Places Unique to Long Beach

So much of what makes Long Beach special are the businesses, restaurants, landmarks, and historical places that you can only find here. Here is a rundown of some of the spots that either represent a first, an only, or oldest place in Long Beach.

LONG HISTORIES

Since the turn of the 20th century, Long Beach’s downtown waterfront has been a place for recreation, entertainment, and getting inked. Outer Limits Tattoo (22 S Chestnut Pl) is the oldest tattoo shop in the United States, and artifacts of Long Beach’s tattoo history are presented in cases and adorn the walls. History buffs will also enjoy visiting Joe Jost’s (2803 E Anaheim St) for a schooner of beer and the pub’s famous pickled eggs. Founded in 1924, Jost’s is one of the oldest continually operated taverns west of the Mississippi River. Continue your historical tour at Domenico’s Restaurant (5339 E 2nd St) in Belmont Shore, the oldest restaurant in the city and one of the first to serve pizza in California starting back in 1954.

CREDIT: Outer Limits Tattoo

A FASCINATING FIRST

Long Beach was also the first city to build a municipal airport, due to a burgeoning aviation scene in the early 1900s. Long Beach Airport (4100 Donald Douglas Dr) celebrated its 100th year anniversary in 2023. LGB also operated the country’s first illuminated field, which helped aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh make an emergency nighttime landing in 1928. Other famous aviators who have ties to Long Beach Airport include Earl Daugherty, who built his flight school on the airport’s present-day site and prompted the city to establish the airport, and Amelia Earheart, who attended Daugherty’s air circus and took her first airplane ride here.

RARE RESTAURANTS

Did you know some of Japan’s best karaage (Japanese fried chicken) can be found in Long Beach? Torisho (730 Long Beach Blvd, Unit B) first opened in Japan in 2010 and went on to win several awards and open over 300 stores. They opened their first U.S. location in Long Beach in 2021. Long Beach is also home to the first Turkish ice cream shop in America. Galata Ice Cream & Desserts (5201 2nd St) in Belmont Shore serves the frozen treat, and if you’re game, the servers will perform tricks with the cones, made possible by the ice cream’s uniquely stretchy quality and chewy texture that makes it stick firmly in place.

A UNIQUE ATTRACTION

The Queen Mary (1126 Queens Hwy) was permanently docked in Long Beach in 1967 and is one of the few places in the U.S. where you can spend a hotel stay on a ship, let alone a historic Cunard ocean liner with epic history. Not only did Winston Churchill sign the D-Day declaration on board it during World War II, but the Queen Mary hosted such Old Hollywood stars as Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor, who often traveled with her two poodles. In addition to overnight stays, the Queen Mary offers shopping, dining, and special events like movie screenings, concerts, and holiday attractions, like Dark Harbor during Halloween.

DISTINCTIVE MUSEUMS

The Museum of Latin American Art (628 Alamitos Ave) is the country’s only museum dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin and Latin American art. Dr. Robert Gumbiner, a local physician and art collector, was the driving force behind the museum’s development, buying the property to house the museum and donating the artwork to establish its permanent collection. Dr. Gumbiner also helped establish the nearby Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (695 Alamitos Ave), which holds his collection of Pacific Island ethnic art.

About the Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.