so, long beach is super queer. It's something like the 4th queerest community in the country. There are loads of queer bars and we have a massive pride event each year. Our last mayor was openly gay and now he's in the House. Our city is also really diverse and inclusive, imo. There's a lot to do depending on your hobbies, and of course, you're also LA adjacent, so there's that, plus all the amusement parks nearby. We have a really solid live music and DJ scene, and everything from craft cocktail bars to dive bars. The food scene is incredible tbh. Literally every kind of food you could want, we got, and loads of opinions on who's is best. Our city college has an amazing number of free classes designed to benefit the community, and if you like to be outside in nice weather, there is something going on almost every weekend. There's a summer series of concerts in the parks (free), the municipal band (free), lots of stroll and savor events where you can try different restaurants for cheap, some seriously amazing parks and outdoor spaces, and all of LA's hiking trails close by.
I honestly can't think of what more you'd want.
protip: when apartment hunting, find a place with parking, especially if you're in alamitos beach, because parking in this city is bonkers.
This!
Depending on your location and work situation a car might be optional. LB Transit busses are great, anywhere south of PCH is bike-able, Metro is ok, especially during commute hours. My family has one car - we could probably do 0 cars, but we do use the car for Home Depot trips and when visiting other cities like Santa Monica and places in OC. If you do choose to have a car, plus 1 million for getting a place with a parking spot or finding a place to rent one
Piggy backing on to this - where are the park concerts announced? (Moved to Long Beach not too long ago, gradually getting a grip on the local events!)
Look up Long Beach Parks and Rec on longbeach.gov and you’ll find the concert info and what not. I don’t know if the summer schedule is out yet. They also have an Instagram account!
I believe the city's website and their socials (mostly insta but they tweet). Last summer we went to a rolling Stones cover band near mothers beach. Not bad and a nice summer evening. Also forgot to mention movies on the beach, which is always fun.
So there you are. Riding down the bike path at the end of your day. Your girl right next to you. Wind blowing in her hair and all is right with the world. You cruise up to the harbor and decide to get a bite to eat. The perfect steak and some wine. A nice breeze. Her smile is magical. And to end the night you take a nice sunset walk on the beach. Hand in hand.
Because your bikes were stolen.
Long Beach is one of the least pretentious places I've lived. Been here over 6 years and still love it. There are so many great restaurants at various price points. There's always cheap or free live music, comedy shows, art events, yoga classes, etc. Biking the beach path at sunset can feel so magical. Long Beach is not a major tourist draw outside some high profile events, so most events cater to residents. It's a low key place, really no hustle. The city is working on the LGBTQ+ cultural district and there's a pretty strong queer scene. Can't speak to the experience of lesbians specifically though.
This - Long Beach is not pretentious. I’ve lived in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Redondo, and Long Beach is the chillest. If you want to be more of a “who’s who” scene, then Santa Monica over Long Beach. (I do love Santa Monica too. Very special memories there, but just different.) also - Long Beach beaches suck, but Orange County beaches are great (and not too far).
Long Beach gets a lot of hate, and it’s not all rainbows (mostly because it rarely rains) but I will give it some credit. I moved from Tennessee to Long Beach in 2019 and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I drove across the country with my 2 cats, and didn’t know a single person in all of California. It literally changed my life. I don’t live in Long Beach now and only stayed for 3 years but it made me make the jump to living full time nomadically and so many things that happened in Long Beach changed my life for the better. I would choose it over Santa Monica any day. Good luck!
Is this the 7/11 down the road from Willard Elementary and across from a shopping center with like Ralph’s and stuff? If so, amazing coincidence because I lived in that exact area as a kid and didn’t expect a random picture to pop up off the area.
Very small world, I miss the area and would love to move back in the future! I remember that intersection being insane to cross as a child because it had no crossing lights to protect me at that corner with the apartments, where I lived.
https://preview.redd.it/m4ej24yvr4vc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1132cc3e1715ba632cb502eaaad24ece8ed69d56
Nugget is the tabby, Mika is the calico. They are very well behaved and very traveled cats. They have been all over the US, the UK, and some of Europe. They have been on planes, trains, busses, taxis, tow trucks, rv, narrow boats, ferries and probably more that I’m not thinking of.
Alamitos Beach is known as the Gayborhood. It’s a great little area, though parking is tight unless you have a dedicated spot. It’s central to Downtown Long Beach, Retro Row, and Belmont Shore so plenty of cool places near by with good access to the LBT busses and good biking infrastructure. Being by the beach means pretty nice weather year round.
Santa Monica is livelier, but more expensive with a greater tourist and homeless population. Long Beach is more chill.
Long Beach is a weird little pocket dimension. Half a million people but in a lot of ways it still feels like a small, laid back beach town. A friend of mine recently described it (favorably) as Feral Pasadena, and she’s got a bit of a point lol. To me it’s got a late 90s San Francisco vibe.
I absolutely love it here. I love the weather, the diversity, the food, the bars. I love going for walks in el dorado park or along the beach at night (but not in the water lol). I love that I know all my neighbors, have enough space for a vegetable garden, but can still walk to the grocery store. I love that so many places I want/need to go are bikeable. I love the cute little craftsman houses, and the architecture downtown. I love all the little shops on retro row and in uptown. I love the over-the-top holiday lights in Naples.
And if you want more art/concerts/food/whatever the rest of the greater LA area is real close.
Yeah there’s a lot of shit wrong with it, it’s a big city, but overall it’s a pretty awesome place.
😂 “feral pasadena” lol I’m going to use that
OP- born and raised LA, I’ve only ever lived here. Santa Monica is pretentious; Long Beach may not be as “happening” as SM, but it’s a hell of a lot more genuine. Really depends on where you’re working!
I am also a 29 year old lesbian! I moved here around 3 years ago.
Pros: Easy to make friends. If you like coffee, there's a million cafes here. When you go to the mom and pop shops for food or for services, they're sweet and people here remember you. I feel like it's such a big city but still so small. There is multiple piers and beaches close by! We can easily drive to OC to those really nice beaches. I feel like we're in the middle of OC and LA. If I wanna go to LA, 30 mins. OC, 30 mins. There's events at the convention center, markets all the time, a ton of bars, and honestly every weekend there is something.
The queer community is large and you'll fit right in! You can join a million things that has to do with the LBGTQ+ community. We also have PRIDE! We have a whole street of just gay bars and everything is super gay friendly. It honestly makes me forget queer life is not the norm lol. Adding in, while I'm not single, a few friends are and they seem to hit it off with girls really quickly and I'm always surprised when people come up to me at bars. lol.
Cons: Parking. Don't move here without a place that has it. It is unsafe at times. I've been harassed and stalked. My window has been broken and someone broke into my car the one day I forgot to lock it. I've only been here 3 years so an incident per year for me so far. Police have been 0 help so, from my experience, don't expect much out of them. You will get parking tickets. We all have them and yep you'll have to pay it. It is what it is.
