My husband and I spent year in Long Beach and had a wonderful time. Not only was our apartment awesome there were great places to eat every day.
A couple of blocks from our apartment was Pine Street. We would walk up there for lunch almost every day. One of our favorite places was Taco Beach. They had the best fish tacos I have ever had and their prices were very reasonable. In the evening we would head to George’s Greek Cafe for Happy Hour. There we would sit at the bar, order a drink and food. They had the most amazing lamb as well as the Greek Salad. Their Hummus was so good!
George’s has three locations, Belmont, Pine Street and Downtown. George goes from place to place hugging all of the incoming patrons. Talk about feeling welcome.
Next to our apartment was the police station and the fire station (we did not realize this when we picked the place). You would hear sirens all day and all night. Fortunately our apartment faced the inside of the building so we were pretty insulated from the sound. When we would walk to the harbor, we would pass by the police station. There were about ten parking spaces marked “Homicide Only”. Pretty creepy.
Since we worked out of our apartment, I made it a rule to not go on the freeway before ten in the morning or after two in the afternoon. I got pretty good and using back streets and did not get on the freeway often. There was a Costco about twenty minutes away. You have not shopped in Costco until you have shopped in one in Los Angeles. I thought the Costco in our town was packed but it was crazy. I could not believe how long the lines were just for the gas. I never did sit in those lines.
I found Target was a good substitute for Walmart. They were clean and alway well stocked. I also discovered The Vitamin Shoppe for my supplements.
Did I mention that there is an annual Grand Prix in Long Beach? It is very cool. They spend a couple of months setting up for the event. It was fun seeing them put tires at the corners for crashes. Then another day they would be setting up the bleachers and fencing. The track is one point nine six eight miles. Then they would put up these pass overs for people to get across the road to their seats or to see the vendors and racers.
This event started in nineteen seventy five as a formula 5000 race then the following year it became a Formula One race. It became the Grand Prix in nineteen eighty three. The event sees around two hundred thousand attendees each year.
We lived there in nineteen eleven and were walking distance from the event. We bought passes for the whole event. A good friend flew down and stayed with us. He was so excited to go as he had always wanted to go. It was awesome! They give you ear plugs when you check in because it is so loud.