My family and I recently moved—or rather, migrated—to a new home. The distance of this move (from the Hellman Area to Alamitos Beach) is hardly significant. What is different, however, is the urban experience; our new neighborhood is just blocks from downtown, providing us with the activity, amenities, and views the dramatic skyline has to offer. From the roof of our new duplex we have a unique perspective on the variety of high-rise buildings along Ocean Boulevard. From the northeast we can see the towers of Ocean Boulevard from the Pacific Condominiums to the World Trade Center, spread out evenly like a stack of playing cards about to be dealt. The night holds even more drama, as the brilliance of the skyline lights up the deep blue sky.
Despite oftentimes being known as a small-town “Iowa by the Sea,” Long Beach is in reality a major metropolitan city, complete with a substantial skyline. According to the 2007 Census, Long Beach is the 36th largest city in the country, between Fresno (35) and Sacramento (37). Being an older West Coast city with borders defined by other municipalities, Long Beach has maintained a significant population by growing “up” rather than “out.” If the large amount of the city dedicated to trade and transportation is taken into consideration (the port and airport make up 15% of the city’s land area), Long Beach’s density (23rd in the nation) is on par with such cosmopolitan cities like Washington D.C. (21) and Baltimore (27).
Long Beach’s history of building upward began nearly a century ago, with the development of the Cooper Arms and Villa Riviera buildings, and continued through mid-century additions like the Royal Palm Kenneth Wing’s additions to the Civic Center. Urban renewal in the 1980s brought the Arco Towers and the Renaissance Hotel, while the latest surge of residential construction brought the Aqua and West Ocean towers. These various eras of development have favored specific land uses, types of construction and aesthetic treatments; this has provided Long Beach with the unique skyline that will continue to evolve.
The downtown skyline is a convergence of towers from the north and the east that get taller and denser as they approach the city center. Panning across Ocean Boulevard from East West, there are sporadic intrusions into the sky from the Bluff Park and Alamitos Beach neighborhoods, including the Galaxy Tower and 1900 Ocean. From the north, along Atlantic and Pine Avenue, a series of senior living residential towers break the relatively horizontal fabric of central Long Beach going towards Ocean Boulevard.
As the rising skyline from the north and east merges downtown, a mass of buildings project toward the clouds. The tallest structures are consistently situated from east to west along Ocean Boulevard, including the World Trade Center near the 710 freeway, West Ocean at Cedar Avenue, Landmark Square at Pine Avenue, Shoreline Square at Long Beach Boulevard, and the International Tower at Shoreline Drive. Interspersed among these are another tier of structures, including hotels, residential towers and office buildings, providing a backdrop to the defining elements of the downtown skyline.
During the day, the windows of these large structures reflect sunlight, creating a pure exterior surface. At night, however, these towers light up the night sky, revealing a greater, more dynamic interior life. What had been unadulterated objects along the calm waters of the city come to life, as if the buildings had been slumbering during the day. Even those buildings in near-hibernation during the evening, such as office towers and civic structures, show greater life as cleaning crews and late-night workers keep the lights on. As dusk falls into night, one can see these late-blooming lights of a renewed skyline.
The inset windows of the Harborplace Tower and Harbor View Apartments light up as residents come home; lights dance across the faces of the Westin and Hilton as visitors occupy their rooms only to change and sleep. On occasion, you can see the flickers of televisions in these buildings as their occupants settle in for the night.
The base of downtown’s skyline is set in a warm glow of street lights. Pitch black, the forms of two and three story buildings combine with outcropping of trees to create a chaotic, yet solid foundation that contrasts the orthogonal and slender objects of the taller built environment.
Distinct features create landmarks in the night’s sky. California National Bank, Wells Fargo, and other banks are well-represented in the evening as their names grace the top of some of these towers. Large neon red and blue text stands atop the ten-story Farmers & Merchants Bank building. All while the large yet subtle white “L” on the east side of the Lafayette building terminates the western view of 2nd Street.
The cupolas of the Breaker and Villa Riviera buildings add a stately air of history to the scene. Perhaps some day in the future, when the Ocean Center building at Pine and Ocean is restored, its original cupola (removed after the 1933 earthquake) can rejoin the skyline. Even without the completion of its restoration, the Villa Riviera already has a significant visual impact on the downtown tapestry with the glowing green crown of the oxidized copper roof.
I stand on my rooftop surrounded by this history and the present spectacle of the skyline. For a moment, I am not thinking about urban planning, urban density, or even Long Beach. I see the night sky of the city. I see possibility. I see beauty.
