Long Beach is a city located in southern Los Angeles County, California, USA on the Pacific coast. It borders Orange Count (O.C.) on its southeast edge. It is about 20 miles (30 km) south of downtown Los Angeles.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world's largest shipping ports. The city also has a large oil industry; oil is found both underground and offshore. It is also home to headquarters for corporations such as Epson America, Molina Healthcare, Scan Health Care, and Polar Air Cargo. Long Beach grew with the development of high-technology and aerospace industries in the area.
But apart from the bustling industrial harbor, one of the nation's largest, and its dockside attraction, the Queen Mary, above, Long Beach is cultivating a reputation as an appealing, modern city, with an impeccably clean downtown, cafes, restaurants and a growing arts district. It's also promoting its history, which includes the opening in 1913 of one of the first movie studios in California, a transformative earthquake in 1933 and the only flight — for a few hundred yards, skimming the surface of the bay — of the largest seaplane ever built, Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose, in 1947.
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Recommended Transportation
Ground Transportation
ALEXIS LIMOUSINE & SEDAN SERVICE
Getting around in Palos Verdes really requires driving. Alexis Limousine and Sedan Service is the best local limousine and sedan company that will be able to provide all your transportation needs in the Long Beach Area..
Long Beach Traffic Conditions - Updated every 5 Minutes!
Air Transportation
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
1 World Way, Los Angeles, 90045 - (310) 646-5252
This is the largest airport in the Los Angeles Area. Every Major Airline has flights coming into this airport
Long Beach Airport (LGB)
4100 E Donald Douglas Dr, Long Beach, 90808 - (562) 570-2600
The Long Beach airport, an Art Deco relic from the days of aviator pioneers, pops up often in movies and is used by Angelenos eager to avoid Los Angeles International. JetBlue, American, Alaska Airlines and America West are among the carriers serving Long Beach. You will want to hire a driver. This airport although small, is the closest airport to Long Beach. It is good because it is not crowded with traffic and people.
John Wayne Airport (JWA)
18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707 (949) 252-5200
Although this airport does not have international flights, it is prefered because it is less congested than LAX.
Sight Seeing in Long Beach
The best way to see Long Beach is to take a limo service ride throughout Long Beach and visit all the sites of interest.
An Indoor Ocean
Hit the Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way, 562-590-3100) early, before the crowds converge. At first glance, the Great Hall, about the size of a football field, is almost overwhelming. About 12,500 fish and other marine animals, including some 150 sharks, can be seen, some close enough to touch — under careful supervision. A 142,000-gallon tank displays a recreation of Catalina Island's Blue Cavern Point, complete with swaying kelp beds, giant sea bass, barracuda and other predators. During a recent visit, children squealed as a caretaker, in scuba gear, floated amid the beasts and waved from behind the glass. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but closed on Christmas and during the Grand Prix of Long Beach in early April.
The View From Above
Inspired to take a trip to Catalina? The boat crossing can take an hour or more, but Island Express Helicopter Service (1175 Queens Highway South; 800-228-2566) flies to the island in about 14 minutes, providing aerial views of the coast and Catalina's bay at Avalon. Once there, you can kayak, scuba or parasail or explore the island on a golf cart, the preferred mode of transportation (carts start at $30 an hour at Cartopia Cart Rentals, 301 Crescent Avenue; or Catalina Auto and Bike Rentals, 615 Crescent Avenue; 310-510-1600 for both). Flights are available about every 45 minutes from 8 a.m. until sunset. Alexis Limousine can take you to Catalina to your helicopter or boat by providing you limousine transportation service to the Island Express Terminal.
O Sole Mio
Alexis Limousine can provide transportation service to the canals and wait for your return as you take your romantic gondola ride through Naples. Since 1983, couples yearning for a romantic cruise the way it's done in Venice have been able to rent an authentic Venetian gondola in Long Beach, complete with stripe-shirted gondolier, for an hour long glide through the canals and waterways of the Naples section. Your ride might include a running commentary on the sights or a Verdi aria. Or you can ask for silence. The operators of the Gondola Getaway (5437 East Ocean Boulevard, 562-433-9595) provide cheese, salami, fresh bread, an ice bucket and glasses. Bring your own bottle.
If you need to get to the symphony with class, Alexis can take you to the symphony.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 & Entertainment Center.
Best Places to Shop
If shopping is your forte, there is Shoreline Village where there are funky shops, souvenirs, restaurants and bars along Shoreline Marina. We can provide limousine or sedan service to help you get more shopping time in and so you not have to search aimlessly for parking. We give door-to-door service.
Pine Avenue - Ocean to Third Street is the most populous stretch with fine dining, nightclubs, bars and a some shops. On the block north of 3rd Street, there is a City Place shopping center and It’s worth venturing north of 3rd to eat at George’s Greek Cafe on Pine.
