Long Beach's Eclectic Art District Has Walkable California Streets Packed With Quirky Shops
From the silver screens of Hollywood to generations of musicians, painters, writers, and architects, California thrives as a world-famous refuge for creatives. Inspiration and talent abound in the Golden State, where artists seek like-minded community in celebrated bohemian enclaves like artsy, coastal Laguna Beach, and the vibrant Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. In the sun-soaked city of Long Beach — a musical hub renowned for giving the world an array of diverse musicians like hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg, Banda sensation Jenni Rivera, and opera superstar Marilyn Horne — the eclectic East Village Arts District is where creatives gather and flourish. Packed with quirky shops, art studios, cool galleries, delicious eats, and incredible architecture, the area's walkable, urban streets are calling you to visit.
Long Beach might be known for its laid-back beaches and trendy attractions, but the East Village Arts District has long worked to put the city's creatives on the map. The origins of this dynamic downtown neighborhood stretch back to the early 20th century. One of California's earliest movie studios, the California Motion Picture Manufacturing Company, popped up near the corner of Alamitos Avenue. It was joined by the Wayside Art Colony, a collective of woodworkers and metalworkers, glassblowers, painters, weavers, musicians, and dancers.
Distinctive architecture also sprang up in the neighborhood. Meandering through the district reveals a rich menagerie of architectural styles, including Art Deco, midcentury modern, Italian Revival, and Streamline Moderne. Hollywood eventually took notice of the area's artistic heritage and fascinating buildings, featuring East Village Arts District in film and TV shows like "This Is Us," "Jane the Virgin," and "La La Land."
Shop a diverse array of cool, one-of-a-kind East Village stores and boutiques
East Village comprises more than 50 small businesses along sunny, walkable streets. The district is roughly bounded by Ocean Boulevard to the south and 7th Street to the north, while Alamitos Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard define its eastern and western borders. Weaving through this vibrant quarter, you'll discover restaurants, cafes, museums, and art galleries mingling alongside unique, independent retailers offering goods like sustainable fashions, retro vinyl albums, wellness and lifestyle products, handcrafted home goods, and tons more.
Dive into the district's creative spirit with some retail therapy along East First Street. Shop Long Beach-branded gear at 1897 LB, or sift through the tightly-curated selection of pretty much everything — think apparel, vinyl records, accessories, and locally-produced lifestyle goods — at MAKE Collectives. Unique concept shop BYO Long Beach lets you purchase or bring your own empty containers to refill with its sustainable, bath and body, and home products. Culture Shrooms carries an enormous array of mushroom products, with mushroom-based coffee, iced tea, and sleep tinctures among its best sellers. Buy divine, stone-studded jewelry at Hellbent Silversmith, a Latin and women-owned business where you can also take silversmithing classes.
On Elm Street, pick up candles, crystals, or a bewitchingly designed tarot deck at New Age boutique, The Elemental Shop. On East Broadway, you can browse more crystals and magical finds at ReCircle Home, swipe your plastic for finely-crafted apparel and bags at Von Brinkley, or pick up a voluminous floral arrangement at The Scarlet Flower. For menswear and accessories with vintage vibes, head over to Linden Avenue to pop into ButterScotch, which also boasts a coffee bar. No East Village jaunt is complete without sifting through vinyl stacks at Bagatelle Records, Foot Works Records, and Twelves.
Visit East Village during Second Saturday Art Walk to discover its vibrant arts scene
The best time to wind through East Village's lively streets is during Second Saturday Art Walk, a free event held every second Saturday of the month starting at noon and lasting into the evening. The district is heaving with live music, performance artists, artisan vendors, gourmet eats, food trucks, activities, and crafts. Much of the action takes place along 1st Street between Linden Avenue and Elm Street, but the good vibes flood the whole district.
Plenty of quirky shops are open, and it's an excellent time to explore the district's museums and galleries and discover its vast, colorful collection of public art. One essential stop is the downtown branch of the Long Beach Museum of Art, the smaller sister gallery to the original museum on Ocean Avenue. This contemporary art space is the place to immerse yourself in a rotating selection of exciting artworks from emerging and established talent. Other museum musts in the district are the Museum of Latin American Art and the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum.
Outdoors, East Village Arts District is a vast open-air museum awash in sculptures, installations, and technicolor street murals. The best way to explore is to take a self-guided tour using the handy online map published by the Arts Council for Long Beach. Another great art and culture tour to consider is the two-hour East Village Architectural Walking Tour with Long Beach Heritage, which runs alongside Second Saturday Art Walk. While Long Beach is only about 30 minutes from Los Angeles International Airport, consider flying into Long Beach Airport, considered "America's coolest airport."