With the nearest beach being only 3.1 miles away, visitors can enjoy views of Downtown Long Beach’s skyscrapers from Hilltop Park.
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For me, the most enticing aspect of Long Beach has always been the close-knit, diverse and accepting community. Local advocacy groups spend every weekend cleaning the beach while loved ones work together in their family-owned bakery providing fresh goods to customers. That strong sense of com munity is the essence of Long Beach to me and one of the main reasons I enrolled at CSULB three years ago.
In this edition of the Daily Forty-Niner, CSULB students voted on their favorite places in Long Beach within a variety of categories, including the best place to gatekeep, the best place for a caffeine fix and the best place to forget your ex. Students eagerly expressed their love for local businesses, with many winning in a landslide.
All of the locations highlighted in this issue are highly deserving of recognition and praise, but there are many other places in and around Long Beach you should also explore. I highly encourage you all to spend time getting to know the city and the many hidden gems it holds.
Personally, my favorite location near Long Beach is the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Located in the nearby city of Huntington Beach, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve offers visitors a breath taking view of local wildlife. This is a free experience and offers students a much-needed respite from their daily lives.
A few of my other go-to spots in Long Beach are Songbird, Com modity coffee and Foliage LB, all of which are locally owned busi nesses that provide high-quality products for their customers in an inclusive, welcoming environment.
This edition of the Daily Forty-Niner details the 20 winning lo cations in Long Beach students voted on, along with the runners-up for each category. So, the next time you’re in need of a local plant shop or tattoo parlor, look no further!
Congratulations to each business and thank you for continuing to provide a safe haven for CSULB students. We appreciate you and your dedication to serving this community!
Here at the 49er we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place”. We are on the land of the Tongva/Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/ Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.
We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG – VAH) and Acjachamen/Juaneño (pronounced: AH-HACH-AH-MEN/JUAN-EN-YO) as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash (pronounced: CHOO-MOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in the issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinons of the Daily FortyNiner are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily Forty-Niner.
Voted by Long Beach State stu dents as the “Best Place to Blow Your Whole Paycheck,” the award-winning steakhouse prides themselves on cooking customers’ steaks to perfec tion.
The restaurant has an assortment of different options, such as hand-cut filet mignon, prime sirloins and rib eye, New York strip steak and rack of lamb.
Featuring USDA Prime Steaks, 555 East dry ages their own beef for 30 to 90 days and butchers it inhouse daily. Daily cuts of steaks are available for purchase by the ounce.
Besides steak, 555 East offers a va riety of other choices on their menu as well, serving drinks, appetizers, soups & salads, pasta, chicken, seafood, side dishes and dessert.
555 East is on the more expen sive side, averaging about $55 for a 12-ounce steak and up to $23 for an appetizer.
Despite the prices, its tradition al steakhouse atmosphere combined with its premier wine list provides an experience like no other for custom ers looking to treat themselves to a night out.
Abel Mercado, an employee at 555, shared how something that re ally makes the restaurant stand out amongst others is its management and customer service.
“I’ve worked at several other restaurants and the management wasn’t good, but here they always treat us with respect and check in to see how we’re doing,” Mercado said.
Morgan Palmer, a returning cus tomer at 555 East, shared how she is satisfied with the service at the restau rant every time she comes in.
“555 Steakhouse has never failed to impress me,” Palmer said. “Our server here is always great, the food is high-quality, and the restaurant of fers a really nice ambience that you can’t get at many other places in Long Beach.”
According to Mercado, at 555 East, customers are the top priority. They even have a wall towards the front of the restaurant to prove it.
“On this wall we have little plaques hung up to commemorate our regu lars and show appreciation for their loyalty to our restaurant,” Mercado said. “We even have some wines on display for them.”
The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, private rooms and side bar seating. Reservations are highly recommended.
Hours
Monday - Friday
11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
By Nicholas Broadhead Sports Assistant
Opening in Belmont Shore in 2021, Colossus bakery has been known for making all their baked goods fresh each day by those who take pride in their work.
Voted as the “Best Place to Meet a Match from a Dating App” by CSULB students, Colossus bakery offers a comfortable and welcoming environ ment for all customers.
With its focus on fresh goods, it is no surprise that it has seen the success that Colossus has; from a shared kitch en to now having two locations in the South Bay.
Kristin Rodriguez, owner of Colos sus and Long Beach State graduate, started the company in 2018 from the
shared kitchen in Costa Mesa, making all of her goods from scratch. Her suc cess led her to buying a location in San Pedro in August of 2019.
However, six months later, she would face the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her determination, the team would be able to make it through that difficult time.
“Before that, we were just always pivoting, like we were hopping from the kitchen to the farmers market and having to kind of shuffle around,” Ro driguez said. “We were very lucky in a way because we are mostly a to-go, takeout food, business, our space in San Pedro was really small.”
Even during the midst of the pan demic, Rodriguez found a vacant restaurant location on 2nd Street in Long Beach and turned it into an overthe-counter location with more mod ern equipment.
“We actually turned a lot of the seating area into just like bread shap ing and production space, so we ex tended the production space a little bit past the kitchen,” Rodriguez said.
Juliette Knight has worked as a barista for multiple years before get ting hired at Colossus, but sees the care that her job has for all employees in making sure they are successful.
“They actually went ahead and gave me two full coffee training days with the owner’s husband who does the cof fee roasting, so he really knows what he’s doing,” Knight said.
Higher hourly wages have recent ly been implemented by the company after switching to a no tipping policy. To Knight, it means no longer having to rely on tips to make a living.
The baking process has also seen change, as Rodriguez first had to make croissants and other kinds of baked
goods completely by hand. Now in Long Beach, the location has ovens, better refrigerators and tools to make the baking process more efficient.
