Why I Call Long Beach Home

I have recently started a walking routine during the day. It is something I feel that is important, and I feel like that I have needed. And every time I do it, I’m reminded of why I love Long Beach.

I go down to the bike path that runs between Belmont Shore and Downtown Long Beach. The beautiful sunshine and the nice ocean breeze are great, but what really makes it amazing is the fact that as I’m walking, there are little things to make you take a step back and smile – a little family with a many trying to help his child ride a bike while he rides alongside on a tiny razor scooter, a little girl studying objects in the sand while her grandmother looks on and even a young man escorting his grandmother for a leisurely walk down near the water.

Every runner is different and every walker has their own motivation. But I am constantly amazed at the little things as I walk along the beach – whether it’s a cute little graffiti-ed monster on the ground or the name of Hashem drawn in the sand. It’s a tribute to the quirks and joy that is our beloved city.

It’s so unlike where I grew up. In Thousand Oaks, everything was clean and free of such whimsy. The people who were running along the streets were typically super-skinny women, blonde and in high-end workout gear. Mind you, in a town where everyone seems to be the same, it’s hard to expect anything else.

I came to Long Beach three years ago (it will be the third anniversary at the end of the month), and the beauty of it is that I still discover things about the city. There are tons of local businesses, hundreds of different roads and plenty of new and fascinating people. There is always something interesting to do – half of which I’m probably not even aware of.

The best part, though, is that it’s a city for everyone, whether you are a shopper, an eater, an artist, a dreamer or lead an active life. A nerd like me, wearing my thick-framed Ray-Bans and anarchy shoes is not some weird freak who wandered into town -- that’s saved for when I walk into a market in Thousand Oaks. Long Beach has been the first place that I have lived where I could be me. I didn’t have to conform like in my suburban life. Although it’s not as comfortable, I’m getting the amazing adventure of living in this city, from kayaking to visiting the farmer’s market. It’s a city that, instead of being pretty and perfect, feels like it’s breathing. It’s the most alive city I have known.

All in all, Long Beach is like me – a little gritty, unusual, awe-inspiring, never just one thing and yet always fun. What more could you ask for?

And on that note, here are some of the pictures that I have taken on my walk on the bike path. Enjoy!