Long Beach is a unique destination; the big city beach town where shoreline meets skyline. If visiting for the first time you’re going to find an amazing mix of beach activities, sophisticated food scene, colourful nightlife and one-of-a-kind attractions. And if you’ll be spending a good deal of time in and around the Long Beach Convention Center, all of this, and lots more–who’s up for a subterranean Tiki Bar?--are literally steps away. Here’s a brief listing of some of the best reasons to check out the LBC!

Why Long Beach?

#1: Unique Attactions
The list of Long Beach attractions is long and distinct. There’s the Queen Mary, the iconic ocean liner, now a hotel and entertainment destination. The Queen not only has great restaurants, lounges and nightlife, but plenty of tours ranging from historical to paranormal. Just across Rainbow Harbor you’ll find the Aquarium of the Pacific, the largest aquarium in Southern California, while the Museum of Latin American Art–featuring modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art–is the only museum of its kind in the United States. The city’s fashionable Naples neighborhood offers a chance to cruise its canals–yes, canals–in Gondola Getaway’s authentic Venetian gondolas. While popular with couples, the gondolas can also accommodate groups of up to 14.

#2: Diverse dining
The city’s dining scene features a stunning variety of diverse options, from trendy hotspots to family-owned legacy restaurants that locals love. You can try everything from swanky steakhouses to vegan sushi spots, and cuisines from Cambodian and Vietnamese to Peruvian and Caribbean. Locally owned Heritage became the first Long Beach restaurant to earn a Michelin star, and the venerable dining guide has also recognized three other restaurants–progressive Southern comfort The Attic, Peruvian sushi Sushi Nikkei, Thai street food Chiang Rai–as worthy stops. The downtown area, of which the convention center sits near the center, boasts more than 100 restaurants, bars and lounges, ranging from traditional–Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, L’Opera Italian restaurant to underground Tiki Bar Secret Island and subterranean whiskey bar The Blind Donkey, featured in the movie LaLa Land.

#3: Active Outdoors
Long Beach has an exceptionally temperate climate, even by Southern California standards. So the city, which averages 287 sunny days a year, is a veritable playground both in and out of the water. And whether you require equipment or lessons, there are myriad ocean recreational and sporting possibilities: paddle boarding, surfing (both wind and kite), jet skiing, sailing, kayaking – in other words, there’s a whole lot to do in and on the water. If you’d rather keep it moving by the water, consider Wheel Fun Rentals at Shoreline Village and rent any number of wheeled vehicles–bikes, pedal and/or electric, surreys, specialty cycles, etc. Go for a ride on the long and winding beach path that runs between Shoreline and Belmont Shore. Above the beach is Bluff Park, a spacious lawn with expansive views of the Pacific, plenty of grass for the kids to play on as well as to hold a picnic. Bluff Park is also the site of a very popular daily yoga practice open to everyone. 

#4: Shopping
Downtown Long Beach has The Pike Outlets with major retailers like Gap, H&M and Nike, while north on Pine Avenue is a collection of interesting boutiques, clothing stores and specialty shops. East of Pine is the East Village Arts District, an uber-cool district with plenty of galleries, art shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques. Belmont Shore is possibly the city’s best known shopping and dining district–located on Second Street. A walkable district with options ranging from national chains to local businesses selling fashion, jewelry, hardware, home decor and Long Beach-themed items. Fourth Street between Walnut and Temple avenues is known as Retro Row and offers the most focused, well-defined collection of shops that, as the name suggests, are vintage-inspired boutiques and specialty shops. Retro Row has grown from funky oddity to one of the most popular destinations in the city for unique retail as well as some of its best eating and drinking options. 

#5: Easy Access
Though it’s California’s seventh largest city, visitors don’t have to spend a lot of time in their car to see everything Long Beach has to offer. Long Beach is ranked one of the top 10 most walkable cities in America. Its scenic waterfront is just steps from its vibrant downtown, with more than 125 bars, restaurants and attractions within an eight-block radius including the Aquarium of the Pacific. It’s just a short ride-share to the historic Queen Mary ocean liner, Museum of Latin American Art, Bluff Park, Retro Row, Belmont Shore and Naples and its romantic canals. It is also ideally situated between Los Angeles and Orange County, making for easy day trips to nearby theme parks, attractions in LA and Hollywood, and Catalina Island.