“We make everything at our Long Beach store. In the front, you can see everything being made and then we send everything freshly baked in the morning to San Pedro,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez has many different am bitions she could look into, such as having a warehouse or working in a dif ferent entity that has to do with wine.
“Those are kind of like, if the right opportunity came around and we were able to do something slightly different, I would be interested because I’m the kind of person who always has a mil lion ideas and it’s kind of everywhere, all at once,” Rodriguez said.
The Breakfast Bar is Long Beach’s very own breakfast spot where people have gone to get their brunch on for the past eight years.
From the extravagant bartop, one-of-a-kind crafted drinks and the delicious dishes inspired from fam ily recipes, this mom-and-pop store inspired restaurant has been a local favorite for many.
Owners Josh and Pamela Beadel are Long Beach locals who have been in the restaurant business for many years. This eventually inspired them to create their own business where people can come together to experi ence the joys of homemade breakfast meals along with signature alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
“Our dream has always been to create a restaurant where we could share our family recipes with the community we love. For us, it’s all about family,” the Beadels said on The Breakfast Bar’s official website.
Brent Phillips, general manager of the location on 4th St., describes The Breakfast Bar as the perfect place to day-drink and enjoy a comfort meal.
“This location is a neighborhood restaurant and we’re taking away from the nighttime business because the people who work at nights get off in the morning and want somewhere to go, so they come here to day-drink and enjoy homemade recipes,” Phil lips said.
The menu is full of homemade recipes passed down from genera tions in the Beadel family. Uncle Mar cee’s Omelet Casserole is one of these
special recipes. According to Pamela Beadel, this brunch favorite has been passed down for three generations in her family.
From her Great Uncle Marcee to her mother, now she has the honor of sharing this dish with the pub lic at a price of $15.50. With a price point ranging from $12 to $20 for most dishes and around $8 to $18 for an alcoholic beverage, their pric es could be higher than some other breakfast spots. However, the finely crafted drinks, homemade meals and eye-catching interior appear to be worth the price for many.
Even though student discounts are not implemented yet, they offer uniform discounts for firefighters, po licemen and even people who come in Dodger gear.
“It’s because they’re huge Dodger fans,” Phillips said. “Having student discounts would not be a bad idea though since we are close.”
At the location on 4th St., this acts as a perfect getaway for students to escape before, in between, or after classes to get a nice meal or a drink for those who are over age 21.
The Breakfast Bar also has mer chandise available for customers to purchase. They have in-store mer chandise such as jams, granola, hot sauce, t-shirts and hats. With one of their slogans, “day-drinker” slapped across their current clothing merch, they are proud to be a go-to place for the early birds who enjoy going out on the town during the morning.
With comfort meals passed down through generations accompanied by specialty drinks and a welcoming at mosphere, The Breakfast Bar creates a well-rounded dining experience for those who love brunch.
By Kamryn Bouyett Staff WriterCoffeeDrunk is a chill coffee shop on the corner of Ohio and 4th typed in one of the most popular fonts, Helvetica.
Not only does the interior of the shop match the aesthetics of a pop ular Pinterest board, their coffee fits the vibe of its customers and em ployees.
“We have a really good com munity around Fourth street,” Cof feeDrunk barista Becca Parsons said. “I guess thats what makes it so special.”
Parsons has been working at Cof feeDrunk for a year and a half. She said she likes drinking matcha but enjoys making the Instigator be cause its shaken.
“Its an iced maple brown sugar shaken latte,” said Shannon Mccann another employee of CoffeeDrunk and apart of the cafe’s marketing team. “Its the best, It’s like the most popular.”
Their menu has all the clas sic coffee drinks like lattes and an Americano but they also have other interesting drinks.
The Phat Americano is described
on their website as an over ice drink of Mexicoke with an espresso float.
Aside from espresso, they sell breakfast items daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On the menu, they have two variations of toasted english muffin sandwiches with an egg, cheddar cheese omelet, bacon and housemade sauce. One is called the “Ear ly Riser” and the other is the “Side Chick”.
Prices for drinks, and food range from $4 to $10, with only two sizes being 12 and 16 ounces for both cold and hot drinks.
Students Angelica Palad and Ce line Quianco came to CoffeeDrunk to do some homework.
“It’s a good place for a study spot because of the aesthetics and the vibes,” Palad said.
She bought the “Bees in the Trap” which is a tonic drink with espresso, mint and some honey. She said it was interesting, but refreshing.
Quianco opted for their special drinks for the fall season.
“I got the Spice and Everything Nice,” Quianco said. “It has carda mon and has a nice spice.”
CoffeeDrunk has 140 reviews on yelp. One review posted in October said the drinks “will have me driving all the way from Pasadena to get it.”
Enclosed within the Museum of Latin American Art’s walls is a bright yet intimate experience.
Visitors of the museum can peruse the work of Latin artists and the Latin American stories gracing the room in the form of drawings, paintings, sculp tures and other installations.
Voted by Long Beach State students as the “Best place to get Cultured,” the Museum of Latin American Art is the only museum in the United States fully dedicated to modern and contempo rary Latin American art.
“We had a student just recently that walked into our abstract art gallery, looked on the wall, and said ‘These works, they’re from Honduras,’ and that was the first time this student had seen a work of her own culture,” Alison
Heney, Vice President of Learning & Public programs at MOLAA, said.
The museum provides an excellent chance for students to indulge in Latin art displays, learn more about the cul ture, take Instagramable pictures and get inspired.
One of the current exhibitions is “Rethinking Essential” by Narsiso Martinez, a CSULB alumni whose work is inspired by his own experience as a farm worker. On discarded produce boxes are painted portraits of farm laborers, sparking impactful conver sations on what individuals are truly considered “essential workers.”
