The courtyard of Utopia in the East Village is one of the author’s favorite “third places” in Long Beach.
10:00am | Southern California is privileged to have perhaps the greatest weather in the world. Long Beach’s adjacency to the Pacific Ocean coast provides this semi-arid region with the cooling breezes and mild temperatures that encourage a year-round outdoor lifestyle. Unfortunately, most of us will spend nearly the entire day inside, experiencing the beautiful Mediterranean climate only through the windows of our home or office. Often our greatest opportunity to enjoy the over 330 days of sunshine a year we enjoy in Long Beach is when we relax between home and office at a “third place.”
The term “third place” was coined by the urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg and refers to public places of interaction that exist alongside work and home. Considered the foundation for civil society, successful democracy, and even intellectual innovation, these “third places” allow both planned and random socialization. These places include parks, libraries, main streets, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants. Locations like these allow people to take a moment to sit, relax, and meet with others to discuss the latest affairs, politics, and life’s news.
Most urban environments provide potential “third places,” but the wonderful Southern California climate presents nearly unparalleled opportunities for such places outdoors. From the mouth of the San Gabriel River to Retro Row; Fourth Street’s vintage shopping Mecca, one could spend days exploring outdoor third places in Long Beach. I will take this opportunity to share some of my favorite such spots throughout a typical day.
Such a day might begin with a cup of coffee at the Starbucks located at the intersection of 7th Street and Park Avenue. This café features a street-side patio that allows one to watch the sun rising over the mature trees of Recreation Park to the east. With its combination of morning commuters driving to work along the major east-west thoroughfare of 7th Street on the one hand, and students walking to nearby Woodrow Wilson High School on the other, this intersection is one of Long Beach’s most vibrant early in the morning.
Located where East and North Marina Drives meet in the Alamitos Bay Marina, Schooner or Later provides a great rest stop for morning walkers, bicyclists, and recreational boaters. As the name implies, this breakfast spot is a good place to find social lubricants like a pint of beer or Bloody Mary to go with your bacon and eggs. The dining terrace’s adjacency to the waterfront esplanade lends itself to chance interactions with neighbors walking by or waiting for the next available table. Additionally, Schooner or Later’s southwest orientation provides an ideal opportunity for sunlight all day long.
In the courtyard of the Long Beach Museum of Art, Claire’s is perhaps the best sunny-day lunch spot in the city. Its diverse menu, wonderful view of the city’s shoreline, and cultural backdrop of art and architecture all make this a great place to bring friends from out of town. Solar heat from the noontime sun is mitigated by mist from a large water fountain centered in the dining patio. The adjacent courtyard as well as the museum itself provide plenty of activities before or after lunch.
Whether looking for an iced coffee drink or some gelato, Portfolio on Fourth Street’s Retro Row is the place to cool off while basking in the early afternoon sun. The original Portfolio anchors the vintage shopping district with an abundance of southwest-facing sidewalk seating that stimulates pedestrian activity. Wireless internet access allows patrons to check their email or write their next article while avoiding the pasty complexions that plagued Bohemians of yore. The gelato counter of the Portfolio Annex (next to the Art Theatre) leaves little room for seating; this encourages patrons to walk and shop through Retro Row instead, leading to chance encounters with business owners, neighbors, and like-minded shoppers.
Should you prefer a chilled glass of wine, Bono’s on Second Street has been designed with a wonderful relationship between indoor and outdoor space. A wrap-around sidewalk dining area, combined with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, all blur the line between inside and outside, providing a range of seating options based on your preferred solar exposure. Before the mid-afternoon sun begins casting its shadows, Bono’s is a most wonderful place to rest your feet while shopping in Belmont Shore.
Across the city, in the East Village neighborhood, the enlarged sidewalk plazas in front of Utopia restaurant represent the best late afternoon “third place” in town. The seating is near the middle of First Street, away from any building that could cast a shadow, allowing patrons to soak up some of the best afternoon sunlight downtown. Small-plate appetizers, as well as a good wine and beer menu, make Utopia one of my favorite spots to meet up with people after work.
When trying to squeeze the last bit of sunlight out of the day, Shoreline Village along the downtown waterfront offers multiple possibilities for grabbing a drink with friends, or meeting one’s family for dinner. One of the best such options is the expansive west-facing dining terrace of the Yard House. Pedestrian traffic along the Rainbow Harbor esplanade and brisk happy-hour business create one of the most vibrant atmospheres in the city.
I have made no attempt here to present an exhaustive list of outdoor “third places” in Long Beach, just a few personal favorites. To the extent we make use of these places, and encourage others like them, we leverage our wonderful temperate Southern California climate and make our city a more vibrant and livable for all of us.