Long Beach Hits Scene With a Splash

In the not-too-distant past, Long Beach’s waterfront meant the rundown Pike amusement park, honky-tonk bars, seedy Navy dives, even a Pussycat Theater.

In those days you didn’t mix Long Beach and culture in the same sentence.

But all that is long gone, and the city, capitalizing on the opening of the $117-million Aquarium of the Pacific, is ready for its own coming-out party.

With several art museums worth checking out, its own symphony orchestra and opera company, a 37-piece Sousa-style municipal band said to be the oldest in the nation, lively local theaters and a respectable lineup of good restaurants and drinking places, the hope along the shoreline is that aquarium visitors will stay long enough to give the city a good look.

Mayberry-by-the-Sea has undergone a make-over, one that should help Long Beach shed once and for all any lingering images as a rough-and-tumble Navy town or a reincarnation of Des Moines that has been moved out of Iowa and transplanted on the West Coast.

Just don’t expect Santa Monica’s Main Street, West Hollywood or even Pasadena’s Old Town. Long Beach isn’t there yet. But that may not be bad. The locals love the place for just that reason. It’s quiet, laid-back, and parking isn’t a problem.

Some of the city’s cultural offerings are within walking distance of, or a short drive from, the aquarium.

The Latin American Art Museum, 628 Alamitos Ave., will be the nation’s largest museum for Latin American art once an expansion is completed later this summer. Continuing through July 12 is “Pinturerias: The Art of the Bullfight,” an exhibition featuring interpretations by 85 artists. Especially popular with local residents are the museum store and retail art gallery.

Farther away, but still not too distant from the aquarium, is the Long Beach Art Museum at 2300 E. Ocean Blvd. Sitting atop a bluff overlooking the ocean, the museum--which is undergoing a $4-million expansion--boasts an internationally renowned collection of video art, examples of which are screened in a viewing room. The museum’s picturesque setting is also a popular spot to stop for a cup of coffee and a pastry.

Long Beach Symphony Orchestra music director JoAnn Falletta is already creating tie-ins with the aquarium, such as producing the symphony’s first-ever CD, “Impressions of the Sea.” The orchestra, now in its 89th year, is about to launch an eight-week program of free outdoor concerts at local parks. For information, call (562) 570-3100.

At Cal State Long Beach, the University Art Museum, in conjunction with the National Museum of American Art, is displaying 32 rare prints as part of “Celebrating Lithography at 200,” which runs through August. Call (562) 985-5761. From June 28 to July 25, the university is sponsoring a performance and literary festival, including strident theaterfrom the San Francisco Mime Troupe on July 17 and kinetic dance from the Bebe Miller Company on July 24. The information number is (562) 985-1934.

The Long Beach Opera performs at the Carpenter Center, 6300 Atherton St., also on the university campus. Known for its adventurous productions, the opera will be performing Henry Purcell and John Dryden’s “The Indian Queen,” Saturday at 8 p.m., and Manfred Gurlitt’s “Wozzeck” Sunday at 4 p.m. For more information, call (562) 439-2580.

On the live-stage front, the California Repertory Company, which has been housed on the university campus, is building the 99-seat Edison Theater on the downtown promenade. The International City Theater produces plays at the Center Theater in the convention center.

There are a number of restaurants within walking distance of the aquarium, either a few blocks up Pine Avenue or in Shoreline Village.

Shoreline Village, just east of the aquarium on the opposite side of Rainbow Harbor, is a collection of restaurants and retail shops where you can have lunch or dinner or buy a kite and a bag of saltwater taffy.

For those who would rather take a boat ride, albeit a very brief one, a water taxi service is being inaugurated linking the aquarium with Shoreline Village and the Queen Mary.

Gone is the village’s old-fashioned carousel, which was sold several months ago, but good seafood and nifty waterfront ambience are still there at Parker’s Lighthouse, a longtime local institution with a rooftop lighthouse. Not too far away is the Yard House, which serves dinner and boasts that it has 250 beers on tap. Next door is Tequila Jack’s, which serves Mexican food and 90 kinds of tequila.

A few blocks to the west of the aquarium, at Catalina Landing, is Simon’s, one of the city’s most respected restaurants.

Across San Pedro Bay is the Queen Mary. Tours are available for $12 and up. But diners with reservations at one of the ship’s restaurants, the Chelsea or the more upscale Sir Winston’s, can get a taste of the romance of the old ship without paying the entrance fee. Most of the tables at the restaurants have water views and are a great way to see the city, particularly at night. Reservations are required to avoid the entrance fee.

Off the water, but also within a relatively short walk of the aquarium, is Pine Avenue. Offering live music at several spots and movie theaters, it’s the home of some of the city’s most popular restaurants--Mum’s, King’s Fish House, and L’Opera. A relatively new addition, at the intersection of Pine and Ocean Boulevard, is the Rock Bottom Brewery, which serves brunch and dinner as well as made-on-the-premises beer.

Long Beach Transit is adding four new bright red minibuses to get people to and from the aquarium. Named the Passport, the buses are free in the downtown area and will make regular stops at the aquarium, the Queen Mary, Catalina Landing, Shoreline Village and Pine Avenue.

For 90 cents, the buses will take you west on Ocean Boulevard, past the Art Museum, to Belmont Shore, a lively place with beach city ambience.

The buses also go to Naples, on Alamitos Bay, which boasts several restaurants, including Kelly’s, an old-fashioned steak and martini spot on 2nd Street, and Pasta al Dente, a much-praised Italian restaurant just off 2nd on Naples Plaza.

Gondola rides along Naples’ well-maintained canals, complete with candles, wine and singing gondoliers trained in Italy, are available. Reservations: (562) 433-9595.