Besides exhibitions, MOLAA pres ident and CEO Lourdes Ramos high lighted the educational, cultural and social programs the museum offers to the Long Beach community.
For one, the museum’s recent Día De Los Muertos Festival helped resi dents celebrate the lives of their lost loved ones at the outdoor garden area
By Ashley Wilkes Social Media Assistantyour own dried floral centerpieces. This winter, they will begin to offer classes for children as well.
From hand-stitched quilts, hand made soaps to butt-shaped candles, The Hangout on Fourth Street offers a wide selection of eclectic, special and handmade goods with a story.
Voted as the “Best Place to Gate keep” by students at Long Beach State, The Hangout is well integrated into the community as a home to local small businesses and a supporter of independent suppliers.
“We really have a powerful vil lage,” said owner Melissa Carpenter, who oversees the staffing and mainte nance of the store.
Once a designer for big brands such as Abercrombie, Hollister and Eddie Bauer, Carpenter left the indus try in 2018 and opened her first store in Long Beach, The Family Store. While running it, she realized her pas sion for working with the community.
“I just really started to get in grained into the community. We started hosting events and workshops over at that location,” Carpenter said. “I really wanted to be in a bigger busi ness community that was connected and was tied in with the city.”
At The Hangout, she has contin ued to curate a community-oriented environment by hosting two to three workshops and events a week led by different community artists. Upcom ing events include a watercolor paint ing class and a workshop on creating
According to Carpenter, the great est appeal of The Hangout is its sense of originality as most of the products are one-of-a-kind, either vintage or handmade. Lively vendors and the knowledge that products are ethical ly sourced, make stepping into The Hangout a more personal and mean ingful shopping experience.
“It makes me happy to be able to offer that for a minute, where people come in and they’re not stuck on their phones,” Carpenter said. “Seeing that interaction when they’re discovering something…those are the moments I love.”
The Hangout also attracts a lot of small business owners that are look ing for support in their endeavors.
Stephanie Spirovski is one of two sales associates that have come in and launched their own brands while working at The Hangout. She has studied medicinal plants and their uses. She sells organically made apothecary products such as body butters and custom tea blends.
“It’s been a place of growth to start my own business, which is really unique,” said Spirovski.
Carpenter is planning to open a second location in San Luis Obispo in May 2023.
“I’m so thrilled and excited for not only The Hangout to be expanding but also the people I work with inside here to be growing and expanding too,” Carpenter said.
of the museum.
The community celebrated Mex ican pride and traditions through a Q&A with “Book of Life” film director and animator Jorge Gutierrez, Folklor ico dancers, food and art vendors, mu sic performances and more.
“We bring members who normally don’t have access to museums and arts into the program and they co-design a lot of our art workshops with their re sources, which is incredible,” Heney said.
MOLAA conducts programs with partners such as the Long Beach Immi grant Rights Coalition to help diversify the stories and educational workshops surrounding the art and history of South America, Mexico and Afro-Lat inx communities, as well as cross-cul tural identities like the Philippines’ Spanish heritage.
MOLAA has also recently been awarded a $2.5 million operations grant from the Perenchio Foundation,
which will sustain and improve many of the museum’s programs and events, Ramos said.
For students who want more handson experience working at a museum, volunteering and internship opportu nities are also available at MOLAA not only regarding art history, but also in areas of development, marketing, edu cation and more.
“We love having curators, but there’s also so much more that goes into a museum and how it functions that applies some real-world skills that can carry across disciplines,” Heney said.
With the walls’ bright colors reflect ed in the smiles of the staff and artists, MOLAA proves itself to be the perfect place to be inspired by Latin culture, art and history.
To visit, general admission is $15 and $10 for seniors and students with valid IDs.
“The training process is amazing, they really set you up for success with the environment and the people you meet. They explain the whole pro cess,” she said.
If you’re ever looking for a good spot to lounge then look no further than Ballast Point Brewing in Long Beach.
On weekends, one can find cook Keremy New preparing their new menu of fire-grilled and marinated barbecue chicken with Spanish rice and refried beans on the patio of Bal last Point Brewing.
New enjoys interacting directly with guests and this new weekend position on the patio grill provides an excellent opportunity for getting to know Long Beach locals.
Ballast Point Brewing in Long Beach, voted by Long Beach State students as the “Best Place to Get Classy Lit,” has established itself as a rich and vibrant establishment.
Patrons can enjoy various beers and drinks paired with a well-crafted menu of entrees and shareable appe tizers.
Assistant manager Kimberly Nguyen shared some of her experi ence working as part of Ballast Point Brewing’s management team.
Nguyen explained that after re turning from the break of COVID-19, Ballast Point’s mission is to recon nect with the community and inter act directly with customers beyond the restaurant.
“We did a beach cleanup at Ju nipero Beach, most of our staff went over to the cleanup. A lot of people came voluntarily as well and the Ana heim brewery came along [too],” said Nguyen.
Many of the bartenders and staff at Ballast Point Brewing were friend ly, going as far as to check on patrons relaxing away from tables and dining areas.
It is evident that the relaxing locale creates a welcoming atmo sphere towards guests and patrons that come from far and across Long Beach, especially without losing quality in service.
As bartender Kevin Dixon puts it, “come pull up to Ballast Point Long Beach for a better atmosphere and better vibes.”
Dealing with the end of a relation ship is an experience many wish would be swift and painless. While these two might not always be available, there are some ways to make it easier to deal with.
Located 10 minutes from campus at 5100 E. Second St., Panama Joe’s is a Mexican-style bar and restaurant that students at Long Beach State vot ed as the best place to deal with the emotional aftermath of a breakup.
“Well, it’s definitely a college crowd,” said Denise Carmona, an em ployee for Panama Joe’s. “Super fun during the summer.”
