Belmont Shore (Long Beach) Travel Guide - Free

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Belmont Shore
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Belmont Shore in Long Beach pairs a walkable 2nd Street shopping strip with beach days, Belmont Pier, seaside dining, cafés and Southern California evenings.

Beachfront Character

Belmont Shore occupies Long Beach’s coastal southeastern corner, where the broad sands of the Pacific meet the busy, pedestrian-friendly stretch of 2nd Street. The neighbourhood is informal rather than sharply defined, but its identity is clear: a compact seaside district of independent shops, cafés, restaurants, bars and everyday services extending inland from the beach towards the residential streets around Alamitos Bay. Belmont Pier, formally Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, provides an especially recognisable endpoint, reaching into the ocean from the foot of 39th Place.
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Streets, Shops and Street Life

The main experience is a slow walk along 2nd Street, where low-rise commercial buildings give the area a human scale and frequent glimpses lead towards the water. Surf shops, fashion retailers, salons, book and gift shops, casual cafés and restaurants create a lively daytime rhythm, while Ocean Boulevard and the beachfront offer a contrasting sense of openness. The streets behind the commercial strip are largely residential, with bungalows, apartments and palms replacing the bustle of the main avenue. Belmont Shore is close to Belmont Heights and Naples, but these are distinct local areas with their own characters.

Coastal Evenings

At sunset, visitors can combine a walk beside the sand with dinner or drinks on 2nd Street. The neighbourhood’s appeal lies less in a concentration of formal monuments than in its combination of accessible shoreline, local commerce and relaxed outdoor life. Cyclists, runners, dog walkers, surfers and families share the beachfront, while the pier and nearby public spaces offer changing views across the coast and bay. Belmont Shore therefore feels like a functioning seaside neighbourhood as much as a visitor district, with tourism woven into the routines of local residents.

Best attractions in Belmont Shore

Belmont Shore’s principal attractions are its shoreline, commercial street and pier rather than a large collection of enclosed visitor sites. A walk along the beach reveals broad Pacific views, active sand courts and the everyday coastal life of Long Beach, while Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier extends the route over the water and offers a perspective back towards the neighbourhood. 2nd Street is itself a sightseeing experience, with low-rise façades, independent retailers, cafés, restaurants and frequent side streets leading towards the coast. The beachfront path suits walking and cycling, and the junction of Ocean Boulevard with the commercial strip provides an easy starting point for exploring. Visitors can also look towards Alamitos Bay and the canals of nearby Naples, but those areas are separate neighbourhoods rather than Belmont Shore attractions. The appeal is the combination of public shoreline and lived-in local streets.

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Best landmarks in Belmont Shore

Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier is Belmont Shore’s clearest physical landmark, projecting from the end of 39th Place and linking the neighbourhood to its ocean setting. Its memorial purpose gives the structure civic meaning in addition to its roles as a fishing location and public lookout. Along the shore, the meeting of Ocean Boulevard, the beach and 2nd Street forms another important local urban landmark: it expresses the district’s characteristic relationship between a commercial main street and open coastline. The low-rise buildings of 2nd Street are less monumental but collectively significant, preserving the scale of a traditional neighbourhood shopping strip amid a larger modern city. Nearby Alamitos Bay and Naples contain notable waterfront landscapes, though they belong to adjoining areas and should not be presented as landmarks within Belmont Shore itself. Together, these places show how the neighbourhood’s identity rests on public access, commerce and coastal geography.

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Explore Belmont Shore on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in Belmont Shore, mapped for you.

Best restaurants in Belmont Shore

Belmont Shore has one of Long Beach’s most concentrated everyday dining strips, with restaurants and cafés spread along 2nd Street and the blocks nearest the beach. The selection ranges from breakfast cafés, bakeries and casual takeaway food to seafood, Mediterranean and Greek-influenced cooking, American comfort food, sushi, pizza and contemporary small-plate restaurants. Places such as George’s Greek Cafe and Open Sesame are established examples of the district’s broad dining identity, while the street also includes longstanding local businesses and changing independent operators. Outdoor seating and easy access from the beach make the area suited to informal meals between coastal walks, although individual service styles vary. The neighbourhood’s food culture reflects its role as both a residential centre and a visitor-facing seaside strip: it is practical enough for regular local dining, yet offers plenty of choice for a single evening near the water.

