Post by bigfan on Dec 15, 2004 11:24:33 GMT -5
www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204%257E27141%257E2597664,00.html
Nettin', honey
By Tim Grobaty
Staff columnist
WE ALSO SERVE: Every time a huge event comes to town, we're summoned back from whatever war or head of state to which/whom we're normally assigned in order to give the visiting hordes an idea of what to expect in Long Beach. This week, the huge event is, you hardly need to be told, the 2004 Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Thursday and Saturday at the Long Beach Arena Before we squander any more space, the Long Beach Arena is the place that looks like the Aquarium of the Pacific. It's covered with a mural depicting underwater life, while the nearby Aquarium of the Pacific, a fine place to visit in its own right, is covered with paintings of volleyballs, so, yes, it can be confusing, or would be if we were telling the truth about the volleyballs (we are, to add to the confusion, telling the truth about the arena mural).
What to expect in Long Beach. Well, you've been in faraway cities before. Long Beach is no different than any other in that we have one Wal-Mart for every 15.6 citizens. But we have a lot of attractive stores and shops as well and, in your down time, you might as well kill some cash and time getting some shopping done. There are numerous places to leave your money in Long Beach, including several near where you're staying, assuming you're staying close to the aquarium- looking arena.
Second Street in Belmont Shore is our Rodeo Drive, Fourth Street is our Melrose Avenue, the East Village is our East Village and Pine Avenue is our Main Street, within easy walking distance of the major downtown Long Beach hotels.
For great gifts, we've enjoyed stupendous success buying at Z Gallerie, 230 Pine Ave., which always scatters some terrifically oddball gifts around its eclectic collection of furniture and housewares.
The good shopping area of Fourth is to the east, between Cherry and Junipero (don't sound like a tourist, pronounce it: Yippy Nero) avenues, where you'll find racks of vintage clothes and other wares that have already enjoyed a lifetime or two, plus some culturally interesting doodads at places like Siren, 2240 E. Fourth.
Second Street in Belmont Shore, between Livingston Drive and Bay Shore Avenue, has pretty much everything you need except a Wal-Mart. Our favorites are 5001, at, of all places, 5001 E. Second St. (jewelry, cocktail attire, kitchen stuff); Fingerprints CDs, 4612 E. Second St. (besides the obvious, some cool custom toys, concert and indy movie DVDs and aural collectibles); and Wiskers, 4818 E. Second St. (for your pet).
The East Village is Long Beach's Arts District, so that's what you'll find there (art, if you lost track). And there's no way we're going to tell you what art is better than another. Walk around the district the heart of it is between Long Beach Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue and Ocean Boulevard and Fourth and enjoy the coffee available at at least a half dozen places in the district. It's all good. Better, actually, than the art, though we're hoping we just thought that and didn't actually type it.
Right around downtown there are a couple of other shopping places the entertainment/dining-oriented Pike at Rainbow Harbor, right down at the foot of Pine, and the more pedestrian CityPlace between Pine and Long Beach Boulevard at Fifth Street.
If you're anything like the crowd we had here last summer for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, you're terribly fit and are looking for some ways to work out. Oddly enough, we know of a few. The best bet for joggers, bikers, skaters and walkers (we hear) is the Shoreline Pedestrian/Bicycle Path, which gives you a nice, even safe and scenic, shot along the coast for 3.1 miles on the beach between Alamitos Avenue on the west to 54th Place on the east.
Want more volleyball? You can play it yourself at many Long Beach parks, though generally you have to supply your own ball (try CityPlace if you want to buy one). We've played a bit in our day, and our favorite place is on the beach by the Belmont Plaza Pool, east of the Belmont Pier on Ocean Boulevard, near Termino Avenue. (It dawns on us here that you might not realize the ocean is to the south in Long Beach. No one knows why, but it's always been that way.) If you want to go the hard-court route, try the courts at Alamitos Bay, Ocean Boulevard at 54th Place.
Now, it's time, finally, for a little pick-me-up, and you, being the sporting type, are lucky to have blundered into a town with some fine sports bars. There are two that best combine high quality with proximity to the Arena. One is Legends, which always grabs air on the local and national newscasts when reporters want to interview boisterous fans, is in the heart of Belmont Shore, 5236 E. Second St., and the other, closer and newer venue is Smooth's, in the heart of Pine, at 144 Pine.
And, finally, for your dining pleasure, we wouldn't bother with vehicles because "Downtown Is Where Long Beach Dines." In the lowlands, the Pike at Rainbow Harbor has some spectacular places for dinner, including P.F. Chang's China Bistro, the California Pizza Kitchen, the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Outback Steakhouse and Island Burgers.
Up the hill on Pine, between Ocean Boulevard and Fourth, you'll find an equally impressive lineup that's not so chainy. There's The Madison for a steak and a great and handsome bar, L'Opera for the swankiest fare on the street. And: Wasabi (sushi), Smooth's, King's Fish House, George's Greek Cafe and more.