According to Carmona, everyone wants good music when they are re laxing after a long day. The music and ambiance are one of the biggest reasons that the restaurant is popular among the crowd of college students and average restaurant goers. Hosting a mix of popular music artists from the past twenty years and countless ongo ing sports available at any time, “laid-
back” fits Panama Joe’s exactly.
Aside from the music, food and drinks keep people coming to Panama Joe’s.
“Great drinks, good food, [it] al ways surprises people,” said Carmona. “But honestly, I used to be a regular years before I worked here, so I always liked it, and it was always fun too.”
The menu ranges from tacos made with handmade tortillas to enchiladas and burritos.
On the weekends, Panama Joe’s also offers a brunch menu from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that includes breakfast burri tos and pancakes.
Need a drink? Panama Joe’s offers a large selection of mixed drinks for al most any occasion with happy hour on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
And there’s no need to worry about blowing the paycheck in one sitting when it comes to Panama Joe’s.
Their prices are for the most part under $20, excluding a couple of food items—the chimichurri ribeye enchi ladas and “La Asada con Salsa”—and large drinks like the Electric Twisted Tea, Shark Bite and Shark Attack.
Panama Joe’s invites you to kick back away from your worriesPORTER AYDELOTTE | Daily Forty-Niner Panama Joe’s provides customers with delicious comfort foods and a re laxing environment.
Plant prices range from $5-$1000 depending on the size and how local the plants are to the area.
Plantiitas’ extensive selection of plants and aesthetic ambiance foster a welcoming environment for plant lovers in search of the ultimate plant oasis.
Voted the best plant shop in Long Beach amongst students, Plantiitas is a safe haven for LGBTQ+ and Latine folk as the decor of the shop reflect the identities of the owners.
Owners Kevin Alcatraz and An thony Diaz’s mission is to authen tically represent their Mexican heritage within the Long Beach com munity along with offering a space for queer folk to exist unapologeti cally.
“People want spaces where they come in and see themselves depict ed in a positive way. In a way that’s authentic, in a way that’s respectable, that’s mindful. And it’s really cool that we’re able to share that with our community,” Diaz said.
Since starting their business from their garage in October of 2020, Al catraz and Diaz have two Plantiitas locations established on retro row.
In the early days of Plantiitas, the couple had to source part of their plant selection from outside the state—even as distant as Flori da. Without an established history, they were frequently denied business from nearer plant suppliers.
Although the pandemic was con sidered a difficult time to grow a business, the success they accumu lated from their Facebook following helped them to move into their first location during the pandemic.
While reflecting on the evolution of their business, Alcatraz acknowl edged the success Plantiitas has brought them.
“We are very fortunate to have this platform. It’s more than the physical growth we have received. We have grown as people, as commu nity members and in our dynamic.”
The partners share their immense gratitude for their respective com munities is by hosting workshops that align with their shop’s mission.
Plantiitas hosted an inner child
altar and ritual workshop that wel comed adult community members to heal their childhood trauma on Sun day, Nov. 6.
Led by founder and facilitator Cynthia Perez, Rooted in Reflection is a mental health and wellness agen cy that organizes community events by creating safe spaces that focus on mental wellbeing through the lens of social justice.
As a first-generation Chicana, Pe rez acknowledges the importance of inclusivity within wellness spaces by including her culture within her ho listic approach.
As a licensed clinical social work er, Perez utilizes her experiences of being a Chicana to help others with in her community to heal from trau matic childhood experiences.
“What impacted me was having parents that didn’t feel in their pow er here [in the U.S.], so they couldn’t advocate for me. They couldn’t give me the time I needed, but it’s all be cause of social inequalities and op pression,” Perez said. “There’s this apparent disconnect so I’m really anchored in letting people know that that’s where it started.”
The nursery’s traditional Mexi can decor and environment was the perfect setting for her workshop as it provided a nostalgic space for Latine community members who wanted to feel at home.
Plantiitas will continue to host events throughout the month includ ing: Crochet Workshop #2, Queer Paint Night and 420 Meditation.
The list of events for the month of November is posted on the Plantiitas Instagram account. Registration and ticket purchases may be required to attend certain workshops.
The plant shop also offers the “Smarty Plants” discount to stu dents, teachers and anyone involved in the education system with a valid school identification at checkout for 15% off one’s purchase.
Whether or not customers identi fy with these communities, Plantiitas is a welcoming shop for people of all backgrounds who are looking to add new plants to their collection.
Plantiitas
$-$$$$ | 5 stars
2011 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90814
3.2 miles from campus
Student discount? Yes
Hours
Tuesday - Friday
12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday - Monday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more, visit plantiitas.com
California State University Long Beach Research Foundation
• University Library, Circulation Desk, 1st Floor
• Research Foundation Building, 6300 E. State University Drive, Suite 332, Long Beach, CA 90815 Reception Desk
• Cali fornia State University Long Beach Research Foundation website: FY 2021-2022 Audited Financial Statements https://www.csulb.edu/sites/default/files/2022/documents/ document_fnd_finstate_22.pdf FY 2021-2022 Uniform Guidance-Single Audit https://www.csulb.edu/sites/default/files/2022/documents/ document_fnd_uni_guidance_22.pdf
California State Univverrsiitty y Long Beach 49er Foundation
• University Library, Circulation Desk, 1st Floor
• Brotman Hall, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Room 387, Long Beach, CA 90840
• California State University Long Beach 49er Founda tion website: FY 2021-2022 Audited Financial Statements https://www.csulb.edu/49er-fou ndation/tran sparency
California State Univverssitty y Long Beach 49er Shops
• University Library, Circulation Desk, 1st Floor
• University Bookstore, 6049 E. Seventh St., Long Beach, CA 90840 (562) 985-7700
• Cali fornia State University L ong Beach 4 9er Shops website: FY 2021-2022 Audited Financial Statements https://www.csulb.edu/49er-shops-at-the-beach/corporate-in formation
California State University Long Beach As sociated Student, Inc
• University Library, Circulation Desk, 1st Floor
• California State University Long Beach Associated Students website: FY 2021-22 Financial Statements and Supplementary Information https:// www.asicsulb.org/corporate/resources/forms-policies
Document URL: https://www.asicsulb.org/corporate/ documents/2021_2022_Financial_Statements_and_Supplementary_Info rmation.pdf
Best Boba Break Loose Leaf Boba Company
Best Place to Blow Your Whole Paycheck Fingerprints
Best Place to Get Sh*tfaced Belmont Brew Co.
