I never wanted to live in Long Beach.
I didn’t see the appeal, I thought it was a crummy city and that there were much better options.
I looked for better options, I tried to find a city that made the most sense for us, but when J got a teaching job in Long Beach, guess what city made the most sense?
We moved to Long Beach.
I never wanted to live in this city, so why, now almost 2 years later, on our final days in this apartment am I completely overwhelmed with gratitude, memories, and sadness?
We found our apartment on a whim. J’s friend who had grown up in Long Beach had given him a hand-drawn map of the city, explaining exactly what streets we should avoid and which were okay. We had looked at so many others before and it had not been a pleasant experience. I was losing hope of finding an area that made me feel safe, that made me happy and excited to live there, and then we magically called a random number on a sign we saw and it led us to our place. The building wasn’t too close to the water, (I have a thing about not liking beachy air/hair) the building was right next to an elementary school, (my childhood home is across the street from an elementary school) and the building was right off 4th Street. 4th Street is this tiny strip of retro small businesses, a single screen movie theater, and so many amazing restaurants. There are stringed lights that hover above as you drive through and it’s just a happy place.
Oh, and the building allowed dogs. We asked about that before we even saw the inside of the apartment.
Finding our home and settling in was amazing. Waiting less than a month to bring a 10-week-old Basset Hound puppy into our lives and our brand-new space maybe wasn’t the smartest idea. Our lives were never the same once Boone joined our family. He loved every Amazon box that came in while we were still decorating and figuring out where things went. He may have made life a bit more challenging during this time, but it was fun and I wouldn’t change it.
We tried our best to explore our area as much as we could. We would walk to the restaurants in our neighborhood for happy hour. We would use Ma & Pa’s grocery store that was a few blocks away because it was locally owned and had everything we needed. We would go see movies at the Art Theater and buy bottles of wine from the wine shop next door. We had date nights and friends over and we appreciated what we had in front of us. We became regulars at a few places but they only really knew us because of Boone, we made neighborhood friends and enjoyed ourselves every day. We took Boone with us everywhere we went. He made more of an impression than we did. We would take him to Elinor, a bar that allowed dogs inside. We would drink, play trivia and the employees would love on our puppy the whole time. We would go to different restaurants and even though Boone wasn’t the most well behaved, his cuteness got him everywhere. We ordered take out a lot and found so many amazing places that we probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise.
We went through a lot while living here. We had birthdays and surprise parties, we had fights and arguments, we had therapy sessions and really long talks. I have cried probably most of the days we lived in this place if I’m being honest. After J had his seizure, we came here and we laid in bed at 7:30pm together in silence. Just thankful to be home and to be with each other. Boone’s whole life happened here. He grew up and learned everything he does because of this place. The amount of nights spent scrubbing our floors because he missed his potty pad, the amount of vomit, diarrhea, and foreign objects that had to make their way out somehow we have cleaned up is overwhelming. He learned how to play and do tricks here, he created a little stoop for himself with a pillow next to our window and he perches there every day to watch what’s going on in our neighborhood. He had tantrums but also cuddled with us every day on our couch. He has his own chair that he sleeps on, and we learned how to live as a family of 3 here. These are memories that only belong here and that’s such a cool thing.
Once the pandemic hit and everything with my job came crumbling down, being stuck inside our apartment became a burden to me. Our space isn’t very big and now with 2 adult humans and a full-grown dog, the space seemed suffocating. My response to that was to get out as much as I could. Boone has way too much energy for a Basset Hound so I took it upon myself to wear him out. This is when our morning 3 mile walks started. They weren’t always 3 miles though. Sometimes it was only 2, sometimes I pushed him to do 4. We’d walk in our neighborhood, we’d walk down to the lagoon and see the birds, the water, and hang out at the park while he’d chase tennis balls. I found that walking really helped cleanse my mind and made it easier for me to think and breathe. I had never been one for exercise growing up, but getting in your steps and seeing nature and your city all at the same time is very healing. I was struggling mentally every day and knowing that my day was going to start off outside and with Boone always helped. Even on days where the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed and walk for miles and miles, I made myself. I told myself it was good for me and that I’d feel better after. I was never wrong. Even after my dad died. Once we came back to Long Beach and “normal” life resumed, I did not want to wallow. I knew Boone was anticipating his walks and I needed to do it for myself. We started off slow, maybe a mile and a half on some days because crying and walking isn’t the best, but I did something. Eventually I got to a point where we were back on our normal route. We were seeing our normal friends along the way and I was enjoying myself again. Having these walks and our incredible neighborhood helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life. I know that I will still have to go on walks because my dog will never calm down and not need them, but it will be different and I’ll miss what we have here.