East 4th St. – between Cherry and Junipero, a Mecca for vintage clothing and furniture shoppers, popular with Hollywood costume designers. Anchored at the Junipero end by Portfolio, Long Beach’s favorite coffee house, and on the other end by the Art Theatre, an old-style art movie house.
Recommended Restaurants
Enjoy our limousine and sedan transportation service to dine at any of these fine restaurants.
Alegria Cocina Latina (Spanish and Latin American), 115 Pine Ave. Long Beach, 562-435-3388. Fun bar scene with Latin music and a postage stAMp dance floor.
George’s Greek Cafe (Greek),318 Pine Ave. Long Beach, 562-437-1184. Family-owned sidewalk café with a casual Mediterranean feel and great Greek food at a bargain price.
L'Opera (Italian), 101 Pine Ave., Long Beach, 562-491-0066. Long Beach’s most elegant Italian restaurant
Madison (American, Seafood, Steak) Address:102 Pine Ave., Long Beach, 562-628-8866
The Sky Room (American, Contemporary American), 40 S. Locust Ave., 562-983-2703. Elegant penthouse restaurant in the historic Breakers building with a live dance combo nightly
Utopia (California & International Cuisine) 445 East 1st. Street (corner of Linden Ave. & 1st. Street), 562-432-6888
Wasabi Japanese Restaurant (Japanese, Sushi and Teppan-Yaki), 200 Pine Ave. Long Beach, 562-901-0300
555 East, (American, Steak), 555 Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 562-437-0626
Best Places to Drink
Long Beach Dance Clubs, Bars and Restaurants with Dancing
Downtown Long Beach is a popular nightlife center with most restaurants, bars, clubs and live music venues located along Pine Avenue from 4th Street to the Pike and Shoreline Village.
Enjoy a night out with friends and not have to worry about driving. This would be a perfect opportunity to take a limo ride and not worry about who is the designated driver.
Hush - Popular dance club open Friday and Saturday with different promoters. There's not separate dance floor, just one big open hall with a VIP area upstairs and a narrow smoking patio outside. They plan to expand to a full restaurant by the end of 2007.
Aladdin Grill and Café - A Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurant that pushes the tables out of the way for dancing to a DJ (Hip Hop with a Middle Easter flair) at 10:30 on Thursday through Saturday. There's hookah smoking on the patio.
Wasabi - This sushi restaurant is one of the longer-running establishments on Pine Avenue at the corner of Broadway. In addition to the restaurant and bar, on Friday and Saturday there's a DJ for dancing upstairs and downstairs. Thursday night Karaoke in the Basement Bar is also popular.
Club Cohiba - Upstairs dance club with entrance on Broadway at the southeast corner of Pine. Two dance rooms with DJs, a few go-go dancers and wall to wall people. There's a cigar lounge with pool tables off the smaller room.
Smooths - Restaurant and sports bar turns nightclub after 10 pm on Friday and Saturday nights. There are two dance floors, one upstairs and one on the main level with DJs playing hip hop and 80's music.
Sevilla Café and Nightclub - At Sevilla you can have dinner with a flamenco show, followed by dancing on a postage-stamp-size floor to a live Latin band, then head upstairs to bust a move with a DJ and go-go dancers in the main club.
Mariposa - Restaurant and Latin dance club with alternating bands and DJs. Club is Wednesday through Saturday.
Alegria - Spanish and Latin American Restaurant/bar with flamenco shows Friday through Sunday with live Latin fusion bands between sets. There's enough dance space for four couples to hit the floor comfortably, but who needs comfort when the music is good?
Mai Tai Bar - Polynesian-themed bar located above the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company at the south end of the Cyclone Bridge at the Pike. Live island music and a small dance area.
V20 - Pacific Rim/Sushi restaurant and nightclub. This is the most Hollywood of Long Beach night spots with slick décor and an even slicker crowd, tucked around the back of Bubba Gump at the Pike, across from the Aquarium of the Pacific.
The Basement Lounge - An underground club in the Long Beach East Village Arts District. Dancing to DJs playing Top 40 and hip hop, Thursday through Saturday.
The Vault 350 - A live music venue set up kind of like the House of Blues with a full stage, a dance floor surrounded by a few tables and booths and more booths on a mezzanine level. The Vault 350 is only open for scheduled concerts and events.
The Rhythm Lounge
Upstairs in the Pine Square complex, the Rhythm Lounge has two club rooms separated by a bar. One has a live music stage, the other a DJ. The crowds vary with the music from Latin to Reggae to Hip Hop and music showcases. Comedy on Tuesdays.
Yard House - Great location at the Shoreline Village Marina, 140 kinds of beer on tap and great food, but usually a long wait to get in, especially on weekends.
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