Overview
For the past three years Long Beach citizens have seen distinctive purple and teal banners in parks with the slogan "Best in the Nation." The slogan celebrates the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine's receipt of the Gold Medal Award from the National Parks and Recreation Society to recognize the Department's outstanding management practices and programs. This simple, yet dynamic statement is a way of letting all City residents and visitors know that one of the best things about their community is the parks, open space, sports and aquatics facilities, beaches, recreation programs and services provided by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine.
Facilities
The Department earned the Gold Medal Award by developing facilities and programs that reflect the needs and interests of a diverse community. With input and direction from the City Manager, Long Beach City Council, citizen advisory commissions, and of course, the citizens themselves, Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine operates 152 parks with 25 community centers, two major tennis centers, one of the busiest municipal golf systems in the country with five courses, the largest municipally operated marina system in the nation with 3,800 boat slips and 6 miles of beaches. More than 3,066 acres within the City's 50 square miles are developed for recreation.
The 815-acre El Dorado Regional Park with fishing lakes, picnic shelters, bike trails, youth group camping area, playgrounds, glider flying area, train ride and pedal boat rentals is a popular site for public and private special events. The park's safety is ensured by Park Rangers. The park's El Dorado Nature Center has lakes, streams and meadows, and a museum and bookstore. Tours, classes and special events with an environmental education focus are offered.
The 8.5-acre DeForest Nature Preserve in north Long Beach and a new mitigation site in the downtown golden Shore area are examples of areas that the Department has set aside as natural areas.
The Department oversees many unique facilities. The Long Beach Museum of Art is owned by the City of Long Beach and operated by the non-profit Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation. The Department monitors this agreement. Olympic history was made at Marine Stadium (Rowing -1932 games); Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool (Diving trials -1968 games); and the Olympic Archery range in El Dorado Regional Park (Archery -1984 games).
Rancho Los Alamitos or Rancho Los Cerritos historic sites preserve the early history of Long Beach. Tours, educational programs and special events offered.
The hotels, restaurants, retail stores and offices south of Ocean Blvd. are operated on city land. The Department oversees and leases and contracts in these areas which includes the new Queensway Bay in downtown Long Beach.
Community gardens, the Municipal Cemetery, a 3.1 mile beach bike path and 35 miles of the Los Angeles Country bike trail network, the Recreation Park Dog Park, and lawn bowling green and casting pond are unique historic, open space and recreational facilities.
The new 13-acre Cesar E. Chavez Park serves all residents, particularly those in west Long Beach with a 9,000 square foot community center, playgrounds, picnic areas, walking and jogging trails, soccer field, two half court basketball courts, and restrooms.
The Department strives to obtain open space to serve the needs of a growing population. The East Village Art Park on Elm St. and "Miracle on 4th St" at 4th & Walnut are examples of small neighborhood park development that occurred with the involvement of other public and private entities. In cooperation with the Long Beach Unified School District where efforts are underway to "green" school playgrounds, the Conservation Corps of Long Beach, the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Long Beach Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and many private corporations, greater use and access to local recreational facilities can be developed.
Youth Programs
The Department offers recreation programs for all ages from the newborns in "Baby Dance" classes to senior citizens competing in the annual Southland Senior Olympics. More than 600 recreational and educational classes are offered every quarter.
Youth programs include supervised park and playground sites. Recreation Leaders conduct games, sports, crafts and other fun activities for youth during after school and weekend hours. Mobile Recreation vans serve neighborhoods that are not located near parks.
Youth sports for ages 5 to 18 are offered every quarter including free basketball, indoor soccer, softball, volleyball, and flag football. The Bayshore Roller hockey and in-line skating courts offer leagues, clinics and tournaments for youth and adults.
Youth day camps are offered during school vacation periods and feature sports, crafts, excursions, aquatics, nature activities and much more.
Teen Programs
Teen Centers are open in parks near five City High Schools. Game room fun, excursions, homework help, dances, computers, and career development activities are offered.
Sports and Aquatics
Adult sports leagues involve hundreds of teams in mens, womens and coed football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and roller hockey. A proposed Adult Sports Complex located near Orange Avenue, and Willow and Spring Streets will provide room for adult sports leagues and free up park space for youth to play close to home.
Golf and tennis enthusiasts enjoy play on five public golf courses, and 69 tennis centers and courts located throughout the City. The Department oversees one of the world's busiest municipal golf system.
The El Dorado and Houghton Park Skate Parks serve skateboarders and rollerbladers.
Belmont Plaza Pool, Silverado Park Pool, King Park Pool, and Millikan High School Pools in the summer, offer swim lessons. The Leeway Sailing and Aquatics Center offers classes in all types of water craft operation. School break aquatics camps for youth and teens are offered. The Department has four launch ramps for boaters to access the ocean.
Senior Citizen Programs
We have one of the country's largest populations of adults over age 50. Social services and recreation programs for seniors are offered at Long Beach Senior Center, California Recreation Center, and El Dorado, Silverado and Bixby Parks.
Cultural Arts
The various cultures within the City of Long Beach are expressed and experienced in many ways through the Department's cultural arts programs. Many areas throughout the City have been beautified with murals that reflect the people of surrounding neighborhoods.
Homeland Cultural Center in MacArthur Park supports the visual arts, poetry, writing and theater that are inherent in various cultures. The Homeland Center was the winner of the 2008 National Parks and Recreation Society Dorothy R. Mullen Arts and Humanities Award, the highest cultural arts award in the parks and recreation field.
The Long Beach Municipal Band will celewbrate its 100th anniversary in 2009. Cinco de Mayo and Juneteenth Celebrations, the International Sea Festival, Beach Cleanup Days, are special events that bring the community together.
Strategic Plan Executive Summary
Open Space Plan
The Department is working to add 1,000 new acres of recreational open space to create a ratio of park space for citizens at 8 acres per thousand citizens. Thirty-One acres have been developed since 2002, creating 14 new parks in west Long Beach and in 12 neighborhoods that previously had no parks. Ten additional park projects of more than 150 acres are in acquisition or construction; and 800 more acres have been identified for possible acquisition.
