city officials. It is called the East-side mostly by minorities. This neighborhood was over 80% percent Black up until the 1980's, but with increased Hispanic and Cambodian immigration that number dwindled to somewhere between 25% and 30%. The eastside is claimed by several different street gangs, such as the East Side Longos (Latino Gang), Rolling Twenty Crip (Black Gang), Insane Crip (Black Gang), and Cambodian gangs. It is also associated with a number of Long Beach rap artists, such as Snoop Dogg's Eastsidaz. The boundaries for this second Eastside are (very roughly) Willow Ave. and then the Signal Hill city limits (N), Redondo ave (E), 7th street (S), and the Los Angeles River (W).
Crime
Crime in Long Beach has been dramatically reduced since the early 1990's. There were 126 murders in 1993 when the population was just over 300,000. In 2002, the number of murders was 67 making almost a 50% differential. But gangs are still present in inner-city Long Beach. With a very ethnically diverse population, Long Beach can be a volitile mix of Black, Latino, and Asian gangs crammed into the higher density Central Long Beach and Westside areas.
Trivia
Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan used to regularly fly out of Daugherty Field (which later became the Long Beach Airport). Before his infamous flight from Brooklyn, New York to Ireland in 1938, he had already flown a transcontinental flight from Long Beach to New York. He was supposed to be returning to Daugherty Field after authorities had refused his request to fly on to Ireland, but because of a claimed navigational error, he ended up in Ireland instead. He never publicly acknowledged having flown to Ireland intentionally.
The first Miss Universe contest was held in Long Beach on 29 June 1952, as well as the 1953-1959 Miss Universe contests. After the Miss Universe contest moved to Miami in 1960, the first Miss International contest was held in Long Beach in 1960, and continued until 1968 when the contest moved to Japan. The Miss International contest was again held in Long Beach in 1971 before returning permanently to Japan.
Long Beach's sister cities are (as of December 2005) [34]:
- Template:Flagicon Bacolod, Philippines
- Template:Flagicon Guadalajara, Mexico
- Template:Flagicon Izmir, Turkey
- Template:Flagicon Kolkata, India
- Template:Flagicon Manta, Ecuador
- Template:Flagicon Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Template:Flagicon Qingdao, China
- Template:Flagicon Sochi, Russia
- Template:Flagicon Valparaiso, Chile
- Template:Flagicon Yokkaichi, Japan
See also
- Mayor of Long Beach
- Lakewood Boulevard (California State Route 19)
- Long Beach Iced Tea - a variation on the Long Island Iced Tea
- Long Beach - for other places named Long Beach
- Barrio Longo 13, street gang
External links
- City of Long Beach
- Historical Society of Long Beach
- Port of Long Beach
- Meanwhile in Long Beach
- Aquarium of the Pacific
- Grand Prix of Long Beach
- Long Beach Ice Dogs
- Long Beach Congressional Cup
- Long Beach Report.com
- Catalina Ski Race
- Long Beach Museum of Art
- Museum of Latin American Art
- Long Beach Symphony Orchestra
- KJAZZ 88.1 FM
- CSULB Widescreen Film Festival
- Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade & Festival
- Long Beach Public Transit
- Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
- Long Beach Press-Telegram
- Long Beach Business Journal
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