We would also encourage you to sidle over a few streets to the east, to Linden Avenue, to try 555 East for fine drinking and dining.
Nettin', honey
By Tim Grobaty
Staff columnist
WE ALSO SERVE: Every time a huge event comes to town, we're summoned back from whatever war or head of state to which/whom we're normally assigned in order to give the visiting hordes an idea of what to expect in Long Beach. This week, the huge event is, you hardly need to be told, the 2004 Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Thursday and Saturday at the Long Beach Arena Before we squander any more space, the Long Beach Arena is the place that looks like the Aquarium of the Pacific. It's covered with a mural depicting underwater life, while the nearby Aquarium of the Pacific, a fine place to visit in its own right, is covered with paintings of volleyballs, so, yes, it can be confusing, or would be if we were telling the truth about the volleyballs (we are, to add to the confusion, telling the truth about the arena mural).
What to expect in Long Beach. Well, you've been in faraway cities before. Long Beach is no different than any other in that we have one Wal-Mart for every 15.6 citizens. But we have a lot of attractive stores and shops as well and, in your down time, you might as well kill some cash and time getting some shopping done. There are numerous places to leave your money in Long Beach, including several near where you're staying, assuming you're staying close to the aquarium- looking arena.
Second Street in Belmont Shore is our Rodeo Drive, Fourth Street is our Melrose Avenue, the East Village is our East Village and Pine Avenue is our Main Street, within easy walking distance of the major downtown Long Beach hotels.
For great gifts, we've enjoyed stupendous success buying at Z Gallerie, 230 Pine Ave., which always scatters some terrifically oddball gifts around its eclectic collection of furniture and housewares.
The good shopping area of Fourth is to the east, between Cherry and Junipero (don't sound like a tourist, pronounce it: Yippy Nero) avenues, where you'll find racks of vintage clothes and other wares that have already enjoyed a lifetime or two, plus some culturally interesting doodads at places like Siren, 2240 E. Fourth.
Second Street in Belmont Shore, between Livingston Drive and Bay Shore Avenue, has pretty much everything you need except a Wal-Mart. Our favorites are 5001, at, of all places, 5001 E. Second St. (jewelry, cocktail attire, kitchen stuff); Fingerprints CDs, 4612 E. Second St. (besides the obvious, some cool custom toys, concert and indy movie DVDs and aural collectibles); and Wiskers, 4818 E. Second St. (for your pet).
The East Village is Long Beach's Arts District, so that's what you'll find there (art, if you lost track). And there's no way we're going to tell you what art is better than another. Walk around the district the heart of it is between Long Beach Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue and Ocean Boulevard and Fourth and enjoy the coffee available at at least a half dozen places in the district. It's all good. Better, actually, than the art, though we're hoping we just thought that and didn't actually type it.
Right around downtown there are a couple of other shopping places the entertainment/dining-oriented Pike at Rainbow Harbor, right down at the foot of Pine, and the more pedestrian CityPlace between Pine and Long Beach Boulevard at Fifth Street.
If you're anything like the crowd we had here last summer for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, you're terribly fit and are looking for some ways to work out. Oddly enough, we know of a few. The best bet for joggers, bikers, skaters and walkers (we hear) is the Shoreline Pedestrian/Bicycle Path, which gives you a nice, even safe and scenic, shot along the coast for 3.1 miles on the beach between Alamitos Avenue on the west to 54th Place on the east.
Want more volleyball? You can play it yourself at many Long Beach parks, though generally you have to supply your own ball (try CityPlace if you want to buy one). We've played a bit in our day, and our favorite place is on the beach by the Belmont Plaza Pool, east of the Belmont Pier on Ocean Boulevard, near Termino Avenue. (It dawns on us here that you might not realize the ocean is to the south in Long Beach. No one knows why, but it's always been that way.) If you want to go the hard-court route, try the courts at Alamitos Bay, Ocean Boulevard at 54th Place.
Now, it's time, finally, for a little pick-me-up, and you, being the sporting type, are lucky to have blundered into a town with some fine sports bars. There are two that best combine high quality with proximity to the Arena. One is Legends, which always grabs air on the local and national newscasts when reporters want to interview boisterous fans, is in the heart of Belmont Shore, 5236 E. Second St., and the other, closer and newer venue is Smooth's, in the heart of Pine, at 144 Pine.
And, finally, for your dining pleasure, we wouldn't bother with vehicles because "Downtown Is Where Long Beach Dines." In the lowlands, the Pike at Rainbow Harbor has some spectacular places for dinner, including P.F. Chang's China Bistro, the California Pizza Kitchen, the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Outback Steakhouse and Island Burgers.
Up the hill on Pine, between Ocean Boulevard and Fourth, you'll find an equally impressive lineup that's not so chainy. There's The Madison for a steak and a great and handsome bar, L'Opera for the swankiest fare on the street. And: Wasabi (sushi), Smooth's, King's Fish House, George's Greek Cafe and more.
We would also encourage you to sidle over a few streets to the east, to Linden Avenue, to try 555 East for fine drinking and dining.
