The Pike (Long Beach) Travel Guide - Free

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The Pike in Long Beach blends waterfront shopping, dining, entertainment and echoes of its historic amusement zone beside Rainbow Harbor, near downtown attractions.

Waterfront Entertainment and Urban Renewal

The Pike occupies a compact stretch of Long Beach’s downtown waterfront beside Rainbow Harbor, where shopping, restaurants and entertainment are arranged around broad pedestrian spaces and views towards the marina. It is not a conventional residential neighbourhood but a visitor-oriented district shaped by successive waves of seaside entertainment. The modern complex, commonly associated with The Pike Outlets, stands near Pine Avenue, Ocean Boulevard and the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, making it easy to combine with downtown sightseeing and waterfront walks.

Echoes of the Historic Pike

The district takes its name from The Pike, the amusement zone that made Long Beach a major Southern California leisure destination during the twentieth century. The original attraction was known for rides, arcades, theatres and the famous Cyclone Racer, a large wooden roller coaster that operated over the water. Little of that amusement infrastructure survives, yet the name remains a direct link to the city’s entertainment heritage. Interpretive displays and local memory are often more important here than preserved historic fabric.

Shopping, Dining and the Harbour Edge

Today, visitors come for outlet and high-street shopping, casual dining, cinema entertainment and the easy connection to Rainbow Harbor’s promenades. The atmosphere changes with the calendar: daytime brings shoppers and families, while evenings draw diners, cinema-goers and people attending events nearby. The Aquarium of the Pacific, Shoreline Village and the convention centre are close but lie beyond The Pike’s immediate shopping-and-entertainment footprint. The setting is highly accessible and largely level, though the open waterfront can be sunny, windy and busy during major downtown events.

Explore The Pike on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in The Pike, mapped for you.

The Pike essentials

Getting There

The Pike is in downtown Long Beach near Pine Avenue, Ocean Boulevard and Rainbow Harbor. The Long Beach Transit Mall, served by Metro A Line trains and local buses, is within walking distance, although the final approach involves crossing busy downtown streets. Visitors arriving by rail can walk south towards the waterfront; those coming from other parts of Long Beach can use Long Beach Transit services along the principal downtown corridors. Driving is straightforward via the Downtown Long Beach exits from Interstate 710, with paid parking structures and lots in the surrounding waterfront area. Event traffic can make arrival slower than the short distance suggests.

Getting Around

The Pike is compact and generally easy to explore on foot, with open pedestrian areas linking shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. From the complex, level walking routes lead towards Rainbow Harbor, the convention centre and the waterfront promenades, while Shoreline Village and the Aquarium of the Pacific are nearby but outside The Pike itself. Downtown streets carry regular traffic, so use marked crossings, particularly around Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue. The exposed setting has few natural barriers from sun or wind, and visitors using mobility aids should expect a mixture of smooth promenades, retail paving and busy crossings.

Safety

The Pike is a busy commercial and entertainment district, so ordinary urban precautions are appropriate. Keep phones, wallets and bags secure in crowded retail areas, cinemas, car parks and event-time queues, and avoid leaving valuables visible in a vehicle. Take care when crossing downtown roads and when walking near the harbour after dark, particularly where vehicle access and pedestrian routes meet. Night-time conditions vary with events and venue activity; stay on well-used routes and arrange transport from a clear, recognised pickup point. Follow venue staff instructions during large gatherings and check local conditions before walking along the waterfront.

Emergency Situations

In the United States, call 911 for police, fire or urgent medical assistance; the operator can coordinate the appropriate service, and language assistance may be available. Give the exact venue name, nearby intersection or visible landmark, such as Rainbow Harbor or the convention centre, because The Pike is part of a large downtown waterfront complex. For non-urgent medical needs, ask venue staff, hotel reception or a local pharmacist for current guidance rather than relying on an unfamiliar facility. International visitors should carry identification and details of travel insurance, while anyone with a serious condition should state it clearly to the emergency operator.

Do's and Don'ts

Use marked crossings and respect pedestrian priority on the retail promenades, while remembering that service vehicles and traffic still operate around the complex. Ask before photographing workers, performers or private gatherings, and do not climb on waterfront structures or historic displays. Keep noise under control near hotels and residential streets once evening events finish, and follow individual venue rules on bags, photography and alcohol. In restaurants, tipping is customary for table service in the United States, with the amount based on the quality of service; it is not necessary to treat counter-service transactions in exactly the same way.

Local Tips

The Pike works best as one part of a downtown waterfront itinerary rather than as a standalone historic site. Orient yourself by Pine Avenue and the harbour, then compare the modern retail district with the public spaces around Rainbow Harbor. The area is especially convenient for combining shopping or cinema entertainment with a walk towards the Aquarium of the Pacific or Shoreline Village, both nearby but geographically distinct from The Pike. Check current venue and event information before visiting because individual shops, restaurants and entertainment offerings can change, and major convention dates may alter the feel of the whole waterfront.