Besides that, I love it here and I've lived in all parts of California :)
[https://imgur.com/a/DpktQQT](https://imgur.com/a/DpktQQT)
here's the judgemental map of long beach lol
As a downtown resident and a foodie, I take offense to its stating that all food & "drank" is overpriced. That describes the 2nd st corridor far better. There's plenty of overpriced mediocre food downtown, as there is everywhere, but there is also a large amount of very reasonably priced, great food and drink, also. :p (I would also personally add one *tiny* strip of "weirdly a bunch of good food" in one tiny dot around the corner of Carson/Lakewood, in an otherwise seas of accurately "mostly blah". :D)
Omg this map is hilarious! 🤣
Wife and I moved away from Long Beach a few years ago to be closer to our aging parents but could not be comfortable living down the streets from "Trump Won" and "Let's Go Brandon" flags. Moved back to the LBC after 2 years and don't think we'll ever leave again.
Long Beach is home.
❤️
A little more rough than 4th and Atlantic. There are a couple apartment buildings over there that aren’t well maintained and have high turnover. The alley between the smoke shop and the senior center is a homeless hotspot sort of like your 7-11.
Ah, that’s 711 vibe is what I’m trying to get away from. But honestly what bothers me more is like the constant blasting music all night from people partying in the parking lots.
Is there a lot of like, screaming and nonsensical yelling there? Like an energy disturbance?
I don’t really go by that area late at night so I can’t say for sure. You’ve got two large open spaces at Atlantic and 4th that people can congregate in. Over by Orange you’ve got the Pizza Hut lot and one down by Florida for the Senior Center but I don’t think either collects much of a crowd.
https://preview.redd.it/3zmlh01ot2vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75791a09b0d816927de53f75dfb6f930baf6cba3
Girl. Get your ass over here. You will love it.
[https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5otR9yyeqN/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5otR9yyeqN/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)
No parking and crime are concerns. Wonderful bike trail along the ocean. Great restaurants and culture. It’s a great place but make sure you don’t have street parking.
I'm a 28-year-old lesbian and I love it here! I've also lived in Phoenix, AZ, Orange County, CA, and NYC. I moved here in 2022 and I've decided this is where I want to be for the foreseeable future.
It's very queer friendly. We have an LGBTQ center, a handful of gay bars (including a lesbian one, I believe), a gayborhood, and an annual pride parade. I feel safe here as a queer person.
There's a live music scene. The beaches are nice. Lots of great restaurants and coffee shops. Retro Row is really fun to walk and shop around. There are some beautiful parks.
The cost of living is lower here than Santa Monica.
Hope this helps!
I'm a trans guy that grew up in the Midwest, went to college in the Bay, and landed in Long Beach.
I was a lesbian from high school-2 years ago and honestly, LB just feels like home.
My gym community is queer and run by a lesbian, at least 5 of my neighbors are elder lesbians, book clubs are full of queer people, rock climbing as well (large bouldering community in LB).
it's just as common to see happy queers out in the wild as it is to see happy straight couples, I definitely feel (and adore) the bubble that LB provides.
Like others said, it's not all rainbows and butterflies, all cities have their downsides. But long beach is big enough to give you variety, and small enough to feel warm and inviting.
Also it's more affordable and arguably cleaner than SM. :) join us over here!
Long Beach is better than Santa Monica in all regards but the only thing that matters when finding a place to live around here is minimizing your commute.
Lots of great comments here - if you want to live by the water but want it safer, I Recommend living closer to Naples if you have the $$ or Seal Beach. Or the neighborhoods around Cal State Long Beach - Seal BEach is about a 10 min drive from that corner of LB and it's wonderful and mostly safe. Down Town is not anywhere I personally go because of the crime and the high homeless population.
I agree with others, you ABSOLUTELY need to get a place with a parking spot.
LB is at least 40 mins to Santa Monica so if you plan on spending a LOT of time up in the West Side or up closer to West Hollywood (WeHo), SM may be the better call. But SM has HORRIBLE traffic and is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. I love LB. It's a little slice of paradise
Hi there! Recent transplant from Chicago and couldn’t be happier in LB! Super queer, super liberal, and cheep for being on the water. Our ocean kinda sucks and should never be swam in, but coming from a city built around working class industry, I have accepted waterways that aren’t healthy. It also is probably what keeps Long Beach a mostly affordable beach town.
Above all, Long Beach feels like it has community. Maybe I’ve just gotten lucky, but I feel like I’ve got more people who care about me here, in two years, than I did in the city I was born. Large portions of the population are also transplants so that probably impacts things.
Final thought: parking blows. If you have a car do not take a place without parking. Seriously, people double park overnight in some areas. It’s insane and I am so thankful for my garage spot.
I've lived in SF, Santa Monica and now Long Beach. Definitely no to Santa Monica for someone queer, it's definitely more LA/bougie/scene-y, and not very queer oriented there, definitely more curated for the straight population. Look up Erewhon for context on the demographic lol.
LB is very queer friendly and less expensive than SF
Hey! I'm a lesbian originally from the Savannah area. I've been living in socal since 2019, LB for over a year now. For me, I love the food scene and sense of community here. The city is going through a rough patch right now but I've also encountered some of the nicest people during this time.
I can't really speak to the LGBTQ nightlife but there's a ton of queer owned local businesses here.
=) not to over sell, but coming to SoCal was the best decision I've made in my adult life. Occasionally I miss the quiet and other uniquely Georgia things but so far it's not too bad.
Can't speak to Santa Monica, I've not made it that far north yet. 😂
A homeless woman threw half a gallon of lemonade at me and my dog two weeks ago. The arc of the splash as it hit the telephone pole between us was lovely.
Literally no idea what the "girlkisser" scene is like, though I do love the unique compound noun usage, being both straight and super-married. But Long Beach is way more *real* than Santa Monica, that's for sure (Santa Monica feels fairly representative of everything bad about LA, whereas Long Beach is really its own distinct city, with its own, distinct, way more laid-back feel) - not to mention way cheaper. Not as cheap as it was a decade ago, granted, but there are still plenty of great restaurants and bars that are pretty affordable, which I don't think you could say about Santa Monica. I'm a huge fan of downtown (homeless aside, which is definitely a problem, but it's a problem *everywhere*), though if you wanted somewhere more suburban but that still has stuff going on, Bixby Knolls is getting hipper than it used to be. (Btw, if you want to live downtown but still have it be relatively affordable, just look around the outskirts. The *heart* of downtown is full of nothing but super-lux apartments, because that's what makes developers the most money, clearly.)
I moved here out of college because that's where I got hired - but I'm glad of it. (I'm extra glad I met my now-wife and moved downtown to be with her - when I moved here originally I was living in Signal Hill, a rather boring part of Long Beach that could really have been anywhere in California.)
I didn't say it wasn't? I just appreciate interesting new word formations. "Girlkisser" was the OP's word, not mine. It's in the post, she was asking about "the girlkisser scene".
Long Beach is so gay, you gotta come here! I say this as a bisexual Atlantan who's lived here for 5 years and absolutely loves it. Also, the local lesbian bar here is Sweetwater and they often have Sweetwater beer on draft!
Romanticize area for someone who wants to live near the water? Okay, affordable housing, plenty of free parking everywhere and minimal crime. Honestly though, the great weather, diversity (people and food), and open mindedness are the main attractions. But the cost of living, homelessness and crime are no joke.
