If there is one thing everyone at the Post has in common, it is that we love our city. We are shameless in our non-stop proselytizing on behalf of Long Beach, be it its people, places, or projects.

We cherish the communal nature of what we do and now, we are back again to ask you about not just what is good, but what is The Best in Long Beach—from your perspective, of course.

Welcome to the Best of Long Beach 2014.

Today, tomorrow and Friday, we will launch a new category each day, asking you what is The Best our city has to offer. Today, we begin with Arts, Culture & Entertainment. Tomorrow, we will serve up everybody’s favorite, Food & Drink. To cap it off, Friday we’ll be asking you where you go to make life a little better (and spend a little hard-earned cash) in Shopping & Services.

Vote for your favorite in each category below, or nominate a new entry by typing it into the “add an answer” box. Voting is open until Friday, December 12 at 11:59PM.

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Ah, these three pillars of our city—arts, culture and entertainment—truly make this city what it is. They help us think, laugh, dance, relax, or just straight-up plaster a smile on our face. They are the cultural fabric that connects the human beings who inhabit Long Beach, who might otherwise never meet each other or know of one another.

Best New Long Beach Album
Long Beach is, in its own right, a center for music (if your Long Beach 90s music revolves solely around Sublime and Snoop, may we kindly direct you to synthpunkers Le Shok and ska-punk band Suburban Rhythm?). Today’s scene is no exception, from folky and dreamy to a beautiful cacophony of sound, from radio-ready to deep underground hip-hop. Who did it best with their most recent release?

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The Best Dance Party in Long Beach
Dancing is the most underrated form of letting go—dare we say, even more powerful than karaoke. From the gay joints that host almost nightly clubs to Latin salsa nights, hip-hop nights to swing, where in Long Beach is the best place to put on your dancin’ shoes?

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Best Place to Get Inspired in Long Beach
Artists and creators thrive on inspiration—and environments, such as a city, are key. Where in our fair city inspires you the most for your poetry, your music, your painting, or simply just your thoughts?

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Best Long Beach Instagrammer
Long Beach is home to a plethora of incredibly talented photographers, from nationally-published professionals to great local shooters photographing for fun. Who is the best Long Beach Instagrammer?

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Best Free Entertainment in Long Beach
We love the word “free” almost as much as we love the word “payday.” Long Beach is home to a plethora of open mics, poetry readings, music festivals, book clubs, and drag shows that are free of charge. But which one gives you the most bang for your non-existent buck?

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Best Long Beach Drag Performer
Long Beach is a national hub for the ever-growing drag scene. But which draginista rocks your world, be it with subversive humor, dramatic performance, or just good ol’ fashion geneder-bending fun?

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Best Piece of Architecture in Long Beach
Long Beach architecture spreads vast and wide, across styles and periods. What is the one structure that takes your breath away?

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Best Pub Trivia in Long Beach
Bars across Long Beach are home to some of the most fantastic and competitive trivia nights, where nerds, geeks, and trivia nuts go to unwind with a beer and show off their encyclopedic knowledge. Name your favorite, and may the smartest drunk win.

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Best Iconic Long Beach Sign
All over Long Beach businesses, organizations and landmarks have staked their claim to their small portion of the city with recognizable and unforgettable markers. But which Long Beach sign is the most iconic? 

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Best Place to Have a Laugh in Long Beach
Nothing quite lightens up an evening quite like a good comedy show. From the established to the underground, where do you go in Long Beach when you’re in need of a laugh?

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Best Long Beach Convention Center Event
Not only do they bring tourists (or as we call them, “Potential Future Long Beachers”) to Long Beach in droves, but they’re equally enjoyable for those of us who can see the Convention Center from our home or office. From the massive to the niche, the nerdy to the downright strange, what Convention Center event is the best?

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Best Performing Arts Venue in Long Beach
We’ve asked in past years what the best performing arts group in the city is, but what about the spots you go to to see shows put on? From classic concert halls to brand-new DIY spaces, what is the best performing arts venue in Long Beach?

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Best Place to go as a Visitor to Long Beach
While we ourselves don’t partake in these activities that often (and perhaps we should reconsider that because, now looking at them, they’re pretty darn awesome), we have a host of things to do and places to take our tourist friends and family while they visit. Where would you take an out of town guest to show them the best of what Long Beach has to offer?

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