STORY & PHOTOS BY DELANEY TRAN
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ocally owned shops that are individual in both their character and their existence line many of Long Beach's streets. It is no surprise that many of these mom-and-pop businesses have lasted over 20 years and continue to thrive in a city that cherishes and celebrates the unique. Here are four of our favorites. All were closed at press time due to stay-at-home orders but continued to maintain online stores.
420 E. Fourth St., Long Beach fingerprintsmusic.com It was July 1992. Long Beach dweller Rand Foster felt the city lacked record stores, so he decided to open one himself. Belmont Shore thrived with local businesses, and there, Fingerprints Music was born. The name was derived from the concept of fingerprints: a little residue that doesn’t damage a product, yet also signifies a previously touched item. A friend of Foster's who dabbled in graphic design came up with the name and created the store's logo. After 18 years, Belmont Shore was transforming into a strip of chain stores, and the
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rising rent was taking out local-based businesses. Foster decided to move locations, to Fourth Street. Throughout its years, Fingerprints has offered more than just music; it also sells DVDs, books, art and apparel. The shop has also hosted well-known artists such as Cage the Elephant and Foo Fighters, indie bands like Prophets of Rage, art shows, book readings and movie nights. “[Fingerprints] is kind of a hub that is more than a CD shop,” Foster says, “and it is the heart of what is reflected in the city.”
