Long Beach Area Information

The California State University is based in Long Beach, and CSUEU frequently has meetings there. We offer this information on the theory that there is no reason we all need to look up the same stuff, over and over again. This is not any sort of Officially Blessed Union Document. If you have suggestions for additions, or recommendations based on your own experience, please do email us. You may also find the union travel tips list helpful.

Weather and Getting Around

Long Beach is (surprise!) on the ocean, about 25 miles south of Los Angeles. Downtown Long Beach has good public transportation options (some of them free).

• Long Beach Weather - Current conditions and forecast
• Maps
  • Custom Google Map of Long Beach for CSUEU travelers - showing Chancellor's office and the Long Beach campus, hotels, and food options
  • Map of Long Beach from Yahoo
  • Los Angeles Area map from State of California - [PDF] printable map
  • California state map [PDF] - One of many printable California maps from the California State Parks department
  • Los Angeles Area maps from AAA [Enter 90001 for zip code] - AAA offers detailed printable maps online, including airport terminals and approach routes. You will be taken to a page which asks for your zip code. Enter 90001 for the zip code (or any southern California zip code) and you'll be bounced back to this map page.
• Airports - Most people fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  • Los Angeles International Airport (Airport code: LAX) - check airport maps, ground transportation, and more
  • Long Beach Airport (Airport code: LGB)
  • John Wayne Airport (Airport code: SNA) - in Orange County
• Super Shuttle - runs to and from airports, to destinations of your choice. You can make a reservation online.
• Amtrak - offers a couple of Long Beach locations for their Amtrak Thruway bus service.
• Long Beach Transit offers several several ways to get around, including the Passport shuttles and the AquaBus, both of which stop at the Coast Long Beach Hotel. The Renaissance Long Beach Hotel is right next to the downtown transfer point. The Passport A and D lines stop at the Long Beach campus.
• Metro - The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates the Metro light rail system, including the Blue Line which goes to downtown Long Beach. A handy printable PDF map of the Metro rail system shows the routes.
• MetroLink trains cover several Southern California counties, and connect to other transit systems. You can, for example, take MetroLink to Los Angeles's Union Station, then take Metro light rail to Long Beach (take the red or purple line and transfer to the blue line for Long Beach). The printable PDF map of MetroLink trains shows trains to Ventura County, Los Angeles County (including Lancaster and Palmdale), San Bernardino County, Orange County, Riverside County, and San Diego County.
• Traffic - If you're driving, you'll want to check the traffic reports.
  • CommuteSmart Traffic Information - color-coded map showing traffic speed and incidents
  • CHP Traffic Incident Information - CHP logs
• Transit systems in Los Angeles County

Hotels

There are a few hotels we stay in. Check with headquarters if you're not sure which one we're using on your trip.

• Hotel Maya (formerly the Coast Long Beach Hotel) - This is the hotel we stay in most frequently. Renovations are scheduled daily between 7:00am and 7:00pm. through June 30. On-site services are limited: The restaurant, room service, banquet facilities, fitness center and the pool will not be available until July 1st. It's part of Joie de Vivre Hotels and uses their Joy of Life Club reward card.
  • The nice red Passport C bus stops at this hotel, and is free to downtown stops. If you transfer to the Passport A or D downtown, you can go to the Chancellor's Office (next to the Catalina Landing) without paying a dime. A trip to CSULB is 90 cents.
  • This hotel allows dogs; call for details.
  • Driving there: if you take Queens Way from Ocean Boulevard or Shoreline Drive, the ramp you're looking for is right at the end of the Queensway bridge and very easy to miss.
  • If you overshoot and find yourself at the Queen Mary, turn around and come back. Then turn right onto Harbor Plaza at the park, which will take you to Queensway Drive and the hotel.
  • Located at 700 Queensway Drive, Long Beach, California 90802. Phone: (562) 435-7676
• Renaissance Long Beach Hotel - Located at 111 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California 90802. Phone: (562) 437-5900. We seem to be staying here often while the Maya Hotel (formerly the Coast Long Beach) does its renovations.
  • This hotel does allow does, but charges a non-refundable fee.
  • It's right next to the transfer point for the Passport buses.
• Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor – About 6 miles from the Chancellor's Office in Long Beach, sometimes used when Long Beach hotels are full. Located at 601 S Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. Phone: (310) 519-8200
• Doubletree Hotel in San Pedro - About 7 miles from the Chancellor's Office in Long Beach, sometimes used when Long Beach hotels are full. Located at 2800 Via Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro. Phone: (310) 514-3344