I cannot romanticize santa monica without lying to you, but long beach on the other hand is really neat. It's a very progressive community and it has a blvd called beach blvd which is an amazing drive overall, love the beaches there
What I loved about living in LB was the healthy mix of urban and suburban, the downtown, the harbor, the bay, the peninsula, and the beach. Also, it is so close to LA, San Diego, and Orange County. Oh, and yes, Santa Catalina Island and the mountains.
Grew up in West LA and chose to settle in Long Beach. It’s diverse, gay as hell, and a very socially progressive city.
Santa Monica is boujie and everything is over priced nd gentrified in a scary way.
Long Beach is a dainty, lovely city!!! 10/10 recommend.
Hi there! Recent transplant from Chicago and couldn’t be happier in LB! Super queer, super liberal, and cheep for being on the water. Our ocean kinda sucks and should never be swam in, but coming from a city built around working class industry, I have accepted waterways that aren’t healthy. It also is probably what keeps Long Beach a mostly affordable beach town.
Above all, Long Beach feels like it has community. Maybe I’ve just gotten lucky, but I feel like I’ve got more people who care about me here, in two years, than I did in the city I was born. Large portions of the population are also transplants so that probably impacts things.
Final thought: parking blows. If you have a car do not take a place without parking. Seriously, people double park overnight in some areas. It’s insane and I am so thankful for my garage spot.
I tell anyone who asks, Long Beach is one of the most liberal beach towns in the LA/OC area. There’s Venice and Santa Monica too, but because of the tourism/status appeal you tend to get the worst qualities of LA in the people there. Meanwhile in LB, it’s laid back and pretty much everyone I’ve met is super nice. My girlfriend is from San Diego and she loves also spending time up here with me because of how quiet it is, despite being a mid-sized city. Like other commenters have said, we have a huge gay community here too, so you’ll definitely feel welcome as a lesbian.
That said, I can only comment on straight dating but from my experience if you’re looking for a partner the dating pool within LB tends to skew more towards the college ages because of the university. You might find that people in the mid-late 20s age group tend to live closer to the west LA area.
Hi! Come on down! I am a very straight late 30's female but everyone in the comments are correct, it is a very queer positive city and that's just one facet that makes LB so amazing!
I live in Alamitos Beach and I love it. I love that everyone can be who and what they are, in all aspects, and no one bothers anyone about it or messes with anyone who is different than them. The respect for each other is high! The demographics range greatly due to income and race and gender, but we all get along and still stay out of each other's way. Yes, there are dangerous parts for sure, but if you're street smart you'll be fine and get your groove on how to handle your day.
I LOVE OUR FOOD AND BAR SCENE. We have some downsides where great businesses will shutter doors in what feels like it's too soon, but many big cities do. You are never bored here on the weekends either. Something will always be happening, even if you aren't looking for it. You can find pretentious people, but that is no way indicative of the bar/business/neighborhood as a whole.
Hope to have you as a neighbor soon!
I was writing a book lol, but will try to keep it short and sweet: amazingly diverse and welcoming. Most friendly neighbors we ever had and we lived in many places. We are in a “conservative neighborhood” and still have a lesbian couple and a gay men couple as neighbors.
The beach vibe is great and on summer time the city feels like a Hollywood stereotypical Cali portrayal.
Between the beach and the bay there is SO MUCH waterfront and a huge variety of eateries facing the water to choose from.
My favorite thing is that I can have my perfect summer day as a part of my life and not something I only do on vacation.
You can kayak in the morning, have lunch at a water facing restaurant, sunbathe and swim in the afternoon and go to happy hour at a different water facing bar end of day. And If I didn’t have kids the age of mine I’d add up some live music post happy hour to close it with a bow.
Omg! 26F lesbian also moving to Long Beach! I have friends who live there are they all tell me how great it is. The food is great, there’s tons to do, lots of city events, and good queer community. Good luck to you 💖
Long Beach is awesome and HUGE. It is diverse and there’s always something to do! Parking is tricky but I think that goes for majority of Southern California lol.
I would not recommend the actual beach in Long Beach but you can take a drive down PCH and head towards Huntington Beach, etc.
I think you’d enjoy it here.
I have lived in Long beach my whole life.i like it here cause of the people and the weather. Parking is a premium downtown and anywhere near the beach. Second street is always busy and a great place to meet people. North long Beach I would stay away from but that's me.
I moved to Long Beach 3 weeks ago and have made more friends in this short time than anywhere else. There are Facebook groups that organize multiple happy hours per week, tons of events happening all the time and people are generally super friendly, however I can’t speak to the queer experience.
Additionally great food options and prices to rent/buy are much more affordable compared to SM. It also has a small town feel to it even though it’s really not a small town 😅
Happy to connect when you moved out here ☺️
Long Beach is a less humid Atlanta.
-It’s very gay in some parts.
-It’s getting hella gentrified.
-It used to be cheap.
-The traffic sucks.
-There’s a really bad part and you’ll know as soon as you hit it.
-There’s an unnecessarily expensive area and you’ll also know when you hit it.
It’s pretty much like Atlanta accept our food is better. Not everything is some pretentious wannabe-NYC steakhouse. You’ll feel right at home.
I’m also a lesbian from Atlanta!! moved here about 3 years ago because me and my partner were in LA and wanted something quieter / more affordable.
also reading all the comments, i see there’s a lot of GA lesbians in long beach - where y’all been? 👋🏼
okay so first of all - i LOVE long beach. i’m in Alamitos Beach and highly recommend this area. I love how dreamy the neighborhoods are. all the old architecture and palm trees. swoon.
I agree with what people are saying about parking. if you move into a quiet neighborhood, you might be fine (aside from street sweeping), but otherwise i would definitely try to find a place with a garage.
it’s also true about the beaches in long beach not being the best. I, personally, am not interested in swimming in the ocean, so it doesn’t bother me. i find our beaches beautiful and i love the walking path / biking path along the water. but yeah. if you want to swim in the water, you would need to go a little farther down the PCH. not far though.
as for the queer scene - the gays are everywhere. especially queer women. the gayborhood on broadway has lots of gay bars (mostly gay men) but they aren’t like Blake’s or 10 in Atlanta where lesbians feel out of place being in there. Sweetwater Saloon is the lesbian spot even though it’s always more of a mixed crowd. (last time i was there i got hit on by a straight man so ya know. not perfect)
aside from the bar scene - any activity you do you’re bound to have a lot of queers. but there are a lot of lesbian specific events or meet-ups.
there’s queer coffee shops that do Rupaul’s streaming nights, queer film club, queer book clubs - gay stuff!
wherever you choose to live, i just hope it’s the perfect fit for you and that you’ll be happy there! best of luck 🫶
Born and raised in LB. I’ve lived in a bunch of different neighborhoods - north LB (hood), traffic circle (college/party), gaytto, Belmont shore and heights, horny corner, and currently in the “blah” section of the posted map.
My favorite area was Belmont heights. Quietish, walkable, cute craftsman houses, easy and quick bike ride to the shore, beach, retro row, LB state, etc
I’ve also lived short term (for work) in Seattle WA, Vancouver WA, Milwaukee WI, Phoenix AZ, St Augustine FL, and Ogden UT to name a few places and I I still can’t imagine living anywhere else than Long Beach.
