Long Beach Shopping and Districts

(Long Beach, California - CA, USA)

Where you choose to spend your time shopping in Long Beach is often determined by where you are based and how far you are willing to travel. Those staying close to the waterfront of the Rainbow Harbor won't have far to venture to make the most of the shops and eateries located within the Shoreline Village and the Pike areas.

Some very interesting and appealing shops reside within the Shoreline Village itself, being good places to look for that illusive souvenir of your time in California. The Pirate's Cove store is full of gift ideas, as is the Purple House, Raindance and the Beach House. Company SAGA and Latin Waves are packed with women's clothing, while Glovic Jewelry operates as an outdoor kiosk and also sells sunglasses.

Based along Aquarium Way, the Pike at Rainbow Harbor is a particularly popular spot for shopping, with its Cinemark movie complex accompanying stores such as the Badfish Clothing Company, Piccolo Books and the Pike Mini Market. More than a dozen restaurants and eateries are also sited here, should you need to stop for a while and enjoy a light lunch or simply a coffee.


Shoppers may like to head aboard the Queen Mary ocean liner for a memorable stroll along its shopping promenade, or simply make use of the traffic-free district of Belmont Shore, where many national brands and independent stores trade their wares along East 2nd Street, along with numerous restaurants.

Where to Shop

The City Place Shopping Center started its life in the 1970s as the fully enclosed Long Beach Plaza, an indoor mall that unfortunately closed in 1991 due to a decline in footfall. Redevelopment at the turn of the New Millennium has resulted in a lengthy strip mall arrangement of just under 50 stores along East 4th Street, which is far better integrated with downtown Long Beach and no longer feels isolated. Those with heavy bags will be able to make use of the free trolley bus, which cruises around the downtown district and past the principal hotels, such as the Hilton, Hyatt and Renaissance hotels.

On the eastern side of Long Beach is the Los Altos neighborhood, where the Los Altos Shopping Center (Market Center) is quite the draw card and to be found on the corner of East Spring Street and the North Bellflower Boulevard. Amongst the most notable stores located here are Kmart, Sears and Target.

The Long Beach East Village Arts District is known for its profusion of galleries and many hold monthly exhibition openings. There is also a noteworthy arts and entertainment vibe along East 4th Street, where the Art Theater regularly screens movies and dates back to 1924, being easy to spot due to its stylish Art Deco architecture.