HotelTonight – Long Beach, California Hotels
There is so much to see and do in Southern California that you could spend months there and never get to everything. I work in Southern California often, which means I get to spend time in places from Los Angeles to Orange County to San Diego and everywhere in between. As much as I had gotten to see what Southern California was all about, I wanted to see more. That's why I always look for any opportunity to explore a new community. Recently, I was in Los Angeles on business when I got a phone call in my hotel room early in the morning on my last day of meetings. Those meetings were canceled, which meant I could either fly home that day or stay in the area for another 24 hours and take my original flight. The catch was that I'd have to find my own lodging that night. I chose the latter, and decided to go see Long Beach. I wasn't concerned about finding a place to stay, as I always travel with my HotelTonight app. I'd book a Long Beach hotel room as soon as I was ready to get some sleep.
Downtown
I started my day of exploration in the downtown area of Long Beach. I find that's always a good place to start when getting to know a city. The downtown area of Long Beach was a bit different than what I would've expected. It wasn't packed with high-rises, and it wasn't bustling with a lot of traffic. Instead, it was built around the waterfront, which is a naturally beautiful place and one that was wisely preserved. Instead, you see a lot of different condos along with walking and biking paths, creating a laid-back vibe that I really enjoyed.
East Village
My next stop on my de facto, self-guided tour of Long Beach was the East Village. I could tell immediately that this was the place in town where the young professionals tend to gather. There were bars and nightclubs everywhere, art galleries dotted the landscape and used book stores were also very well represented. As I started people-watching, it soon became clear that my initial guess was correct. There were a lot of people in their 20's and their 30's who were dressed nicely and running around to what seemed like their next meeting or office.
Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District
I had stumbled upon a truly unique neighborhood in the heart of Long Beach. The Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District featured some architecture that I found truly inspiring. The biggest attraction, so to speak, were the bungalows. People lived in them and lived quite well. I took a look at them and realized it was time to eat. I found a nice Mexican place, and that sounded perfect. I ordered two fish tacos, as that's a great treat in this part of the world. They did them right. The fish was fried perfectly, the sauce was tasty and the cabbage rounded out the entire meal.
Belmont Heights
During lunch, I had heard about a place in town that had feral parrots. I had to see this, and it turns out that they live in Belmont Heights. This is a mostly residential part of town, but it was nice to walk around and see how the families of the area lived. The neighborhood was very clean, there was a pristine park in the middle of it all, and yes, there were parrots in the trees along the main drag. I never realized how much noise a parrot could make.
Naples
I had no idea that there were cities in the United States where you could ride a gondola around, but apparently you can in Long Beach, and in the Naples neighborhood in particular. I rode one around for a bit, as it looked like fun, and it was. I was also getting hungry, so I figured I'd be able to find some Italian food nearby. I did, thanks to a tip from someone on the street. The place had a nice patio and even nicer pasta primavera. I ate hungrily and enjoyed the wine that they paired with it. I sat there after I was done for a while, satisfied with my meal and the overall ambience of the place.
HotelTonight – Long Beach Hotels Near Me
I had enjoyed my day and was glad that I had taken the opportunity to explore a new place. I was ready for a shower and some sleep. I opened my HotelTonight app and booked a Long Beach hotel room near me in a few seconds. It was only blocks away, as the app provides hotel choices based on your current location. I made my way over there and fell fast asleep in my comfortable room.
