A pioneer Long Beach resident named Elvia Bartow Astle, the daughter of a prominent hotel owner named J.V. Bartow, proposed many of the street names in the center of town to the City Council in the early 1900s. She loved trees, so naturally that’s why we have an Elm, Locust, Pine, Cedar and Chestnut streets. When Elvia was in her nineties she could still be seen painting the city views from the sunroom of her ocean front property on Ocean Boulevard. Barbara Britton Britton Th

Ever wonder what’s in a Long Beach street name? Like what’s a Woodruff? And what’s the story behind the street no one can spell, or pronounce, for that matter -- is it Ximeno as in X-Zimeno or Hee-may-no Avenue? While not an exhaustive list, here’s what’s behind some of the colorful, creative, wacky, absurd and downright confusing street names you will encounter driving through Long Beach. ¿Qué paso? Long Beach’s Spanish Street Names The year was 1784. A magical year, at