Best
Best Place for the Girls, Gays and Theys Out of the Closet
Best Place to Treat Yo’ Self King’s Crew
Best Place to Get Your Brunch on Starling Diner
Best Place to Get Classy Lit The Bungalow Kitchen
Best Place to Gatekeep Bar Tiki Tiki
Best Place for Plant Parenthood Pippi + Lola
Best Place to Drip for Less Tattered
Best Place to Meet Up With Your Bestie Pidgeon’s Roller Rink
Best Place to Get Inked Inky Dreams Tattoo
Best Place to Reach Your Higher-Self House of Intuition
Best Place to Go Green Seabirds Kitchen
Best
Best
Best
By Atashzii Austin Social Media Editor
Local LGBTQ+ staple Hamburger Mary’s, voted by Long Beach State students as the “Best Place for the Girls, Gays and Theys,” has been the go to spot for students with in the community looking for a fun and authentic restau rant experience.
Hamburger Mary’s is an outdoor bar and grille that offers a wide selection of delectable foods. The restaurant provides a variety of food options such as burgers, appetiz ers, soups, salads, entrées and a large drink menu includ ing craft beer and cocktails.
Many visit this lively restaurant for its colorful dining experience coupled with nightly entertainment, including MaryOke-Karaoke, trivia nights and charity “HamBingo Mary’s.” The burger joint also hosts “Dining with the Di vas” during their Saturday and Sunday brunches, and hosts drag shows Wednesday through Friday nights.
Hamburger Mary’s quickly became a fixture in the LGBTQ+ community after commencing as an eccentric late-night beer and burger business. Customers have a dif ferent experience each time because they offer a more ca sual dining experience during the day and early evening, while the atmosphere changes at night to resemble a night club.
“From the moment we arrived until we left, everyone we came in contact with was kind, friendly and accommo dating,” said Fernando Ramos, a frequent customer.
Customers now frequently link Hamburger Mary’s with warm service, a delectable meal and a spectacular eating environment.
By Sam Farfan Opinions Assistant
Hilltop Park is the destination for your next viewpoint location date, the vibrant sunset sky views at the top of the hill are worth the hype.
Located at the top of Skyline Drive in Signal Hill sits Hilltop Park, voted the most picture-worthy loca tion in Long Beach amongst Long Beach State students.
Not only does the park provide the perfect ambiance with stunning sunsets every evening, but its picnic tables, paved walkways, benches, grass areas, public restrooms and mounted binoculars provide the perfect park experience for all who visit.
Many locals bring friends, fam ily members and significant others for evening painting sessions, pic nic dinners, photo shoots and sun set-watching sessions for a peaceful end to the evening, including Jose Garcia.
“I come to Hilltop often because as a Signal Hill resident, I’m spoiled to have this viewpoint so close to me, and for me not to enjoy it as of ten as I can seems like a waste,” Gar cia said.
Although this viewpoint location is frequently visited by Long Beach locals, residents from neighboring cities in L.A. County travel the dis tance to Signal Hill just to enjoy this very park.
Former Long Beach local Eliza Tran reminisces on her weekly com mute to the park when she lived in the city.
“I would come to the park as of ten as a couple times a week back when I lived here. I live in Norwalk now so whenever I’m in the area, I try to stop by just to clear my head— it’s my own form of therapy,” Tran said.
The sculpture near the fenced area of the park is dedicated to the oil field workers of Signal Hill, showcasing the rich history behind the city’s main export.
Because the park’s parking lot consists of only several parking spaces, it is recommended to look into street parking during your next visit to Hilltop Park.
Next time you find yourself wanting to take the perfect Ins tagram photo in one of the most memorable locations in Long Beach, consider stopping by Hilltop Park in Signal Hill.
By Luis Castilla Staff WriterMan’s best friend is not always a dog, sometimes it’s a beer; Dogz Bar and Grill has both.
Dogz Bar and Grill is a fami ly-owned, dog-themed sports bar that offers a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails and a variety of food.
Drinks range $6 to $10 and cock tails are all $13. Food can range from $5 to $20 depending on the item.
The bar sits in the ever-buzzing Belmont Shore right next to Long Beach State’s satellite store, The Beach on 2nd St.
Dogz Bar and Grill was opened in 2011 by Rob Frontino and Norm Tur ley.
Frontino, born and raised in Long Beach, set out to create a bar that would embody the culture of Belmont Shore.
A dog-themed bar might not seem like the best place to have a drink, but Dogz is lively and welcoming. The staff is friendly, the drinks are plentiful and the food complements the buzz per fectly.
During the day, Dogz is full of local regulars. At night, Dogz becomes a bus tling haven for Long Beach’s bar-goers.
Most people might know about Dogz because of its infamous “Shoot the Dog” shot.
“Shoot the Dog” used to contain Everclear, mustard, Bloody Mary mix and a sausage soaked in Everclear, all of which was set on fire.
Because of California’s ban on high proof alcoholic beverages, Everclear can no longer be used in the “Shoot the
Smirnoff, Tapatio and a Vienna sau sage. The shot is no longer set on fire.