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Best bars in Belmont Shore

Belmont Shore’s nightlife is centred on bars, pubs and restaurants along 2nd Street rather than on a large nightclub district. After dark, the commercial strip becomes a social corridor of drinks, late meals, televised sport and informal gatherings, with venues such as Legends Restaurant & Sports Bar and local pubs contributing to its evening character. Some restaurants shift towards a bar atmosphere, while the beachfront itself remains comparatively quiet and is better suited to a walk than a night out. The area attracts a mixed crowd of local residents, Long Beach visitors and diners moving between venues, so noise and activity are most noticeable on the main commercial blocks. Entertainment offerings and opening arrangements change, and visitors should check directly with individual venues. Those seeking larger-scale club nights will generally need to continue towards other parts of Long Beach rather than expect a dense club scene in Belmont Shore.

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Best shops in Belmont Shore

Shopping in Belmont Shore is concentrated along 2nd Street, where independent retailers and local services are mixed with cafés, restaurants and larger familiar brands. The selection typically suits a seaside neighbourhood: surf and beach goods, casual clothing, footwear, gifts, personal services, home items and specialist products appear alongside everyday necessities. Visitors can browse before or after a walk to the sand, with many short blocks making it easy to move between shops without a formal shopping centre layout. The district’s retail character has changed as businesses come and go, so particular stock and opening arrangements should be checked locally. It is more useful to think of Belmont Shore as a walkable main-street shopping area than as a destination for department stores or a traditional produce market. The nearby residential streets are not retail extensions, and the shops are most densely concentrated on the 2nd Street corridor.

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Belmont Shore essentials

Getting There
Belmont Shore is reached most directly along 2nd Street and Ocean Boulevard from central Long Beach, Belmont Heights and the wider southeastern part of the city. Long Beach Transit buses serve the 2nd Street corridor, although routes and stop locations should be checked before travelling. The nearest Metro A Line station is in downtown Long Beach rather than in Belmont Shore itself, so visitors arriving by rail generally need a connecting bus, taxi or rideshare. Driving is straightforward, but parking is in demand near 2nd Street and the beach, particularly at busy daytime and evening periods.
Getting Around
Belmont Shore is easiest to explore on foot, with restaurants, shops, beach access and Belmont Pier concentrated within a manageable distance. The beachfront supports walking, running and cycling, while 2nd Street is convenient for browsing but can become busy with traffic, turning vehicles and pedestrians. Ocean Boulevard provides a useful orientation line, and the pier is reached from the commercial area via 39th Place. Some paths and approaches may feel uneven or crowded for visitors with mobility needs; check local access conditions before relying on a particular beach entrance.
Safety
Use ordinary urban and beach precautions in Belmont Shore: keep phones and bags close in crowded areas, avoid leaving belongings visible in a parked vehicle and secure bicycles properly. Give attention to traffic when crossing 2nd Street and to cyclists, runners and other path users beside the beach. Ocean conditions, changing tides and weather can affect beach activities, so follow posted warnings and lifeguard instructions. After dark, remain aware of surroundings on quieter residential stretches and arrange transport in advance if you have been drinking.
Emergency Situations
In the United States, call 911 for police, fire or urgent medical assistance and state clearly that you are in Belmont Shore, Long Beach, California. Give the nearest cross street, beach access point or visible landmark, such as Belmont Pier, if you are unsure of an exact address. For less urgent medical needs, ask accommodation staff or a local service provider to identify an appropriate clinic or pharmacy rather than treating the beach or pier as a medical facility. Follow lifeguard and emergency personnel instructions around the shoreline.
Do's and Don'ts
Do respect residential streets behind 2nd Street, queue patiently in busy cafés and shops, and give pedestrians and cyclists room on the beachfront path. Ask before photographing people closely, particularly children, performers or private activities. Keep noise low outside late-night venues and dispose of rubbish properly on the sand and around public spaces. Do not climb on restricted pier structures, ignore beach safety notices or assume that every coastal activity is permitted at every time. Tipping is customary in American restaurants and bars when table service is provided.
Local Tips
Use 2nd Street as the neighbourhood’s organising line, then add the beachfront and pier for a fuller sense of place. Exploring in the morning usually offers a calmer look at the shops and a more comfortable walk beside the sand, while evening visits suit dining and people-watching. The streets towards Alamitos Bay and the nearby communities of Belmont Heights and Naples are residential areas rather than extensions of the main commercial strip. Bring sun protection and water, and check current beach, parking and business information locally because conditions change.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHey[Hey]
GoodbyeLater[Lay-ter]
YesYeah[Yeah]
NoNah[Nah]
Please/You're welcomePlease/No worries[Please/No worries]
Thank youThanks[Thanks]
Excuse me/SorryExcuse me/My bad[Excuse me/My bad]
How are you?How's it going?[How's it going?]
Fine. And you?Good. You?[Good. You?]
Do you speak English?You speak English?[You speak English?]
I don't understandI don't get it[I don't get it]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseMenu, please[Menu, please]
I don't eat meatNo meat for me[No meat for me]
Cheers!Cheers![Cheers!]
I would like to pay, pleaseCheck, please[Check, please]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Help![Help!]
Go away!Go away![Go away!]
Call the Police!Call the Cops![Call the Cops!]
Call a doctor!Call a doc![Call a doc!]
I'm lostI'm lost[I'm lost]
I'm illI'm sick[I'm sick]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...I want to buy...[I want to buy...]
I'm just lookingJust looking[Just looking]
How much is it?How much?[How much?]
That's too expensiveToo pricey[Too pricey]
Can you lower the price?Can you do better?[Can you do better?]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?What time is it?[What time is it?]
It's one o'clockIt's one[It's one]
Half past (10)Ten thirty[Ten thirty]
MorningMorning[Morning]
AfternoonAfternoon[Afternoon]
EveningEvening[Evening]
YesterdayYesterday[Yesterday]
TodayToday[Today]
TomorrowTomorrow[Tomorrow]
1One[One]
2Two[Two]
3Three[Three]
4Four[Four]
5Five[Five]
6Six[Six]
7Seven[Seven]
8Eight[Eight]
9Nine[Nine]
10Ten[Ten]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Where's the...?[Where's the...?]
What's the address?What's the address?[What's the address?]
Can you show me (on the map)?Can you show me?[Can you show me?]
When's the next (bus)?When's the next (bus)?[When's the next (bus)?]
A ticket (to ....)A ticket, please[A ticket, please]