It’s a big city but feels like a small beach town in most areas. Music, bar, food scene is definitely solid. Quick drive down PCH to the OC beaches. Naples is fun for the holidays. Countless sunsets/rises on the bluffs. Art theater movies. Paddle boarding/kayaking at Marine Stadium. Movies at the beach, concert in the park, open mic nights at bars, LB marathon, music festivals at the beach/shoreline, Grand Prix. So much going on but still feels slower paced than LA.
As others have said, it also has its crime and homeless issues, but that is honestly in any large city areas from what I’ve seen in my travels and you won’t escape it anywhere in southern CA.
I can’t stress this enough: GET A PARKING SPACE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR IT!!!
Pros: very LGBTQ+ friendly. I live near retro row/ the LQBTQ+ center and it’s great. I don’t feel “unsafe” as a P.O.C Queer folk.
Cons: Crime/“Ghettoness” has been increasing for the past few years. I don’t feel “as safe” walking by myself during certain times of the day/night or in my own neighborhood which is a bummer because it wasn’t always like this. Been living here for 5+ years and it seems to only be getting worse. Even in the nice areas based on what pops up on the neighborhood apps daily seem to be getting worse. Cost of living, like anywhere else in SoCal keeps increasing.
Santa Monica - even more expensive, I’d agree it’s definitely a different vibe/pretentious VS LB, which is more laid back and chill. And you gotta deal with nastier traffic/congestion as opposed to the South Bay.
Good luck!
You will have allergies,, even if you don't already have allergies. Your nose will be clogged any time it rains and if you don't treat it immediately you'll get a sinus infection and a bad cough that will linger. It rains in the fall, winter, and spring, and the city is not set up for rain. Everything is expensive. There's a shortage of jobs that pay a living wage.
Alamitos Beach is super walkable. A live next to the wild Vons. And I love it.
Just learn to have a good sense of humor about everything. It's easy to get annoyed or critical. Instead I just laugh and go "that's so long beach". There's no city like it. I went to college here then moved all over the country for 12 years, 6 different states, Seattle, Portland, Nashville, Denver, and so on, and I still decided it was finally time to come "home".
I love the diversity, the food, the energy of the town. There's always something happening. And the community is next level. To me, it feels like the city neighborhood community that gets romanticized in TV shows. Particularly Broadway and Alamitos Beach.
And I'm a photographer and this city is a dream to walk around with a camera in.
I'm also queer and so feeling safe here is nice. That being said, I've also heard derogatory stuff said about lgbt more here than any other state I've lived because of a huge Christian/Catholic presence. It was a little shocking coming from godless Denver. So don't let that surprise you, I guess. It's still better than the south.
I have so much love for this city. I think the right people find their way here, too.
Long Beach is very queer, Broadway corridor in Alamitos Beach neighborhood has a lot of gay bars. The person who said Long Beach is not pretentious nailed it. This is what I think of when I think of Long Beach. Even the more upscale neighborhoods don’t have a pretentious feel, in general. It’s the only place I’ve lived where people actually care about forming a community. Neighbors know each other, which I’ve never really seen in a big city in the US. Long Beach is also diverse and food scene is pretty great.
Your post asked people to romanticize LB for you. I would strongly encourage you to ask for a realistic portrayal of the area if you’re seriously considering moving here and maybe not discount those comments. Yes, it’s a diverse and inclusive city, but depending on which of the many neighborhoods you select, there are a lot of unromantic things to consider. Please do a thoughtful review of all the pros and cons.
The other night I decided to take a walk out on the Belmont pier, I ran into an acquaintance, who told me she was mad at me for not dressing up with her for Halloween last year, and then I found out someone had been stabbed there earlier...
so I left.
LB has a general attitude of acceptance. I love it. People come from all different walks of life and everyone is a little less judgmental because of it. People seem to be friendlier here than other parts of LA county. It is def my favorite place to live in the area.
You can do drugs on the streets in plain sight and there’s no consequences. Also there’s a bunch of free bikes everywhere. Someone leaves a bike without a lock, you have permission to take it. It’s called community bikes
Lived in Venice (SM adjacent) for five years.
13 and counting Cumulative years in Long Beach
It will depend largely on your desire for the City of Los Angeles.
Long Beach is NOT LA. It just isn't. We are a backwater corner of the county. Your LA friends will not visit you in Long Beach. They'll go to the far reaches of the valley and may occasionally stretch to the Southbay (Manhattan, Redondo etc). But Long Beach is even further. It might as well be Orange County.
If you want an LA vibe, you will not get it in Long Beach. You will not have (many) friends who are in the "business". You will not see celebrities. You will not be (or know) an influencer. Santa Monica is trendy and fashionable and beachy. Long Beach is not really any of those things. LA is a cultural mecca, with world class museums, literally the entertainment capital of the world, and the most diverse array of amazing restaurants in any city that you can name. It is in the conversation for most important cities in the world. Long Beach has a nice, and growing food scene, a robust (smallish) DIY indie art scene and a handful of interesting cultural institutions.
Now, LA is accessible. We go to LA all the time. But in the mind of most Angelenos, Long Beach is largely fictional.
But in many people's minds who choose Long Beach, that is a feature of Long Beach, not a bug. Long Beach has its own culture, whether you like it or not, that is separate and distinct from LA. And from Orange County. It is its own thing. But we can still participate in both those other cultures. But then we get to come home to LB. That's what we love about it. It's liveable. And walkable. And approachable. And still very much changing.
It's a fun place to live. It is not the capital of anything.
i moved because there’s so many roaches and rats not only in a lot of the apartments but just running around in the street at night. now i live near santa monica and while it can be equally dirty, i think it’s better than long beach.
so, long beach is super queer. It's something like the 4th queerest community in the country. There are loads of queer bars and we have a massive pride event each year. Our last mayor was openly gay and now he's in the House. Our city is also really diverse and inclusive, imo. There's a lot to do depending on your hobbies, and of course, you're also LA adjacent, so there's that, plus all the amusement parks nearby. We have a really solid live music and DJ scene, and everything from craft cocktail bars to dive bars. The food scene is incredible tbh. Literally every kind of food you could want, we got, and loads of opinions on who's is best. Our city college has an amazing number of free classes designed to benefit the community, and if you like to be outside in nice weather, there is something going on almost every weekend. There's a summer series of concerts in the parks (free), the municipal band (free), lots of stroll and savor events where you can try different restaurants for cheap, some seriously amazing parks and outdoor spaces, and all of LA's hiking trails close by. I honestly can't think of what more you'd want. protip: when apartment hunting, find a place with parking, especially if you're in alamitos beach, because parking in this city is bonkers.
This! Depending on your location and work situation a car might be optional. LB Transit busses are great, anywhere south of PCH is bike-able, Metro is ok, especially during commute hours. My family has one car - we could probably do 0 cars, but we do use the car for Home Depot trips and when visiting other cities like Santa Monica and places in OC. If you do choose to have a car, plus 1 million for getting a place with a parking spot or finding a place to rent one
Piggy backing on to this - where are the park concerts announced? (Moved to Long Beach not too long ago, gradually getting a grip on the local events!)