The incentive for shooting the dog is a free “I SHOT THE DOG” hat. Contrell said he’s taken the shot a few times.
“I tell people it tastes like a Bloody Mary with ketchup and mustard,” Con trell said.
Aside from the notorious shot, Dogz has 26 beers on tap, all kept at a frigid 29°F via its Blizzard Beer Sys tem, shaped like a massive dog house with a screen indicating the exact tem perature of the beer. They also have a rotating selection of craft beers and house cocktails.
The bar’s food menu offers gourmet hotdogs, sandwiches, hamburgers and a full breakfast menu.
Being a dog-themed restaurant, Dogz has food options for dogs as well as a dog-friendly outdoor space.
Glenn Fukushima was seated out side with his two dogs, Gidget and Coco.
Mariana and Memo Nanez said they have been coming to Dogz for four years.
Mariana Nanez is a CSULB alumna who graduated in 2005. Although she lives in Eagle Rock, she comes down to Long Beach to enjoy everything 2nd Street has to offer.
Memo Nanez said Dogz isn’t like other places where the food is too fancy and the portions are too small.
“It’s a no-nonsense type of place,” Memo Nanez said.
Nanez said she enjoys the sports bar because of its many TVs and good food.
“The carnitas were really good. The food tastes authentic,” Nanez said.
Whether being a local or visiting Long Beach for the first time, Shoreline Village is a special spot for community members of any generation and a great place to hang out with friends and fam ily throughout the day.
Shoreline Village, created in 1982, was voted by Long Beach State stu dents this year as the “Best Place to Meet Up with Your Besties.”
Part of its appeal is the scenic view. Residents can stroll along the walking and bike paths and admire the flow of the water as it reflects the sunset and glance at the Queen Mary ship from afar.
“This is my first time here and it’s very accessible,” said Anthony Gonza lez, a new resident of Long Beach. “I live a couple of blocks up and it was easy to get here, it’s beautiful.”
To ensure that visitors have a chance to experience the fresh air and explore Shoreline Village accessibly, guests can rent a bike at Wheel Fun Rentals.
With a large selection of single and tandem bikes, people can stop by to rent one as an individual or as a group.
Enrique Santillan, an employee at Wheel Fun Rental, believes that riders are able to better experience the beauty of Shoreline Village via bike.
Getting snacks and treats is imper ative at Shoreline Village. Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt on the Boardwalk is one of the popular stores at shoreline. Friends, families and couples head to
the dessert joint to try the special vari ety of ice cream and the 25 toppings to choose from.
“I love working here because of the people who come in and look at our items like our ice cream,” said Jessica Diaz, the manager of the shop.
The ice cream shop also owns The Funnel House, another sweet treat option at Shoreline Village, and Diaz shared that many people are fond of going to both.
Another hotspot at Shoreline Vil lage is the arcade, Pelican Pier Pavil ion. The game room includes over 70 video games, air hockey, skee-ball and a carousel. It is a nice spot to have com petitive fun with friends, go on a date or come with family.
Zahalea Anderson, Long Beach professor at the Urban School of Mar tial Arts, frequents the arcade with her children.
“I am enjoying family time with my cubs [her children] and whenever we get a moment, we try to smile,” An derson said. “We used to come here all the time when they were little and now they are teenagers [but are] still here.”
Anderson recalled a moment when she was growing up and the quality time she would spend with her family at Shoreline Village.
“My father would take my brother and I out and we would get those long poles that suck up the shrimp, he put us to work,” she said. “It’s a special spot because I grew up here.”
These are just a few of the many attractions that the Long Beach staple has to offer.
Started in 2020 by Andres Vega, the 562 Flea market was initially lo cated in Whittier and moved locations multiple times before settling in Long Beach in September. This year, 562 Flea was voted as the best place
The most recent event on Nov. 6 at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus featured over 150 vendors selling vintage clothes, collectibles, shoes and jewelry.
There were also food and drink vendors and raffles hosted by Vega for items like a Nintendo Switch and cash to spend at the flea.
“I want to grow and I want all my vendors to grow, and I think this is a good place for that,” Vega said.
Ensuring a path to growth has been part of the reason why vendors like Chelsey Lopez who sells handpicked pieces from the 1990s and 2000s have continued selling at 562 for more than a year.
“The community is super amazing which brings many of us to 562,” Lopez said. “You meet the coolest people who all support each other.”
Beginning as a way for Vega to get rid of extra clothes, the 562 Flea Mar ket has exploded in popularity and is nearing 72,000 Instagram followers.
“The first event went really well and we just kept going. Then the sec ond event we had new articles from Cal State Fullerton and other places,” Vega said. “I was always afraid of, like, if I stopped I was going to lose the mo mentum, so I just kept doing it.”
562 Flea hosts between two to three
events monthly and the occasional themed event where admission is free if attendees wear certain themed attire.
All of the events in Long Beach have been free to this point, although that hasn’t prevented them from still doing attire-based raffles.
Vega has taken a step back from selling clothes and is now focused on building its brand. The 562 Flea has their own booth where they sell brand ed hats, t-shirts and totes.
Vintage clothing isn’t always afford able but 562 Flea and its vendors do their best to offer fashion-savvy con sumers an opportunity to strike some deals, even if that means haggling.
One perk of the digital age is that many of the vendors at 562 Flea accept alternative forms of payment such as Venmo, PayPal and Apple Pay. Carry ing large amounts of cash is not nec
essary to hunt down some vintage ac quisitions.
Clothing vendors have three op tions for the size of their lot with a 10x10 space costing $100, a 10x20 at $145 and a 10x30 at $170.
The 562 Flea markets itself is a safe place and prioritizes finding sellers who identify as women, LGBTQ+, and POC. According to Vega, the market is “by POC for POC.”