Food

• Long Beach Cafe - especially popular for breakfast, at 615 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Phone: (562) 436-6037
• Auld Dubliner Irish Pub - located at 71 S Pine Ave., Long Beach. Phone (562) 437-8300
• California Pizza Kitchen Located at 61 S. Pine Avenue, Sp. C-195, Long Beach. Phone: (562) 628-1800
• King's Fish House - at 100 W. Broadway Avenue, Long Beach. Phone: (562) 432-7463
• The Reef Restaurant - Expensive; walkable from the Coast Long Beach Hotel. Located at 880 S Harbor Scenic Dr, Long Beach.
• Restaurants on the Queen Mary - The Queen Mary is close to the Coast Long Beach Hotel, and the walk through the ship to get to the restaurant(s) is lovely.
• Rock Bottom Brewery - The Passport C bus stops right next to this when you take it downtown. Located at 1 Pine Avenue (corner of Ocean and Pine), Long Beach. Phone: (562) 308-2255

Visiting the Chancellor's Office

• 401 Golden Shore, Long Beach, CA 90802
• You can park in the waterfront lot directly across the street. The lot will be on your right, just where the road curves to the left. When you pull up to the gate, use the little intercom box. Just give your name and say you're with CSUEU and here for the Trustees meeting, bargaining, or whatever. The nice guards, stationed at the front desk inside, will press a button and open the gate for you.
• If that lot is full, there's a parking garage next to the Chancellor's Office. There is a charge; put it on your expense claim.
• You can take the Passport bus for free from the Coast Long Beach hotel or a downtown hotel:
  1. Get on the Passport C bus heading downtown (not heading out to the Queen Mary).
  2. When the bus stops downtown at the transfer point, walk across Pine.
  3. Get on a Passport A or Passport D bus, headed for Catalina Landing.
  4. Ring the bell as the bus reaches the curve in the road (the Chancellor's Office will be on your left at this point, and the waterfront parking lot straight ahead). This is just after you pass a little marina on the right.
  5. Get off across the street from the Chancellor's office.
  6. Don't fret if you miss the Chancellor's Office stop. The end of the line, Catalina Landing, is only a few hundred feet past the Chancellor's Office.
  7. To come back, there is a bus stop at the side of the Chancellor's Office

Visiting CSU Long Beach

• 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, California 90840 Phone: (562) 985-4111
• You can take Long Beach Transit's Passport bus A or D from downtown Long Beach to the CSU Long Beach campus.
  • Regular fare is 90 cents (checked November 2008).
  • They take coins (including the $1 coin) or dollar bills for fares, but cannot make change.
• Campus maps

Local Activities

• Long Beach Public Library – the Main Branch is at 101 Pacific Avenue in the Long Beach Civic Center.
• Dominguez Gap Wetlands - 50 acres of restored habitat along the Los Angeles River, with wildflowers, animals, and rare butterflies. Here a few short, enticing writeups:
  • Dominguez Wetlands offers views of natural riparian habitat (Signal-Tribune)
  • Dominguez Gap visit - a writeup by a biologist and nature-lover, with photos including a tricolored blackbird, a yellow-headed blackbird, and an American goldfinch. The site, called Long Beach Natural Areas, looks like a good resource for visitors who'd like a respite from the concrete.
  • Long Beach cuts the ribbon on a wetlands wonder (Daily Breeze)
  Directions from the Signal-Tribune article: To get to the wetlands, head west on San Antonio Drive past Long Beach Boulevard and turn right on Del Mar Avenue. Go to 4062 Del Mar and look for the gate on the left side of the street. For more information, phone (626) 458-4335.
• The Queen Mary - It has some restaurants and is close to the Coast Long Beach Hotel. If you're going to a restaurant, you get a chance to see a bit of the ship on the way without paying an admission fee.
• Aquarium of the Pacific

Local News

• Long Beach Press-Telegram
• Torrance Daily Breeze - covers LAX to L.A. Harbor

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