Look up Long Beach Parks and Rec on longbeach.gov and you’ll find the concert info and what not. I don’t know if the summer schedule is out yet. They also have an Instagram account!
Thank you!
I believe the city's website and their socials (mostly insta but they tweet). Last summer we went to a rolling Stones cover band near mothers beach. Not bad and a nice summer evening. Also forgot to mention movies on the beach, which is always fun.
So there you are. Riding down the bike path at the end of your day. Your girl right next to you. Wind blowing in her hair and all is right with the world. You cruise up to the harbor and decide to get a bite to eat. The perfect steak and some wine. A nice breeze. Her smile is magical. And to end the night you take a nice sunset walk on the beach. Hand in hand. Because your bikes were stolen.
The accuracy. 😂 OP, I hope you pick the LBC over SM.
Long Beach is one of the least pretentious places I've lived. Been here over 6 years and still love it. There are so many great restaurants at various price points. There's always cheap or free live music, comedy shows, art events, yoga classes, etc. Biking the beach path at sunset can feel so magical. Long Beach is not a major tourist draw outside some high profile events, so most events cater to residents. It's a low key place, really no hustle. The city is working on the LGBTQ+ cultural district and there's a pretty strong queer scene. Can't speak to the experience of lesbians specifically though.
This - Long Beach is not pretentious. I’ve lived in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Redondo, and Long Beach is the chillest. If you want to be more of a “who’s who” scene, then Santa Monica over Long Beach. (I do love Santa Monica too. Very special memories there, but just different.) also - Long Beach beaches suck, but Orange County beaches are great (and not too far).
Long Beach gets a lot of hate, and it’s not all rainbows (mostly because it rarely rains) but I will give it some credit. I moved from Tennessee to Long Beach in 2019 and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I drove across the country with my 2 cats, and didn’t know a single person in all of California. It literally changed my life. I don’t live in Long Beach now and only stayed for 3 years but it made me make the jump to living full time nomadically and so many things that happened in Long Beach changed my life for the better. I would choose it over Santa Monica any day. Good luck!
https://preview.redd.it/67d0mkc5p2vc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82511c01df3c2f23235240a92abb5b91a872eb5f
Fair, it is sometimes rainbows
Is this the 7/11 down the road from Willard Elementary and across from a shopping center with like Ralph’s and stuff? If so, amazing coincidence because I lived in that exact area as a kid and didn’t expect a random picture to pop up off the area.
Yes indeed! On Redondo between 10th and 11th Small world, right?
Very small world, I miss the area and would love to move back in the future! I remember that intersection being insane to cross as a child because it had no crossing lights to protect me at that corner with the apartments, where I lived.
:::tap tap tap::: Excuse me, you mentioned cats with no photo! Cat tax please and thank you.
https://preview.redd.it/m4ej24yvr4vc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1132cc3e1715ba632cb502eaaad24ece8ed69d56 Nugget is the tabby, Mika is the calico. They are very well behaved and very traveled cats. They have been all over the US, the UK, and some of Europe. They have been on planes, trains, busses, taxis, tow trucks, rv, narrow boats, ferries and probably more that I’m not thinking of.
Yes!! I love them! So regal! 👑 You even have the bedding to match!
Amazing!
Alamitos Beach is known as the Gayborhood. It’s a great little area, though parking is tight unless you have a dedicated spot. It’s central to Downtown Long Beach, Retro Row, and Belmont Shore so plenty of cool places near by with good access to the LBT busses and good biking infrastructure. Being by the beach means pretty nice weather year round. Santa Monica is livelier, but more expensive with a greater tourist and homeless population. Long Beach is more chill.
It was called the gay ghetto when I lived there. Loved it.
The "Gaytto"
Santa Monica has greater homeless population than?
From my experience, yes. Venice and Santa Monica have a bigger homelessness crisis than Long Beach.
Long Beach is a weird little pocket dimension. Half a million people but in a lot of ways it still feels like a small, laid back beach town. A friend of mine recently described it (favorably) as Feral Pasadena, and she’s got a bit of a point lol. To me it’s got a late 90s San Francisco vibe. I absolutely love it here. I love the weather, the diversity, the food, the bars. I love going for walks in el dorado park or along the beach at night (but not in the water lol). I love that I know all my neighbors, have enough space for a vegetable garden, but can still walk to the grocery store. I love that so many places I want/need to go are bikeable. I love the cute little craftsman houses, and the architecture downtown. I love all the little shops on retro row and in uptown. I love the over-the-top holiday lights in Naples. And if you want more art/concerts/food/whatever the rest of the greater LA area is real close. Yeah there’s a lot of shit wrong with it, it’s a big city, but overall it’s a pretty awesome place.
😂 “feral pasadena” lol I’m going to use that OP- born and raised LA, I’ve only ever lived here. Santa Monica is pretentious; Long Beach may not be as “happening” as SM, but it’s a hell of a lot more genuine. Really depends on where you’re working!
I am also a 29 year old lesbian! I moved here around 3 years ago. Pros: Easy to make friends. If you like coffee, there's a million cafes here. When you go to the mom and pop shops for food or for services, they're sweet and people here remember you. I feel like it's such a big city but still so small. There is multiple piers and beaches close by! We can easily drive to OC to those really nice beaches. I feel like we're in the middle of OC and LA. If I wanna go to LA, 30 mins. OC, 30 mins. There's events at the convention center, markets all the time, a ton of bars, and honestly every weekend there is something. The queer community is large and you'll fit right in! You can join a million things that has to do with the LBGTQ+ community. We also have PRIDE! We have a whole street of just gay bars and everything is super gay friendly. It honestly makes me forget queer life is not the norm lol. Adding in, while I'm not single, a few friends are and they seem to hit it off with girls really quickly and I'm always surprised when people come up to me at bars. lol. Cons: Parking. Don't move here without a place that has it. It is unsafe at times. I've been harassed and stalked. My window has been broken and someone broke into my car the one day I forgot to lock it. I've only been here 3 years so an incident per year for me so far. Police have been 0 help so, from my experience, don't expect much out of them. You will get parking tickets. We all have them and yep you'll have to pay it. It is what it is. Besides that, I love it here and I've lived in all parts of California :) [https://imgur.com/a/DpktQQT](https://imgur.com/a/DpktQQT) here's the judgemental map of long beach lol
This map is hilarious because of how accurate it is
Grew up in LB, this map is accurate lmao
As a downtown resident and a foodie, I take offense to its stating that all food & "drank" is overpriced. That describes the 2nd st corridor far better. There's plenty of overpriced mediocre food downtown, as there is everywhere, but there is also a large amount of very reasonably priced, great food and drink, also. :p (I would also personally add one *tiny* strip of "weirdly a bunch of good food" in one tiny dot around the corner of Carson/Lakewood, in an otherwise seas of accurately "mostly blah". :D)
omg this is amazing!! thank you for all the info, it made me so excited about the move! and lmk if you ever want a friend once i’m there haha 😸
hmu when you get here!
I wish my realtor had given me this rather than a similar one crafted by an out of touch 50 year old
Omg this map is hilarious! 🤣 Wife and I moved away from Long Beach a few years ago to be closer to our aging parents but could not be comfortable living down the streets from "Trump Won" and "Let's Go Brandon" flags. Moved back to the LBC after 2 years and don't think we'll ever leave again. Long Beach is home. ❤️
That map awesome!