“This is a progressive bunch of workers who created a fashion scene from the ground up since the begin ning of the pandemic,” frequent ven dor Reginald Samilin said.
Samilin, like Lopez, has continued to work with 562 because of the con nections he has built. Each event is an opportunity for the vintage seller to run into old customers and friends.
Voted as the “Best Place to Treat Yo’ Self” by Long Beach State students, the LBX Hangar offers a spot for students to grab a bite or spend time with friends.
Located between McGowen Street and Worsham Avenue, the Hangar food hall is a 17,000-square-foot structure that is home to a new retail clothing store and 14 small food vendors.
Taking inspiration from its proximity to the Long Beach Airport, the Hangar resembles an aviation hangar from the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing days of the 1960s-1970s.
A split-flap display list of food vendors on top of Portola Coffee Roasters greets whoever enters, hark ing back to a classic airport departure board.
The open ceiling, with pipes snaking around the area while light filters through the roof windows, gives the atmosphere one would find at an airport facility.
All these unique features bring authenticity to the Hangar.
There is also plenty of space inside the hall to eat and sit, as well as a patio with tables for those who prefer eating outside.
Upon visiting the Hangar, people are greeted with an extensive amount of food choices and at reason able prices.
Bite Mi for example, is an authentic Vietnamese food vendor that offers unique flavor combinations based on traditional banh mi restaurants.
The employees at Bite Mi spoke about their expe riences working at the Hangar.
“Working here, we are basically like a family,” Darlin Muy, who has worked at Bite Mi since Febru ary 2022, said.
Kyla Tang, a senior biology major at CSULB who started working at Bite Mi in February 2020, agrees. She said the best part of working at the Hangar was her coworkers.
By Ashley Wilkes Social Media Assistanttrust, ya know, and if you don’t have trust you never know what the hell you’re gonna end up with.”
The light blue walls at Port City Tat too are barely noticeable underneath hundreds of framed tattoo designs with intricate hand-drawn lines and details.
Port City Tattoo, started over 10 years ago by artist Thomas Moser, em ploys some of the greatest tattoo artists in Southern California.
There are around 12 different artists at Port City who each specialize in dif ferent styles from American traditional and Japanese traditional to fine line, portraits, Chicano and more.
“We have some artists that can do every style…they’re pretty versatile. There’s somebody here that can do any thing that walks through the door,” Pes queria said.
Cole Strem, of Huntington Beach, has been working at Port City as a tattoo artist for about 3 years. He started tat tooing in 2009 and has tattooed thou sands of people since.
“I really enjoy having people’s trust and being able to just kind of get down and do my artwork on people that like my stuff,” Strem said. “It’s all about
Like many of the artists at Port City, Cole spends his free time exploring oth er forms of art, from water and acrylic painting to screen printing. Some tattoo artists at Port City even do work inter nationally.
“Everyone’s a good time, a lot of laughs, one big family it seems like,” said Long Beach resident Tiffani Frease as she was getting tattooed by artist Cody Miller. It is her second tattoo at Port City in four days.
Voted by students at Long Beach State as the “Best Place to Get Inked,” Port City Tattoo welcomes visitors with a laid-back atmosphere that meets pro fessional artistry.
“You’re pretty much just hanging out with your friends and doing what you like to do, like everyone, we all like the tattoo culture,” said Port City man ager Taylor Pesqueria.
Port City started in Long Beach and now has locations in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa. They take walk-ins and are ready to help newcomers and returning tattooees decide on a tattoo that will stand the test of time and that they will love.
Plant Power is a fast food chain that provides affordable plantbased options for those looking to eat guilty pleasure food with out harming an animal in the process.
Plant Power has a total of 11 locations ranging from right down the block from Long Beach State to all the way in Las Ve gas. The Long Beach location has been open since the summer of 2018 and this year it was voted by CSULB students as the “Best Place to Go Green.”
“I love coming here when I want something that isn’t too ex pensive and I know is helping save the environment,” said An drew Navarro, a Long Beach Community College student. “I’m not really from around the area but this is one of my favorite chains so making the drive out from Norwalk isn’t too bad.”
The company is intentional about transparency when it comes to their ingredients and nutrition facts to show how true they are to its goal of “changing the world one burger at a time.”
“For us it’s [about] recognizing that dietary models based on animal agriculture are inherently flawed… We want to demon strate the viability of a delicious plant-based alternative in the fast food restaurant format,” said Irma Soria-Garcia, a shift lead er at the Long Beach location.
Plant Power is very purpose-based and takes steps to show case the plant-based alternatives they offer. Soria-Garcia said that they wanted to showcase these alternative options through foods that are familiar to people such as burgers, chicken sand wiches, shakes and even breakfast burritos.
She said the ingredients they use are high quality, meaning there is no high-fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors or colors.
The focus on sustainability doesn’t stop with their food. The tables in the restaurant are made from renewable bamboo, the chairs are made from recycled waste and reclaimed wood fiber and the takeout packaging is 100% compostable and made from plants as opposed to petroleum.
“I honestly enjoy coming here to have a burger alone because of the ambiance and friendly staff. There’s never a time that I’ve come and had a bad experience,” said Krystal Zaragoza, a local Long Beach resident. “The food is great and I love that even the sodas are healthier options as opposed to getting the usual coke or sprite.”
By Atazshii Austin Social Media EditorHiccups Tea House was established with the goal of becoming the ultimate one-stop-shop for all things flavor and this year, it was voted as the “Best Place for a Boba Break” by Long Beach State students.
By providing dishes and drinks representative of Asian culture, the franchise has created a one-of-akind dining experience for its customers. Whether you want boba, garlic noodles, or a crispy bahn mi, Hiccups is the way to go.