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

English	Local	Say it
Hello	Hey	[hey]
Goodbye	Later	[lay-ter]
Yes	Yeah	[yeh]
No	Nah	[nah]
Please/You're welcome	Sure thing	[shur thang]
Thank you	Thanks	[thaynks]
Excuse me/Sorry	My bad	[mai bad]
How are you?	What's up?	[wuts up]
Fine. And you?	Chillin'. You?	[chil-in. yu]
Do you speak English?	You speak English?	[yu speek ing-glish]
I don't understand	I don't get it	[ai dont get it]

Eating & Drinking

English	Local	Say it
I'd like to see the menu, please	Can I check out the menu?	[kan ai chek out the menu]
I don't eat meat	I'm veggie	[ai'm vej-ee]
Cheers!	Cheers!	[cheers]
I would like to pay, please	Cash me out, please	[cash mi out]

Emergencies

English	Local	Say it
Help!	SOS!	[ess-oh-ess]
Go away!	Beat it!	[beet it]
Call the Police!	Dial 911!	[dai-el nain-wan-wan]
Call a doctor!	Get a doc!	[get a dok]
I'm lost	I'm lost	[ai'm lost]
I'm ill	I'm sick	[ai'm sik]

Shopping

English	Local	Say it
I'd like to buy...	I wanna cop...	[ai wana kop]
I'm just looking	Just browsing	[just brau-zing]
How much is it?	How much?	[hau much]
That's too expensive	That's wack	[thats wak]
Can you lower the price?	Can you hook it up?	[kan yu huk it up]

Time & Numbers

English	Local	Say it
What time is it?	What time?	[wut time]
It's one o'clock	It's one	[its wun]
Half past (10)	Ten thirty	[ten thur-tee]
Morning	Morning	[morn-ing]
Afternoon	Afternoon	[af-ter-noon]
Evening	Evening	[ee-ven-ing]
Yesterday	Yesterday	[yes-ter-day]
Today	Today	[to-day]
Tomorrow	Tomorrow	[to-mor-row]
1	One	[wun]
2	Two	[too]
3	Three	[three]
4	Four	[for]
5	Five	[five]
6	Six	[siks]
7	Seven	[sev-en]
8	Eight	[ate]
9	Nine	[nine]
10	Ten	[ten]

Transport & Directions

English	Local	Say it
Where's a/the...?	Where's the...?	[weers the]
What's the address?	What's the addy?	[wuts the add-ee]
Can you show me (on the map)?	Can you show me?	[kan yu show mi]
When's the next (bus)?	When's the next one?	[whens the nixt wun]
A ticket (to ....)	A ticket (to ....)	[a tik-et]

History of The Pike

The Seaside Amusement Era

The Pike developed from Long Beach’s early twentieth-century ambition to become a seaside resort and entertainment city. Amusement rides, arcades, dance halls, theatres and food concessions gathered along the waterfront, serving both local residents and visitors arriving from elsewhere in Southern California. The name became associated not with a single building but with a broad entertainment district whose attractions evolved over time. Its position beside the Pacific made the shoreline itself part of the spectacle, while growing transport connections helped turn Long Beach into an accessible leisure destination.

The Cyclone Racer Years

The best-known symbol of the historic Pike was the Cyclone Racer, a twin-track wooden roller coaster built over the water in 1930. Its dramatic structure became closely identified with Long Beach and remained a major attraction until it closed in 1968. The Pike also contained smaller rides, games, dance and entertainment venues, creating a dense amusement environment rather than a conventional commercial street. Changing leisure habits, redevelopment pressures and the ageing condition of the attractions gradually weakened the old amusement district during the later twentieth century.

From Amusement Zone to Downtown Waterfront

After the historic Pike declined and its major rides disappeared, Long Beach redirected investment towards a more formally planned downtown waterfront. Rainbow Harbor, the convention and entertainment complex, public promenades and later retail development changed the relationship between the city centre and the shoreline. The modern Pike retail and entertainment district emerged as part of this broader redevelopment, preserving the historic name while replacing the old amusement landscape with shops, restaurants, cinema entertainment and open pedestrian areas. The result is a commercial waterfront quarter with an inherited identity rather than a surviving amusement park.

A Name with Continuing Cultural Resonance

The Pike remains significant because its name connects present-day visitors with Long Beach’s earlier reputation for seaside amusement. The original rides and structures have largely vanished, but the story survives through local historical interpretation, photographs, memories and the continued use of The Pike name for the modern complex. Its contemporary role is therefore both practical and symbolic: it serves as a shopping and entertainment destination while marking the shoreline’s long transition from resort amusement ground to a planned downtown waterfront.

The Pike in Photos

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