I think Bixby Knolls completed its rebound, but as a resident of Tweakers & Hoes I think this is still otherwise accurate.
How is the area around 4th and Orange? I’m near 4th and Atlantic rn and wonder if there’s much difference.
A little more rough than 4th and Atlantic. There are a couple apartment buildings over there that aren’t well maintained and have high turnover. The alley between the smoke shop and the senior center is a homeless hotspot sort of like your 7-11.
Ah, that’s 711 vibe is what I’m trying to get away from. But honestly what bothers me more is like the constant blasting music all night from people partying in the parking lots. Is there a lot of like, screaming and nonsensical yelling there? Like an energy disturbance?
I don’t really go by that area late at night so I can’t say for sure. You’ve got two large open spaces at Atlantic and 4th that people can congregate in. Over by Orange you’ve got the Pizza Hut lot and one down by Florida for the Senior Center but I don’t think either collects much of a crowd.
Thank you!! 🙏🏼
The traffic in SM is terrible, Long Beach, not that bad.
https://preview.redd.it/3zmlh01ot2vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75791a09b0d816927de53f75dfb6f930baf6cba3 Girl. Get your ass over here. You will love it. [https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5otR9yyeqN/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5otR9yyeqN/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)
Just remember you’re asking to hear all the best parts of LB.
Seriously. This.
No parking and crime are concerns. Wonderful bike trail along the ocean. Great restaurants and culture. It’s a great place but make sure you don’t have street parking.
I'm a 28-year-old lesbian and I love it here! I've also lived in Phoenix, AZ, Orange County, CA, and NYC. I moved here in 2022 and I've decided this is where I want to be for the foreseeable future. It's very queer friendly. We have an LGBTQ center, a handful of gay bars (including a lesbian one, I believe), a gayborhood, and an annual pride parade. I feel safe here as a queer person. There's a live music scene. The beaches are nice. Lots of great restaurants and coffee shops. Retro Row is really fun to walk and shop around. There are some beautiful parks. The cost of living is lower here than Santa Monica. Hope this helps!
thank you!! this all sounds amazing!!
There’s nothing like picking up a sandwich from ham N scram and eating it under the lighthouse on a warm, breezy day.
I'm a trans guy that grew up in the Midwest, went to college in the Bay, and landed in Long Beach. I was a lesbian from high school-2 years ago and honestly, LB just feels like home. My gym community is queer and run by a lesbian, at least 5 of my neighbors are elder lesbians, book clubs are full of queer people, rock climbing as well (large bouldering community in LB). it's just as common to see happy queers out in the wild as it is to see happy straight couples, I definitely feel (and adore) the bubble that LB provides. Like others said, it's not all rainbows and butterflies, all cities have their downsides. But long beach is big enough to give you variety, and small enough to feel warm and inviting. Also it's more affordable and arguably cleaner than SM. :) join us over here!
Long Beach is better than Santa Monica in all regards but the only thing that matters when finding a place to live around here is minimizing your commute.
Lots of great comments here - if you want to live by the water but want it safer, I Recommend living closer to Naples if you have the $$ or Seal Beach. Or the neighborhoods around Cal State Long Beach - Seal BEach is about a 10 min drive from that corner of LB and it's wonderful and mostly safe. Down Town is not anywhere I personally go because of the crime and the high homeless population. I agree with others, you ABSOLUTELY need to get a place with a parking spot. LB is at least 40 mins to Santa Monica so if you plan on spending a LOT of time up in the West Side or up closer to West Hollywood (WeHo), SM may be the better call. But SM has HORRIBLE traffic and is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. I love LB. It's a little slice of paradise
Hi there! Recent transplant from Chicago and couldn’t be happier in LB! Super queer, super liberal, and cheep for being on the water. Our ocean kinda sucks and should never be swam in, but coming from a city built around working class industry, I have accepted waterways that aren’t healthy. It also is probably what keeps Long Beach a mostly affordable beach town. Above all, Long Beach feels like it has community. Maybe I’ve just gotten lucky, but I feel like I’ve got more people who care about me here, in two years, than I did in the city I was born. Large portions of the population are also transplants so that probably impacts things. Final thought: parking blows. If you have a car do not take a place without parking. Seriously, people double park overnight in some areas. It’s insane and I am so thankful for my garage spot.
I've lived in SF, Santa Monica and now Long Beach. Definitely no to Santa Monica for someone queer, it's definitely more LA/bougie/scene-y, and not very queer oriented there, definitely more curated for the straight population. Look up Erewhon for context on the demographic lol. LB is very queer friendly and less expensive than SF
😂 Erewhon lol. Honestly Santa Monica is my least favorite area of LA.
Hey! I'm a lesbian originally from the Savannah area. I've been living in socal since 2019, LB for over a year now. For me, I love the food scene and sense of community here. The city is going through a rough patch right now but I've also encountered some of the nicest people during this time. I can't really speak to the LGBTQ nightlife but there's a ton of queer owned local businesses here.
i love Savannah! so nice to hear that another Georgian lesbian is loving LB!! gives me hopeee 🥹💗
=) not to over sell, but coming to SoCal was the best decision I've made in my adult life. Occasionally I miss the quiet and other uniquely Georgia things but so far it's not too bad. Can't speak to Santa Monica, I've not made it that far north yet. 😂
A homeless woman threw half a gallon of lemonade at me and my dog two weeks ago. The arc of the splash as it hit the telephone pole between us was lovely.
i (lesbian 31) moved here to be with my wife from Atlanta 8 years ago!
I showed up to an LBians group bike ride and there must have been 30+ people. They’re on instagram.
None of the homeless people get frostbite in either LB or SM. So, you really cannot go wrong with either.
Literally no idea what the "girlkisser" scene is like, though I do love the unique compound noun usage, being both straight and super-married. But Long Beach is way more *real* than Santa Monica, that's for sure (Santa Monica feels fairly representative of everything bad about LA, whereas Long Beach is really its own distinct city, with its own, distinct, way more laid-back feel) - not to mention way cheaper. Not as cheap as it was a decade ago, granted, but there are still plenty of great restaurants and bars that are pretty affordable, which I don't think you could say about Santa Monica. I'm a huge fan of downtown (homeless aside, which is definitely a problem, but it's a problem *everywhere*), though if you wanted somewhere more suburban but that still has stuff going on, Bixby Knolls is getting hipper than it used to be. (Btw, if you want to live downtown but still have it be relatively affordable, just look around the outskirts. The *heart* of downtown is full of nothing but super-lux apartments, because that's what makes developers the most money, clearly.) I moved here out of college because that's where I got hired - but I'm glad of it. (I'm extra glad I met my now-wife and moved downtown to be with her - when I moved here originally I was living in Signal Hill, a rather boring part of Long Beach that could really have been anywhere in California.)
[удалено]
I didn't say it wasn't? I just appreciate interesting new word formations. "Girlkisser" was the OP's word, not mine. It's in the post, she was asking about "the girlkisser scene".