“The bahn mi here really surprised me because the bread didn’t crust off, instead it was crunchy and warm,” said Alex Coronel, a customer at Hiccups. “I haven’t had too much of the Vietnamese coffee yet, but for my first try here, it was good. It wasn’t too bitter, it was sweet and creamy and balanced.”
Customers like Coronel say that Hiccups “is pret ty chill and [the environment] is almost like a restau rant and cafe.”
Hiccups is just a short drive from Long Beach State. There are plenty of tables and booths around the shop for guests to relax in, and the restaurant plays a variety of different music overhead for cus tomers to listen to.
In fact, thanks to Hiccups welcoming environ ment, many students go there to study and hang out.
Tymbri Potter, a barista at Hiccups, has been in the food service industry since she was 16 years old, and has been working at Hiccups for a few months. Throughout her time at Hiccups, she has encoun tered a variety of different customers looking to uti lize the space and enjoy a nice meal and tea.
“If you come into Hiccups, it’s kind of set up like the fifth floor of the library,” said Potter. “I feel like it’s a very community based space, which makes it really nice for students to come in to throughout the week.”
GEORGIE
SMITH | DailyForty-Niner Yogalution on the Bluff takes place ev ery day at 11 a.m.
Yogalution on the Bluff, voted by Long State students as the “Best Place to Reach Your Higher Self,” offers Long Beach residents of all backgrounds an opportunity for physical and mental wellness via accessible yoga classes.
Yoga on the Bluff happens daily at 11 a.m. and is organized by Yoga lution Movement, a donation based yoga and wellness center located at 244 Redondo Ave., not far from where Yoga on the Bluff has be come a community staple.
The yoga class in the park is a free event open to beginners and whoever else would like to attend. From college students to elderly women who were chatting as they waited for the lesson to start, all ages are represented at Yogalution on the Bluff.
“I have been coming to Yoga on the Bluff for over a year now, they always do a great job and I look forward to it every time I come,” college student Katelyn Pierce said. “It’s so nice to be out here overlook ing the ocean and breathing the fresh ocean breeze. I also meet real ly nice people here that I probably wouldn’t otherwise.”
The center also offers retreats, workshops, monthly Satsang, monthly Gita Study, teacher train ings and more, along with classes taught Monday through Friday.
A few classes offered by the cen ter are intentional movement, press pause restorative yoga, soul power Vinyasa Yoga, Sol Flo and Sweet Morning Flow.
All classes offered on the bluff and in the studio are free and open to the community although there is a suggested donation of $15 per class as the instructors put their time, energy and soul into leading these groups.
Organizer Marlene Martin leads a class called “The Road to Self Love and Healing.” It is a four part series that ends on Nov. 30. She accepts Venmo donations and will be hold ing the class in the Lotus Educa tional Room at the Redondo center.
The class seeks to connect at tendees with deep inner wisdom that will help them heal and con nect with others on a deeper level. Space in the class is limited and will fill up soon.
“I love the Long Beach commu nity and I always say all are wel come in this space. We teach a full weekly schedule of more than 42 classes that you can choose from. We want to bring peace and joy to people’s lives, even if it’s only for an hour each day,” Martin said.
Yogalution on the Bluff provides the community with an opportu nity to reach their highest selves through self reflection and positive affirmation.
Hours Monday to Thursday
7 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. 4:30 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. Friday
7 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday
7 a.m. - 12 p.m. Sunday
7 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
For more, visit yogalutionmovement.com
5 stars
244 Redondo Ave, Long Beach, CA 90803
2.9 miles from campus
Student discount? No
By Emmanuel Barrera Staff WriterHandel’s Homemade Ice Cream in Long Beach keeps its original tradition of providing fresh homemade ice cream and strives to work with the community.
Handel’s offers a range of flavors for their customers to choose from, like “Mon key Business,” their most popular flavor made of banana cake batter with caramel ripples and brownie pieces.
“It’s made each and every day, fresh on site,” said Greg Flaherty, the Long Beach Handel’s owner.
Besides ice cream, Handel’s offers shakes, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches and soft drinks.
“We’re from a generation where we used to make ice cream at home when we were kids with an ice cream machine and this is very similar,” said Kristy Mamelly, a Handel’s customer, of the home-style ice cream they serve.
Handel’s is known for their season al flavors. The most popular time of the year are fall and winter when they serve their pumpkin flavor ice cream. Mamelly and her family always make sure to return during the holidays for their favorite.
“They don’t always have pistachio so we’re really happy when they’ve got [it],” Mamelly said.
Handel’s ice cream is a franchise that started in Youngstown, Ohio in 1945. Since its founding, Flaherty opened Long Beach Handel’s in the heart of the pandemic on
Aug. 26, 2020.
30 to 40 batches of fresh ice cream are made per day and stored in freezers over night to achieve the perfect texture.
Regional manager
explained that 90 batches can be stored for the next day but in the summer those numbers double.
Kawasaki has been a part of Handel’s Long Beach since the day it opened and has been in charge of hiring, training new employees and prepping the ice creams.
“It’s super fun. We hire good people, I would say it’s like coming to work with your friends,” said Kawasaki about the work environment.
Besides Handel’s keeping its original traditions of providing fresh, homemade and high-quality ice cream daily, the shop also partners with Long Beach, Lakewood and surrounding communities to support them in fundraisers.
“My goal is to relate to the community. Everything we do from a marketing and advertising standpoint is grassroots,” said Flaherty.
For the month of November, Handel’s has aligned with two local veteran groups: Irreverent Warriors and Local Contacts.
“We’re asking our customers [if] they would like to round to the nearest dollar to support these two veteran groups, in return I personally have matched the first $1,000,” Flaherty said.
Aside from fundraising, Handel’s pro vides ice cream cakes for children cele brating their birthdays during their stay at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital.