History of Belmont Shore

From Coastal Land to Suburb

Before Belmont Shore became a commercial seaside district, the southeastern edge of Long Beach consisted largely of coastal land, dunes, wetlands and the waters around Alamitos Bay. Urban growth accelerated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as Long Beach expanded beyond its original centre and nearby land was subdivided for homes and leisure. The area’s appeal was geographical: it combined access to the ocean and bay with room for residential development. Streets, utilities and small-scale commercial services gradually established the framework of the neighbourhood recognisable today, while the shoreline remained central to its identity.

Streetcars and Early Development

Early twentieth-century transport links helped connect the southeastern districts with central Long Beach and encouraged residential and commercial growth. Electric streetcar services and improved roads made the coast more accessible to residents and day visitors, supporting the development of a local business strip along 2nd Street. Belmont Shore’s built character emerged through this relationship between transport, housing and recreation rather than through a single planned civic project. Small shops, cafés and services grew to support a neighbourhood whose residents could reach the beach easily and whose seaside setting attracted visitors from elsewhere in the city.

The Pier and Seaside Recreation

The construction and subsequent rebuilding of public pier facilities strengthened Belmont Shore’s connection with the ocean. The structure now known as Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier became both a practical fishing spot and a public lookout, extending the neighbourhood into the coastal landscape. Beach recreation, swimming, fishing and informal strolling shaped local life throughout the twentieth century, while 2nd Street developed as the area’s commercial spine. The pier’s memorial name also reflects the civic role that public spaces can play in a neighbourhood whose attractions are closely tied to ordinary coastal use rather than grand monumental planning.

A Commercial District with Local Identity

During the later twentieth century, Belmont Shore’s 2nd Street matured into a recognisable shopping and dining district serving both nearby residents and visitors. Its low-rise buildings and independent businesses gave the area a different feel from Long Beach’s downtown redevelopment zones and larger suburban shopping centres. Retail patterns changed over time, with surf culture, casual dining, personal services and specialist shops sharing the street. Contemporary Belmont Shore continues to balance commercial activity with a predominantly residential setting, while the beach, pier and surrounding bay keep its historic relationship with outdoor recreation visible.

Belmont Shore in Photos

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