Remember how hot it was like two weeks ago? And six weeks ago? And 10 weeks ago? And all doggone summer long? It was scorching hot all spring and summer, just like it always is in sunny Long Beach. Now, remember how many times you thought to yourself, “Man, I wish we had a pool?” That happened to me like every day. Sometimes twice a day. Well, guess what? You’re not alone. All over the city, more and more people are building pools in their backyards right now. And this is the

Aside from joining a local gym or getting a personal trainer, Long Beach is filled with many free or affordable workout activities. Here are some of our favorites! As the last day of school approaches, the season changes from spring to summer, vacations dates get closer, and sunny days feel hotter than usual. Our bikinis and swimming trunks are pulled out from the back of our closets, only for us to realize that we should not have slacked off on those new year resolutions of

In 1986, somewhere between a Luau in Hawaii and the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, The Elm Street Band was born at the corner of Elm St. and Anaheim in Long Beach. They rocked a house party that night and the rest is history. Elm Street Band is one of the most well-known bands in our city and is basically a household name. I mean what other group of locals can say they headline the Long Beach Summer Concert Series along with the Municipal Band? Tens of thousands of

1956 Miss Universe contestants line up for a photo in Downtown Long Beach It was the summer of 1952 and Long Beach was a buzz with excitement. The city had been chosen – over Catalina Island and Hollywood, no less! – to host the world’s first international beauty pageant. The most beautiful women in the world were about to descend on the city for the inaugural Miss Universe Pageant. And Long Beach was determined to use this opportunity to show the world – and the universe – t

It was a warm summer night on Friday, June 3, 1955. East Long Beach families were lining up in their cars on Spring St. and Bellflower Blvd. to be the first ones to see a movie at the new Los Altos Drive-In. That night was a double-feature: Howard Hughes’ “Son of Sinbad” (the first showing in the Long Beach area!) and “Rage at Dawn” (presented in Technicolor and Super-Scope). Prominent local advertisements lured the people in. World’s Largest Screen! 10 stories high. Super Gi

1964 Buick Riviera | Owner: Eric Chandler From the 1930’s up until somewhere in the early 1980’s, summertime meant one thing for a large population of Long Beach youth. Car cruising. Well, technically, there was time all year long for car cruising back in the day. But summertime meant more days out of the week to be out later into the night. The night would always start at a drive-in. That’s where you met up with friends and ran into people you knew. There was Hody’s at the c

It’s a cold foggy Tuesday morning in the dead of winter and Marine Stadium is empty. The same Marine Stadium that has become world renowned since its inception before the 1930 Olympics; the Marine Stadium that’s seen Olympic gold medals in rowing, national championship drag boat races, world record waterskiing times, and crowds into the fifteen thousands… The Marine Stadium that projects the roars of a summer stadium crowd so loud they tickle the ears of residents from 90803

Daniel O’Donnell stared down at his toes as they hung over the high dive. The distance from the diving board to the water seemed much larger from this angle. He took a deep breath and mustered up all the courage a young boy could. He closed his eyes. He took a step. And off he went, down to the depths of the Millikan High School pool. That summer would go down as the year he had conquered the high-dive. Next summer, maybe he would conquer the world! For years, a typical East

The Long Beach Open is a summer classic in our city. The four-day professional tournament is held at three of our public courses: Recreation 18, El Dorado, and Skylinks. With a current purse at 170,000, it is one of the biggest tournaments in the western United States. Only two Long Beach residents have ever won their hometown tournament. Paul Goydos in 1990 and Peter Tomasulo in 2005. Paul Goydos is a two-time PGA tour champion and 20-year card holder on the PGA tour. The ye

Nearly 10,000 fans graced the stands in San Bernardino during the Little League Western Championship Tournament against Hawaii in the summer of 1992, and most of them had traveled from Long Beach to cheer for the 12-year-olds All-Stars out of Stearns Park. State flags waved in the stands as everyone held their breath, wondering which team would make it to the World Series. But the road wasn’t going to be easy. The Long Beach nine were facing Hawaii pitcher Lanakila Niles, who