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Car Free Journeys – Long Beach By Steve Atlas Car Free Journey: March, 2012 By Steve Atlas
Today, we begin a short series of columns spotlighting walkable communities in the greater Los Angeles region. Today, we will visit Long Beach, California: rated 11th most walkable large city in the United States by WalkScore.com.
You don’t need a car to enjoy a weekend getaway here. Metro’s Blue light rail Line will take you to Long Beach either from Los Angeles’ Union Station, or (with 2 easy connections) Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Take the Blue Line to Long Beach’s Transit Gallery station. Once here, it’s a short walk to restaurants and hotels. Long Beach Transit’s Passport buses (either free or $1.25-$4 for a day pass) will take you to major attractions and walkable neighborhoods.
Introduction to Long Beach Dust off your walking shoes and make your way to Long Beach! Long Beach boasts more than 100 quality restaurants within an eight block radius and many recognizable hotel brands along the shoreline. The Pike at Rainbow Harbor in downtown Long Beach features not only stunning views of the shoreline but exciting nightclubs and a wide selection of restaurants. Share a laugh with friends at the world’s largest comedy club, the Laugh Factory. Sip a drink, enjoy the music and dance the night away at The Auld Dubliner, Mai Tai Bar or Kavikas. The streets of downtown Long Beach are lined with bars and nightclubs such as Café Sevilla, Shannon’s On Pine, Cohiba and more- all within walking distance of the city’s major hotels! For the environmentally conscious, Long Beach is home to the first hybrid “E-Power” buses which travel extensively throughout the city. These buses are the first of their kind and have cleaner tailpipe emissions as well as provide a quieter ride for passengers. While traveling on foot, go for a spin on the Passport, a shuttle service that takes passengers to the most exciting attractions in downtown for free. Tour the historic ocean liner, the Queen Mary, pet a shark at the Aquarium of the Pacific and visit the Museum of Latin American Art (Mila) without having to get out your car keys! If you’re looking to shop, take the Passport and stroll down Retro Row, a popular shopping destination with a myriad of vintage shops and a favorite of L.A. costume designers and locals alike. Outside of downtown, for $1.25, the Passport can take riders to one of the city’s walkable neighborhoods, Belmont Shore where visitors can enjoy boutique shops and eclectic restaurants such as Open Sesame, La Stradaand Legends Sports Bar.
Getting Here The most convenient airport is Long Beach Airport, served by Jet Blue, Delta, U.S. Air, and Alaska Airlines. From here, take Long Beach Transit Route #111 westbound from the Airport to the Transit Mall (last stop). The trip takes about 40 minutes and costs $1.25 each way ($4 for a one day pass that allows unlimited travel on all Long Beach Transit buses. Buses run every hour. For complete schedules for Route 111 from Long Beach Airport, go to http://www.lgb.org/travelers/transit.asp, or http://www.lbtansit.com. You can also call Long Beach Transit at (562) 591-2301 from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, or 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday. (All times are Pacific Time.)
Or call Metro’s customer service (323/Go Metro—or 323/466-3876) from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. (All times are Pacific Time. If you arrive by train or bus, take Metro’s Blue Line from Union Station south to the Transit Mall station in Long Beach.
What to Do After You Arrive Getting Started The Transit Gallery/also known as the Transit Mall is located at 1st and Pine: just a short walk from downtown restaurants and hotels. The Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau recommends staying downtown because of its convenience to restaurants, downtown shopping, and public transportation. Your first stop should be Long Beach Transit’s Transit and Visitor Information Center, located at 130 1st Street SE, corner of 1st St. and Pine Ave. in the First Street Transit Gallery. Here, you can buy passes (a one-day pass is just $4 for unlimited rides on Passport and other regular bus routes, or $18 for a 5-day pass. Seniors age 62 and over and persons with disabilities qualify for reduced fares—for eligibility, visit http://www.lbtransit.com/fares/Discount_Fare_Eligibility.asp.), get map and schedule information. While you are here, be sure to pick up brochures and get questions about local attractions answered at the visitor information window. Hours for transit information are weekdays: 7 a.m.-6 p.m., weekends: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Public rest rooms are open every day from 5 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. the next day. Telephone assistance is available at (562) 591-2301: 7 a.m. -6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday. (No telephone service on Sunday.) Visitor information center hours here are 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., every day (longer in summer).
Where to Stay The Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau recommends staying downtown because of its convenience to restaurants, downtown shopping, and public transportation. Here are a few hotels that are recommended by the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. AVIA
HOTEL
LONG
BEACH:
285
Bay
Street
THE
VARDEN
HOTEL:
335
Pacific
Avenue
HOTEL
MAYA
– Doubletree
by
Hilton
700
Queensway
Drive
HYATT REGENCY LONG BEACH
200
South
Pine
Avenue
RENAISSANCE LONG BEACH HOTEL
111
East
Ocean
Boulevard
THE WESTIN LONG BEACH
333
East Ocean Boulevard
The Queen Mary, in addition to being a major attraction, has 314 hotel rooms, a variety of dining options, and a theatre. For information, visit www.queenmary.com
Visit www.visitlongbeach.com for additional hotels downtown and elsewhere in Long Beach.
What To Do While You Are Here If you enjoy walking, a good way to begin is to walk down Pine Avenue to the end. When you reach the Pine Avenue Pier, turn right to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific, and left to enjoy a 4 mile stroll along the ocean on the bike beach path.
