Photos by Chad Robinson of Click It Digital Media.
One of the oldest houses in Long Beach is now for sale, and whether or not you’re in the market to buy a home, you can’t help but appreciate the antique beauty that radiates from every inch of its restored and carefully-preserved structure.
Built in 1903, the house at 3045 E. 1st St. will be open on Wednesday to the public from 4:00PM to 7:00PM, for those interested in marveling at its basket-woven marble kitchen floors, its cross-hatched wood-beamed ceilings and its completely restored, period-specific Craftsmen style.
And this will be no ordinary open house, but rather, one befitting a classic piece of Long Beach history; curated by Art Of Life Founder and Owner, Stephanie Zapalac, the open house will showcase not only the oldest Craftsman Bungalow in the Bluff Park Historic District, but also the photography of Long Beach based artists Christopher J. Barry, the drawings of Jennifer Celio and the stained glass work of Valerie Evans. Wine, lite fare and live music will set the tone for the evening.
Christopher Livingston of The Livingston Group at Nationwide Real Estate is not your typical agent. While some envision a real estate world full of suit-wearing dealmakers only harboring intentions to reel you in for the sole sake of a scoring a commission, Livingston works in Long Beach because he loves Long Beach. Originally from La Verne, he graduated from CSULB in 2005 with a degree in Businesses Administration and Resource Management. He’s also the co-founder of LB Food Review, and now the proud father of a four-week-old son. Livingston has put down roots in Long Beach, and says he only wants to see the city thrive.
As the The Livingston Group’s first listing in Bluff Park, this agent is ecstatic to be able to showcase such an important Long Beach gem.
“I’m really working hard to promote the ‘Your Long Beach Agent’ thing,” he said, referring to his personal tagline. “I love this city. I’m here, I want to make it a better place, I want to move good families into good homes. I want to show Long Beach for everything that’s amazing about it and get rid of the stigma of it being an open sore of Los Angeles.”
“And there are homes like this,” he continued, “and that’s one of the reasons why we’re throwing this huge party. It’s a, ‘Come one, come all’, come see that there are these beautiful million dollar homes right off the ocean, with huge lots that you can’t find anywhere else in Southern California.”
Livingston looked up at the ceiling, pointing at the intersecting beams, “The ceiling is something that is really awesome in this home. The cross hatch…,” he paused. “Somebody built this as a piece of art, this was not just a home, this was a piece of art. Somebody put their life blood into building this home and that’s what’s neat about it. It’s not just a slap-up wood frame house, there’s an artistry to it.”
The three bedroom, two bathroom abode has a kitchen fit for a king, with a hand-laid, basket-woven marble tile floor, a sub-zero refrigerator built into the cabinetry so as not to interrupt the room’s ambiance, a pot filler at the stove and plenty of natural light streaming in to work by. The largest bathroom in the house has been completely restored to its original 1920s style, with a standalone tub and decorative heating grate to match. Throughout the entire home, all the built-ins have been restored all the way down to their latches. Copper pipes, central heating and air conditioning and central vacuuming create a behind-the-scenes modern functionality, without taking away from the
The antiqued glass panes in the front windows was made specially to mimic the glass found during the 20th century, showing off a vintage-styled warp of your view in and out of the house. A cozy livable attic space and a basement that was once used for storing wood add a rare amount of extra space to the property. The backyard is open and inviting and stands as one of the only houses on 1st St. without added apartments or backhouses crowding the space.
“This is real Long Beach,” said Livingston, as we walked around the side of the house.
As we stood inside the garage that used to be a horses’ stable, before the automobile burst into existence and “buggies” were used for transportation, he described the house as a step back in time, as a way to visit a less complicated point in history.
“It feels like I’ve stepped back in time into a simpler time of life,” he imagined. “It’s not about all the frills in this house, it’s about the reconnecting with what’s human. Something that somebody build with their hands and, you know, somebody loved this house. They lived here for a very long time and they loved it and it was their life savings and maybe it was their own hands that built it.”
Livingston is selling the home for $1,099,000 and will not be listing the property until after the open house, so whether you’ve been actively searching for your next domicile or you’re a Craftsmen aficionado or maybe you just enjoy checking out Long Beach historical dwellings, this one-night event is The Livingston Group’s way of connecting the Long Beach community with its unique history and spirit.
This historic Long Beach home is located at 3045 E. 1st. St. For more information about the event, call or text (562) 726-4056.
Gallery photos by Asia Morris.
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