The decision to move came quickly. We had already been looking at other places for a few months because we knew we had outgrown this apartment. We are ready for the next phase of our life and need more space for that to happen. Boone needs more space in general cause you can tell he’s just sick of us sometimes. We had gone and seen a few houses and apartments to rent in different cities but nothing felt right. When my dad got sick and everything happened, we went and stayed with my mom and brothers. It was the natural thing to do so we could all be together. We were helping as much as we could and it was nice because it felt so natural to be home again. One day J and I took Boone to the mountains because I needed to be in the snow. It was a feeling that came over me and it had to happen. While we were eating lunch in the car, J said he had an idea that maybe we should consider moving back home to be with my mom and the boys. I had made it very clear earlier in the year that I didn’t want to move in with my parent’s until after we were married. I felt as though moving in with them would be as though we were taking a step backwards in life and I only wanted to move forward. We had argued about this before so it was very brave of him to bring it up again. However, this time, I really thought about it. I was already going back to see my family once a week or more, we had been staying with them on the weekends, my mom needed help with a lot and Boone was having so much fun with my mom’s dogs and having a backyard to play in. We could stay there and save up money to really start our lives and I could figure out what I wanted to do next with work while not having to pay crazy expenses like rent and utilities. It made sense. I probably started crying but I said it was a great idea. We talked with my mom, made sure my brothers were okay with it and that was it. We had 1 month and we’d be back home.
I think the idea of moving back in with your parents has a negative connotation and I totally get it. I thought it was a negative for so long. I was proud of my independence. I liked that I wasn’t under my parent’s roof anymore and could do whatever I wanted. I enjoyed making my own decisions and knowing that I was completely responsible. But sometimes, life doesn’t give you much of a choice. I don’t have a job, my dad died suddenly and traumatically and that’s not something you can go through alone. I need my family, I need to be close to the people I love the most. I need to find a job and get back on my feet so I can properly provide for my family so why not make a choice that only helps me while I heal from all of that? We have a lot of friends who got married and then moved in with their parents so they could save money and make the healthiest decisions for their future and it makes sense. I’m excited that we came to this decision and are following through. It’s 100% the right choice for us.
I’m going to miss Long Beach though. I’m going to miss it a lot. I loved living here, I loved our community and our adventures we made. I think we made the most out of this apartment and our incredible neighborhood. I think having Boone grow up here was such a cool thing because there was so much for him to do and see and explore. He got to see peacocks walking around on our daily walks. (Such a weird thing that happens in this neighborhood, but very cool) He got to make friends with the neighborhood dogs and we got to know the people they belonged to. I’m really going to miss it here and I’m so so thankful that we made this decision and its where we lived for these last 2 years. So much happened here and we grew so much.
So thank you Long Beach. Thank you and I love you.
And maybe one day we’ll be back.
A Guide To Our Favorite Spots in Long Beach
PIZZA
Little Coyote- Pizza
- They have vegan pizza without weird cheese substitutes and ultimately all around incredible pizza (and merch!)
4th Horseman- Pizza
- Their pizzas are huge, they have a THAI vegan pizza, they sell some of our fav beer and the décor of the actual restaurant is an entire experience.
Michael’s- Pizza
- Very good Neapolitan pizza, and they have a marinara pizza which is my fav to dress up with veggies
ASIAN FOOD
Bangkok Thai Cuisine- Thai Food
- Pad Thai and the fried shrimp are amazing!