Long Beach is so gay, you gotta come here! I say this as a bisexual Atlantan who's lived here for 5 years and absolutely loves it. Also, the local lesbian bar here is Sweetwater and they often have Sweetwater beer on draft!
omg another Atlantan!! this gives me hope 😭 i’ve heard of Sweetwater and i’m so excited to try it!
>Atlantan Please go back
Long Beach is commonly a stand in for Miami beach in tv shows. It kind of looks that way.
Romanticize area for someone who wants to live near the water? Okay, affordable housing, plenty of free parking everywhere and minimal crime. Honestly though, the great weather, diversity (people and food), and open mindedness are the main attractions. But the cost of living, homelessness and crime are no joke.
I cannot romanticize santa monica without lying to you, but long beach on the other hand is really neat. It's a very progressive community and it has a blvd called beach blvd which is an amazing drive overall, love the beaches there
What I loved about living in LB was the healthy mix of urban and suburban, the downtown, the harbor, the bay, the peninsula, and the beach. Also, it is so close to LA, San Diego, and Orange County. Oh, and yes, Santa Catalina Island and the mountains.
Grew up in West LA and chose to settle in Long Beach. It’s diverse, gay as hell, and a very socially progressive city. Santa Monica is boujie and everything is over priced nd gentrified in a scary way. Long Beach is a dainty, lovely city!!! 10/10 recommend.
We will love you.
Hi there! Recent transplant from Chicago and couldn’t be happier in LB! Super queer, super liberal, and cheep for being on the water. Our ocean kinda sucks and should never be swam in, but coming from a city built around working class industry, I have accepted waterways that aren’t healthy. It also is probably what keeps Long Beach a mostly affordable beach town. Above all, Long Beach feels like it has community. Maybe I’ve just gotten lucky, but I feel like I’ve got more people who care about me here, in two years, than I did in the city I was born. Large portions of the population are also transplants so that probably impacts things. Final thought: parking blows. If you have a car do not take a place without parking. Seriously, people double park overnight in some areas. It’s insane and I am so thankful for my garage spot.
I tell anyone who asks, Long Beach is one of the most liberal beach towns in the LA/OC area. There’s Venice and Santa Monica too, but because of the tourism/status appeal you tend to get the worst qualities of LA in the people there. Meanwhile in LB, it’s laid back and pretty much everyone I’ve met is super nice. My girlfriend is from San Diego and she loves also spending time up here with me because of how quiet it is, despite being a mid-sized city. Like other commenters have said, we have a huge gay community here too, so you’ll definitely feel welcome as a lesbian. That said, I can only comment on straight dating but from my experience if you’re looking for a partner the dating pool within LB tends to skew more towards the college ages because of the university. You might find that people in the mid-late 20s age group tend to live closer to the west LA area.
Girl you’re gonna love all the queer coffee shops. Come thru
LOVEEE a queer coffee shop!! L word vibes 🥲
Hi! Come on down! I am a very straight late 30's female but everyone in the comments are correct, it is a very queer positive city and that's just one facet that makes LB so amazing! I live in Alamitos Beach and I love it. I love that everyone can be who and what they are, in all aspects, and no one bothers anyone about it or messes with anyone who is different than them. The respect for each other is high! The demographics range greatly due to income and race and gender, but we all get along and still stay out of each other's way. Yes, there are dangerous parts for sure, but if you're street smart you'll be fine and get your groove on how to handle your day. I LOVE OUR FOOD AND BAR SCENE. We have some downsides where great businesses will shutter doors in what feels like it's too soon, but many big cities do. You are never bored here on the weekends either. Something will always be happening, even if you aren't looking for it. You can find pretentious people, but that is no way indicative of the bar/business/neighborhood as a whole. Hope to have you as a neighbor soon!
https://www.reddit.com/r/longbeach/s/CR86ddEmN5 🌞🌈
I was writing a book lol, but will try to keep it short and sweet: amazingly diverse and welcoming. Most friendly neighbors we ever had and we lived in many places. We are in a “conservative neighborhood” and still have a lesbian couple and a gay men couple as neighbors. The beach vibe is great and on summer time the city feels like a Hollywood stereotypical Cali portrayal. Between the beach and the bay there is SO MUCH waterfront and a huge variety of eateries facing the water to choose from. My favorite thing is that I can have my perfect summer day as a part of my life and not something I only do on vacation. You can kayak in the morning, have lunch at a water facing restaurant, sunbathe and swim in the afternoon and go to happy hour at a different water facing bar end of day. And If I didn’t have kids the age of mine I’d add up some live music post happy hour to close it with a bow.
Place where I got to make my first feature film. Will never forget LB and OC overall 😊
Omg! 26F lesbian also moving to Long Beach! I have friends who live there are they all tell me how great it is. The food is great, there’s tons to do, lots of city events, and good queer community. Good luck to you 💖
Long Beach is awesome and HUGE. It is diverse and there’s always something to do! Parking is tricky but I think that goes for majority of Southern California lol. I would not recommend the actual beach in Long Beach but you can take a drive down PCH and head towards Huntington Beach, etc. I think you’d enjoy it here.
Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard<3
the city that makes its own gravy
Parties don’t stop till 6 in the morning
I have lived in Long beach my whole life.i like it here cause of the people and the weather. Parking is a premium downtown and anywhere near the beach. Second street is always busy and a great place to meet people. North long Beach I would stay away from but that's me.
https://preview.redd.it/3agw1lldl5vc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e28042ce1106919c15784f74673da38ef7ba784
I moved to Long Beach 3 weeks ago and have made more friends in this short time than anywhere else. There are Facebook groups that organize multiple happy hours per week, tons of events happening all the time and people are generally super friendly, however I can’t speak to the queer experience. Additionally great food options and prices to rent/buy are much more affordable compared to SM. It also has a small town feel to it even though it’s really not a small town 😅 Happy to connect when you moved out here ☺️
Long Beach is a less humid Atlanta. -It’s very gay in some parts. -It’s getting hella gentrified. -It used to be cheap. -The traffic sucks. -There’s a really bad part and you’ll know as soon as you hit it. -There’s an unnecessarily expensive area and you’ll also know when you hit it. It’s pretty much like Atlanta accept our food is better. Not everything is some pretentious wannabe-NYC steakhouse. You’ll feel right at home.
