So did you get our little joke? Our proposals in this issue for a “new” Long Beach—of public space, amusement areas, cultural centers, and public transit—were all based on Long Beach’s past. It was during our discussions about our story on the possible death of Acres of Books that we realized that much of what Long Beach yearns to be today—tourist destination, artsy, beachy, tied together—it had decades ago but somehow let slip away. In writing the proposals, I must admit that I was first taken by the irony of the piece; but soon, after some research, I got really excited about what Long Beach was and what it could be again. I mean, most cities have to concern themselves with the vision thing, imagining what they’d like to become; Long Beach need only pay attention to what it once had . . . and Hover Monkeys!

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN LARKEY, CURATOR, LONG BEACH HERITAGE MUSEUM

RAINBOW PIER (HALF-MOON PIER)
This is the one that got me most excited. The idea of a circular pier that allowed people to amble out beyond the waves and created a public space is just so great. One thing I eliminated on our pier was cars—Rainbow Pier allowed them. But I made sure to include the beautiful and large—8,000 seats—municipal auditorium that was used for all manner of entertainment and public meetings.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN LARKEY, CURATOR, LONG BEACH HERITAGE MUSEUM

THE PIKE (THE POOK)
If your memory of the Pike is of a scary, dilapidated, carny-infested hulk, you have no knowledge of the Pike we’re referring to. That Pike was spectacular and fun, a gleaming and teeming amusement park comparable to Coney Island and including a range of entertainment from rides to games to music, ballroom dancing halls, restaurants, and a saltwater plunge. Also, swimsuit rentals!

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN LARKEY, CURATOR, LONG BEACH HERITAGE MUSEUM

RED CARS (BLUE WHALE TROLLEYS)
Called Blimps by locals, the Red Cars connected Long Beach with LA and went down to Huntington Beach, as well as providing transportation around town. They were taken out of service in 1961, when gas cost pennies. But now with near-constant gridlock and gas hovering at or over $3. . . .

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN LARKEY, CURATOR, LONG BEACH HERITAGE MUSEUM

DOWNTOWN THEATER DISTRICT
Yes, at one time there were more than a dozen theaters located on or near Ocean Boulevard. They ranged from movie palaces to vaudeville joints to live theater spaces. Yes, they all became porno theaters, but is that a bad thing? Wait, it is. Still.

Tags: breakwater, history, Long Beach, municipal harbor, rainbow pier, the pike