For information about admission, including a combination ticket for the Aquarium and Queen Mary, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org, or call (562/590-3109. The Bike and Beach Path: Enjoy a stroll along the Pacific shore. This popular path goes to the popular shopping neighborhood of Belmont Shores. Take a few minutes break at Shoreline Village, located in Rainbow Harbor, and enjoy its arcade, carousel, and many shops (www.shorelinevillage.com. Visit the Queen Mary. Take Long Beach Transit’s free Passport C bus from the Transit Mall... Come aboard the legendary Queen Mary. Book the Behind the Scenes Guided Tour of the historic ocean liner and World War II troopship, and see restored areas that have been under wraps since the final voyage in 1967, including the Isolation Wards and the aft Machine Rooms. Enjoy a meal, shop and even plan to spend the night in an original First Class Stateroom. Then board one of the Cold War's hottest weapons, the Russian submarine, code name: Scorpion. It's rugged, spartan, cramped and shrouded in secrecy. Feel the chill of 300 feet of Cold War menace. The Queen Mary is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The most affordable way to visit is with a combination pass for the Queen Mary and Aquarium of the Pacific. You can also stay overnight on the boat. A basic Bed and Breakfast package can be very affordable. For more information about visiting the Queen Mary or booking an overnight stay, visit www.queenmary.com, or call (562) 437-4531 or toll free (800) 437-2934.
Three Museums Worth a Visit (check their websites for hours and cost): Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum: www.pleam.org or call 562/216-4120. The museum showcases the diverse cultures from the Pacific, including the Marshallese, Samoans, Chamorro, Fijian, Carolinian, Tongan, Micronesian, Hawaiian, the Ni-Vanuatu, Niuean, Tuvauluan, Maori, Polynesian, Papuan, Austronesian, Nauruan, Melanesian, Palauan, the I-Kiribati and many more distinct nationalities. PIEAM’s exhibits include sculptures, textiles, paintings, wooden tools, jewelry, and carvings from across the Pacific Museum of Latin American Art: www.molaa.org or call (562) 437-1689. The Museum of Latin American Art is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art To get to either of these museums from the Transit Mall, take Long Beach Transit Passport B, or routes 71, 72, 91, 92, 93, or 94 to 7th and Alamitos and walk to either PLEAM (695 Alamitos) or MOLAA (628 Alamitos). Long Beach Museum of Art: www.lbma.org or call (562) 439-2119. Located at 2300 East Ocean Blvd., the Long Beach Museum of Art features a 1912 Craftsman mansion perched atop picturesque Bluff Park. The adjacent gallery building houses a collection of ceramics, decorative arts and contemporary paintings. The museum can be reached from the Transit Mall by taking Long Beach Transit Passport A or D to Ocean Blvd and Lindero. Visit Catalina Island: Would you like a relaxing escape from urban cares? Then, consider a boat trip on Catalina Express to Catalina Island. The city of Avalon has beaches, and opportunities for bicycling, hiking, kayaking, fishing, golf and miniature golf, rental golf cars to get around the island, and dining. The newest attraction here is a zip line eco tour. For more information about the zip line tour and other activities on the island, go to www.visitcatalinaisland.com and click on activities. The town of Two Harbors offers hiking, bicycling, scuba diving, snorkeling, and more. For more information about Catalina Island, visit www.catalinachamber.com, or call (310) 510-1520. For Catalina Express fares and schedules and additional information about visiting the island, visit www.catalinaexpress.com, or call (310) 519-1212. Enjoy
Bicycling
while
you
are
here!
Explore
the
Shoreline
Pedestrian
Bike
path Nearby, more than 30 miles of dedicated shoreline and river bicycle paths, as well as Class II paths (routes accommodating both bicycles and cars), connect to other parts of the city. Would you like a bicycle tour of Long Beach? Visit www.calibiketours.com, or call (562) 334-BIKE. Visit Naples on a Hydrobike Have you ever considered riding a bike on the water? If so, consider renting a hydrobike from Long Beach Hydrobikes. A hydrobike is basically a bicycle designed to ride on the water. It’s like riding a bike with training wheels—the folks at Long Beach Hydrobikes believe anyone can do it. A hydrobike is the only way non-drivers can visit and explore the canals in the nearby town of Naples. Long Beach Hydrobikes will supply you with a map and detailed directions for visiting Naples and its canals. For more information, visit www.longbeachydrobikes.com, or call (562) 546-2493. Long Beach Hydrobikes is open daily in fall and winter from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and in summer from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. To get here from the Transit Mall, take Passport A to Marina Drive. Long Beach Hydrobikes is located next to a parking lot, a short walk from the bus. (During summer, Long Beach Transit’s Aqua link will take you on a boat ride directly to Long Beach Hydrobikes.)
We’ve Just Begun—but, we’ve run out of time! If you still have energy, Long Beach has lots of shopping, restaurant choices, and evening activities. The Long Beach Symphony and International City Theatre (ICT) both perform at the Convention and Entertainment Center (www.longbeachcc.com, or call 562/436-3636). Many restaurants offer live music. For more information about entertainment, shopping, other attractions or accommodations, visit www.visitlongbeach.com, or call (562) 436-3645 or (toll-free) 800/452-7829. For transit information in Long Beach visit www.lbtransit.com, or call (562) 591-2301. Steve Atlas spotlights where to visit or live without depending on a private automobile. View past Car Free Journey columns, and special reports about good places to live without a car at www.pubtrantravel.com. Send your comments or ideas for future columns at steveatlas45@yahoo.com.
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New At Pubtrantravel Popular Destinations You Can Visit Without a Car Pubtrantravel welcomes Steve Atlas founder of carfreeamerica.org as its newest contributing writer. 20 Beaches You Can Enjoy Without a Car By Steve Atlas Vacation Destinations You Can Enjoy Without a Car By Steve Atlas Locations where it is possible to live without or with limited use of a car By Steve Atlas |