#9 To Go- Vietnamese Food
- The vermicelli bowls are my favs
123 Pho- Vietnamese Food
- We come here for the Bahn Mi’s and appetizers. Try them all
Sapporo Sushi- Sushi
- After trying a lot of sushi places, this became our favorite
Jounetsu- Ramen
- We didn’t find many ramen places nearby so the fact that this place was delicious was fantastic
Phnom Penh- Cambodian Food
- May be one of my favorite places ever. The noodle dishes are so flavorful and the BREADSTICK. Get the student noodles and all the breadsticks you can afford (which should be a lot because they’re only like a dollar)
Manaow- Thai Food
- We didn’t normally stray from Bangkok, but when we did, we went to Manaow. And it’s just overall really good
MEXICAN FOOD
Lola’s- Mexican Food
- Their green sauce is good on EVERYTHING
Panxa Cocina- Mexican Food
- Happy hour and brunch were our favorite times to go
Hole Mole- Mexican Fast Food
- In a pinch, we’d just order a ton of tacos and burritos from here and they were always so good.
Padre- Mexican Food
- Go here if you can eat there. The vibe is incredible, the décor and ambiance are so fun and visually stimulating it creates an entirely new experience when you are physically there. The pitcher of margaritas is a great option too. Oh, and go upstairs to the bar that looks out on the city. Such a cool place
SANDWICHES/ COFFEE SHOP
Honeybee’s- Sandwich Shop
- This place is on my walking route with Boone, their tuna sandwich is my favorite
AMERICAN FOOD
The Social List- American/Cuban Food
- One of the first places we tried and it’s always been good, their Cuban sandwich is so good!
Portuguese Bend Distillery- American Food & Distillery
- Their food was never the reason we went but it’s improved over the years. Their drinks are incredible! Get the Yasss Please, trust me
The Attic- Southern American Food
- We came here a lot when we first moved in and right when we got Boone. It has such a cute atmosphere, but for some reason Boone would lose his mind every single time we came so we had to stop. He just didn’t like the vibe. BUT they have a wonderful Caesar salad and French Toast Monte Cristlo Sandwich
Prime by Shenandoah- American Food
- This place is 0.5 miles from where we live. We would walk here all the time for lunch and dinner and it had the smallest little outdoor seating area. The hanging lights were so cute and made it such a fun place to eat. We only ever got the Fried Chicken Sandwich. Never anything else. Do with that what you will
Long Beach Fish Grill- Fish & Seafood
- I love the shrimp kabobs with teriyaki sauce and grilled zucchini from here. Worth it just for those. However, one time I ordered that on Postmates and I was given a Trout Salad. Haven’t been back since because that was traumatizing but I can still appreciate the greatness
Belmont Brewing- American Food & Beer
- I like the food here better than the drinks. The food is just overall good and solid.
Taste- American Food
- We came here a lot when we first moved. The menu changes all the time and we never had a bad experience. They had to shut down during the pandemic so I really hope they come back in full force
TIKI/ HAWAIIAN FOOD
Bamboo Club- Hawaiian Food & Tiki Drinks
- This place is an experience and you should go just for that alone. The food is good and the drinks are incredible.
BBQ
Beachwood Brewery- BBQ & Beer
- Their food is wonderful, the BBQ chicken salad and pulled pork sandwich are my favs
Corner 10th– BBQ
- This is what we get when we want a plate of meat. We get ribs and chicken and pulled pork and their sides are amazing. The baked beans and potato salad are so good
BARS/ BREWERIES
Elinor– They are women owned and they allow dogs inside
Iguana Kelley’s– A great dive bar that sometimes has live music
Good Bar– Great gin & tonics, has a cute photo booth, plays most basketball games
Pike– Has a cool sailor theme and was one of the first bars we ever went to in the area
Blind Donkey– Underground bar with skee-ball, darts, and pool
Joe Jost’s– If you are in LB, you have to go here. It’s cash only and a rite of passage
Shannon’s– We came here on one of our first dates years ago. It’s dive-y and has shoot the roots.
SteelCraft– There are places to get food and drinks and they have live music
Hangar– Very similar to SteelCraft with multiple different restaurants and bars to explore
Ten Mile– They have really good beer. We loved bringing Boone here
Ballast Point Brewery– An all-time favorite. We love sitting outside on the 2nd level and looking out at the water
DOG STUFF
BARK BARK!– Boone’s favorite place ever. They have daycare, grooming and a hotel. They are incredible
Recreation Dog Park– It’s huge and Boone LOVED to sprint from end to end
Rosie’s Dog Beach– We love it here. It’s only 1 mile away from our place so Boone and I would walk there. He wasn’t the biggest fan of the water at first but over time he learned to love it
Alex, you are one amazing girl! You are walking your journey so well! ❤️