Parks, Recreation and Marine

Peninsula 

The Long Beach Peninsula separates Alamitos Bay from the Pacific Ocean. There are beaches on both sides of this long, narrow peninsula. The sandy beach that faces north toward the bay is called Peninsula Bayside Beach and the one facing the ocean is known as Peninsula Beach. 

Bayside Beach is broken up into a couple segments – one from 55th to 61st and one from 63rd to 69th Place, separated by a small private marina. A long pedestrian walkway called the Bayside Walk runs nearly this full length. This walk can be combined with Seaside Walk Boardwalk to make a nice walking loop. The Seaside Walk Boardwalk, which was built in the 1920’s, is considered by residents to be a historical treasure.

The Peninsula neighborhood boasts a rich history as a destination for relaxation. The first summer beach homes, mostly for residents of nearby Los Angeles and Pasadena, were built in 1902-04.  They were able to reach the Peninsula and their seaside retreats by means of the “Red Cars,” an electric train that ran from Los Angeles to Newport Beach.  The train ran down Ocean Boulevard and then across a trestle connecting the Peninsula to Seal Beach. 

According to the Peninsula Beach Preservation Group’s website,

“In the late 1920’s, Upton Sinclair, the social activist and Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Jungle, used one of the Peninsula’s summer homes as a writing refuge. Two kindred spirits, physicist Albert Einstein and actor Charlie Chaplin, are reported to have visited Sinclair during his stay on the Peninsula.”

The beach on the ocean side of the Peninsula requires regular maintenance, as the natural movement of the ocean carries the beach sand from southeast to northwest; 

These quiet, out-of-the-way beaches are perfect for a relaxing day soaking up the sun while you read a good book or watch the boats entering and exiting the channel. If you keep your eyes on the water, you may even see dolphins or sea lions at play.