They Have a Different Take on Belmont Shore

Writer Alan Rifkin (“Exile on 2nd Street,” June 14) seems to be sincere in his affection for his adopted neighborhood in the Belmont Shore section of Long Beach. Yet he apparently can’t be bothered to explore the rich cultural tapestry of his adopted city. He barely mentions the extraordinary range of cultures, entertainment and culinary delights found here--Hmong, Salvadoran, African, Thai, Armenian, Khmer, Slavic, Polynesian, Greek, French, Italian, etc., across a city of a half-million souls from around the globe.

Thomas K. Major

Long Beach

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Rifkin has been drinking too much coffee at Starbucks. He seems to be complaining that he can’t make any friends locally. Perhaps he should volunteer for a community project so he can feel as connected as everyone else here does.

Susan Keizer Haselmann

yorkiemum@aol.com

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My wife and I have lived in Naples for 30 years, and after reading Rifkin’s article, we asked each other: “Do you understand what he’s talking about?” He not only missed the flavor of the community, but he also failed to notice the aroma and the feel.

No mention of Legends? Of Polly’s Coffee (being pushed and squeezed by two Starbucks)? Or the library, where one can alternately peruse Architectural Digest or the suntanned bods at the beach just outside the window?

Bob Boyce

Long Beach