Beaches - Long Beach,CA

you will want to take them to bayshore beach, which is a beach off bayshore street and there are no waves, so it's nice and calm, lots of families go there and then if you want waves I sugg. seal beach which is very close to LB they have waves and it is a clean beach,

I have lived in LB for 3 years and have 1 little girl, 2.5 yr old and another girl due in 2 weeks, I love LB and would be happy to help you learn the area, you can email me at ____@____.com my name is K.

I am a native of Long Beach and love this city!!! While it isn't 'known' for it's beaches, the reason is because there is no surf. Mothers beach and bayshore are perfect for little ones because the water is flat. I grew up as a Jr. lifeguard in Long beach and have been swimming in the water since I can remember and have never been sick or had any problems. The water is tested every day and will be closed if it is determined to be unsafe for swimmers. I am an ocean lifeguard in Manhattan beach during the summers and while it is a beautiful beach, there is big surf and there can be rip currents which might not be the safest place for little ones. Parking is also very difficult in the summertime and it's about 30 minutes away from Long Beach. Seal beach is good too and it's only like 10-15 minutes away.

I know before you asked about different areas in Long beach and while there are some areas that you wouldn't want to move to there are some really great areas too! Belmont shore, Belmont Heights, North Long Beach...all great areas...Where exactly are you moving? I really hope you like it in Long Beach, one reason why I love it here is because of it's diversity. I don't know what it's like in Minnesota but I can tell you that you will enjoy the weather as it is sunny the majority of the time here. Good luck with your move...I hope you have a wonderful time making Long Beach a new home for your family!

Hi D.,

I have lived in Long Beach for a couple of years after coming from Santa Monica, CA and must tell you that even though it's a drive, Santa Monica Beach is far better for kids than LB. Santa Monica Beach has a pier with rides for the kiddies, a merry go round for the toddlers, and there is a promenade walkway for strollers and wagons, as well as for riding bikes and skating with your kids. Along the way north OR south of the pier you will find playgrounds very close to the concrete promenade path so that you can easily get a wagon or stroller to slides, swings, etc for young kids. Some beaches, like Redondo Beach, have playgrounds but they are so far from the concrete paths that if you have a stroller you will have a horrible time attempting to roll it through 500 yds of sand to get to the playground and it will NOT be worth it. You can also try Newport Beach which is nice and very clean (cleaner than LB or Santa Monica) if you want to have them play in the sand but again, it's a 45 minute drive south of LB.
The problem with LB is the oil drilling off the shore and the dirty water. I would not allow my child to play in it.

D.: I live in Long Beach and their is mother's beach which is waveless but fun for little kids. We often go to Seal Beach and that is right next door. I drive 5 miles to get there and I don't even live close to the ocean in LB. There is a group of people who want to get rid of the breakwater so hopefully Long Beach will someday be a "beach" that everyone will want to go to.
P.S. Bolsa Chica is a few miles furtheer but also a great beach.

Dont be scared off by the people telling you LB beaches are bad. My husband is a LB Fireman, and grew up in LB. He goes swimming in the water all the time and has since he was a child! I take my 2 and 5 year olds to Mothers Beach, corner of 2nd St and Bayshore. Enjoy LB it is great, 2nd St in Belmont Shore has great resturants, for you and your kids. If you are on Facebook, follow "I love Belmont Shore"

Hi D.,

I live in Long Beach only a few blocks from the beach. Sure, Manhattan Beach, Seal Beach & Huntington are beautiful BUT very $$$ if you want to be walking distance to the beach! If you can afford it, would be nice to be right there. There is also a main difference with those beaches to consider - there are big waves, there is no break wall, known for surfing. Long Beach has a break wall - it's waaaaay out there but it does cut down on the waves. My kids are 2 & 5 years so we actually prefer the calmer waters. Yes, the water quaility is going to be lower because of less circulation. When we feel up to being on guard & helping the kids with rougher water, we just hop over to Seal Beach.

Long Beach really has a lot to offer, especially for families. There is a beach called "Mother's beach" that is very calm, also walking distance from us & very safe for little ones. We can also walk to many restuarants, shops, library, bank, post office, fire station... it's a very nice community & much more affordable than the other beaches mentioned. There are also a lot of community events. We just had free breakfast at the park with face painting yesterday & saw many of our neighbors there - also walking distance. Christmas parade, halloween parade, free concerts in the Summer & movies on the beach. My kids also love the Aquarium of the Pacific which is 3 miles away. A membership there is very reasonable.

Check out our neighborhood at: http://www.belmontshore.org/

Also, if you need help finding a place to rent or buy, my husband's website is http://www.davemonty.com/ He's very familiar with all of the areas mentioned We used to live 1 block from Manhattan Beach & moved down here because it was much more affordable.

I just had to stick up for LB because we love it! Feel free to msg me if you want any more info. -M.

Hi D.,
One beach to try - Seal Beach. It borders Long Beach to the south. It has a full playground for kids on the sand. Main Street which connects Pacific Coast Highway to the sand, is quaint and offers many restaurants and coffee shops. There is a long wooden pier, waves for surfing, and a family atmosphere.

Welcome (soon) to LB and enjoy!
C.

Hi!

I live in Manhattan Beach and think this is the very best beach in Southern California!! It is a very family-friendly town and beach with a seperate walkway for pedestrians and another seperate one for bicycles. They also have a swing-set (by Marine Ave & the Strand) in the sand on the beach! Oh, BTW, there is free parking some of the side streets and free parking by Live Oak Park (which has an awesome children's park) on Valley/Ardmore Aves.

Manhattan Beach is very clean and my son loves this beach!! You & your kids will love it! Enjoy!!!!

Hi D.,

It all depends on where in Long Beach you are at. If you can travel a little further south of Long Beach from the Queen Mary on, you will hit Belmont Shore - to me, it is one of the most nicest beach in southern California. Especially for a bike ride.

Hi D.,

I grew up "going to the lakes" in MN and have lots of great memories.

What you've heard is right - you DON'T go to the beach in Long Beach. It's basically a harbor so it's really dirty and not a great place to visit. Definitely not the place you'd want to go and hang out on the beach.

BUT Don't stress - You are really close to Huntington Beach. It is BEAUTIFUL!! It is the place you want to go and take the family and hang out all day. You can just relax and play on the beach, take a walk on the boardwalk, or head up to the uptown area and shop or get something to eat. It's the beautiful California beach you picture.