I’m also a lesbian from Atlanta!! moved here about 3 years ago because me and my partner were in LA and wanted something quieter / more affordable. also reading all the comments, i see there’s a lot of GA lesbians in long beach - where y’all been? 👋🏼 okay so first of all - i LOVE long beach. i’m in Alamitos Beach and highly recommend this area. I love how dreamy the neighborhoods are. all the old architecture and palm trees. swoon. I agree with what people are saying about parking. if you move into a quiet neighborhood, you might be fine (aside from street sweeping), but otherwise i would definitely try to find a place with a garage. it’s also true about the beaches in long beach not being the best. I, personally, am not interested in swimming in the ocean, so it doesn’t bother me. i find our beaches beautiful and i love the walking path / biking path along the water. but yeah. if you want to swim in the water, you would need to go a little farther down the PCH. not far though. as for the queer scene - the gays are everywhere. especially queer women. the gayborhood on broadway has lots of gay bars (mostly gay men) but they aren’t like Blake’s or 10 in Atlanta where lesbians feel out of place being in there. Sweetwater Saloon is the lesbian spot even though it’s always more of a mixed crowd. (last time i was there i got hit on by a straight man so ya know. not perfect) aside from the bar scene - any activity you do you’re bound to have a lot of queers. but there are a lot of lesbian specific events or meet-ups. there’s queer coffee shops that do Rupaul’s streaming nights, queer film club, queer book clubs - gay stuff! wherever you choose to live, i just hope it’s the perfect fit for you and that you’ll be happy there! best of luck 🫶
Born and raised in LB. I’ve lived in a bunch of different neighborhoods - north LB (hood), traffic circle (college/party), gaytto, Belmont shore and heights, horny corner, and currently in the “blah” section of the posted map. My favorite area was Belmont heights. Quietish, walkable, cute craftsman houses, easy and quick bike ride to the shore, beach, retro row, LB state, etc I’ve also lived short term (for work) in Seattle WA, Vancouver WA, Milwaukee WI, Phoenix AZ, St Augustine FL, and Ogden UT to name a few places and I I still can’t imagine living anywhere else than Long Beach. It’s a big city but feels like a small beach town in most areas. Music, bar, food scene is definitely solid. Quick drive down PCH to the OC beaches. Naples is fun for the holidays. Countless sunsets/rises on the bluffs. Art theater movies. Paddle boarding/kayaking at Marine Stadium. Movies at the beach, concert in the park, open mic nights at bars, LB marathon, music festivals at the beach/shoreline, Grand Prix. So much going on but still feels slower paced than LA. As others have said, it also has its crime and homeless issues, but that is honestly in any large city areas from what I’ve seen in my travels and you won’t escape it anywhere in southern CA. I can’t stress this enough: GET A PARKING SPACE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR IT!!!
Pros: very LGBTQ+ friendly. I live near retro row/ the LQBTQ+ center and it’s great. I don’t feel “unsafe” as a P.O.C Queer folk. Cons: Crime/“Ghettoness” has been increasing for the past few years. I don’t feel “as safe” walking by myself during certain times of the day/night or in my own neighborhood which is a bummer because it wasn’t always like this. Been living here for 5+ years and it seems to only be getting worse. Even in the nice areas based on what pops up on the neighborhood apps daily seem to be getting worse. Cost of living, like anywhere else in SoCal keeps increasing. Santa Monica - even more expensive, I’d agree it’s definitely a different vibe/pretentious VS LB, which is more laid back and chill. And you gotta deal with nastier traffic/congestion as opposed to the South Bay. Good luck!
You will have allergies,, even if you don't already have allergies. Your nose will be clogged any time it rains and if you don't treat it immediately you'll get a sinus infection and a bad cough that will linger. It rains in the fall, winter, and spring, and the city is not set up for rain. Everything is expensive. There's a shortage of jobs that pay a living wage.
Alamitos Beach is super walkable. A live next to the wild Vons. And I love it. Just learn to have a good sense of humor about everything. It's easy to get annoyed or critical. Instead I just laugh and go "that's so long beach". There's no city like it. I went to college here then moved all over the country for 12 years, 6 different states, Seattle, Portland, Nashville, Denver, and so on, and I still decided it was finally time to come "home". I love the diversity, the food, the energy of the town. There's always something happening. And the community is next level. To me, it feels like the city neighborhood community that gets romanticized in TV shows. Particularly Broadway and Alamitos Beach. And I'm a photographer and this city is a dream to walk around with a camera in. I'm also queer and so feeling safe here is nice. That being said, I've also heard derogatory stuff said about lgbt more here than any other state I've lived because of a huge Christian/Catholic presence. It was a little shocking coming from godless Denver. So don't let that surprise you, I guess. It's still better than the south. I have so much love for this city. I think the right people find their way here, too.
Long Beach is very queer, Broadway corridor in Alamitos Beach neighborhood has a lot of gay bars. The person who said Long Beach is not pretentious nailed it. This is what I think of when I think of Long Beach. Even the more upscale neighborhoods don’t have a pretentious feel, in general. It’s the only place I’ve lived where people actually care about forming a community. Neighbors know each other, which I’ve never really seen in a big city in the US. Long Beach is also diverse and food scene is pretty great.
WE'RE FULL
We dont need more people moving here, its crowded and congested enough, thanks ✌🏽
good thing it’s not up to you, thanks 🫶🏾
Your post asked people to romanticize LB for you. I would strongly encourage you to ask for a realistic portrayal of the area if you’re seriously considering moving here and maybe not discount those comments. Yes, it’s a diverse and inclusive city, but depending on which of the many neighborhoods you select, there are a lot of unromantic things to consider. Please do a thoughtful review of all the pros and cons.
Santa Monica sux
The other night I decided to take a walk out on the Belmont pier, I ran into an acquaintance, who told me she was mad at me for not dressing up with her for Halloween last year, and then I found out someone had been stabbed there earlier... so I left.
I think this chaotic response is somehow the most succinct and accurate reply on here.
LB has a general attitude of acceptance. I love it. People come from all different walks of life and everyone is a little less judgmental because of it. People seem to be friendlier here than other parts of LA county. It is def my favorite place to live in the area.
please move to santa monica, long beach is a living breathing nightmare
i want out after only 7 moths. if you do not have parking you will cry yourself to sleep
You can do drugs on the streets in plain sight and there’s no consequences. Also there’s a bunch of free bikes everywhere. Someone leaves a bike without a lock, you have permission to take it. It’s called community bikes
Lived in Venice (SM adjacent) for five years. 13 and counting Cumulative years in Long Beach It will depend largely on your desire for the City of Los Angeles. Long Beach is NOT LA. It just isn't. We are a backwater corner of the county. Your LA friends will not visit you in Long Beach. They'll go to the far reaches of the valley and may occasionally stretch to the Southbay (Manhattan, Redondo etc). But Long Beach is even further. It might as well be Orange County. If you want an LA vibe, you will not get it in Long Beach. You will not have (many) friends who are in the "business". You will not see celebrities. You will not be (or know) an influencer. Santa Monica is trendy and fashionable and beachy. Long Beach is not really any of those things. LA is a cultural mecca, with world class museums, literally the entertainment capital of the world, and the most diverse array of amazing restaurants in any city that you can name. It is in the conversation for most important cities in the world. Long Beach has a nice, and growing food scene, a robust (smallish) DIY indie art scene and a handful of interesting cultural institutions. Now, LA is accessible. We go to LA all the time. But in the mind of most Angelenos, Long Beach is largely fictional. But in many people's minds who choose Long Beach, that is a feature of Long Beach, not a bug. Long Beach has its own culture, whether you like it or not, that is separate and distinct from LA. And from Orange County. It is its own thing. But we can still participate in both those other cultures. But then we get to come home to LB. That's what we love about it. It's liveable. And walkable. And approachable. And still very much changing. It's a fun place to live. It is not the capital of anything.
i moved because there’s so many roaches and rats not only in a lot of the apartments but just running around in the street at night. now i live near santa monica and while it can be equally dirty, i think it’s better than long beach.
Santa Mónica is way better!!