Long Beach

Incorporated in 1897, Long Beach lies in Southern California in the southern part of Los Angeles County. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. The city is known for its waterfront attractions, including the permanently docked RMS Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Long Beach also hosts the Grand Prix of Long Beach, an IndyCar race and the Long Beach Pride Festival and Parade. The Port of Long beach is the second busiest container port in the U.S. and is among the world's largest shipping ports. California State University, Long beach, one of the largest universities in California by enrollment, is within the city. The town grew as a seaside resort with light agricultural uses until 1902. The most famous amusement zone on the West Coast from 1902 until 1969 was the Pike's Island amusement zone, with rides such as the Sky Wheel Wheel and Cyclone Racer roller coaster. In 1950, the city became the main shipyard of the Navy, with shipyard and oil facilities and became the city's main industry. It was incorporated as a charter city in 1897. A portion of western Long Beach was originally part of the Rancho San Pedro. In 1843, Juan Temple bought Rancho Los Cerritos, having arrived in California in 1827 from New England. The boundary between the two ranchos ran through the center of Signal Hill on a southwest to northeast diagonal. He built what is now known as the "Los Cerrito Ranch House", a still-standing adobe.

History

Long Beach is the primary city name, but also Carson are acceptable city names or spellings, Cabrillo, Dominguez on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Long Beach. Indigenous people have lived in coastal Southern California for over 10,000 years. By the 16th-century arrival of Spanish explorers, the dominant group was the Tongva people. In 1784, the Spanish Empire's King Carlos III granted Rancho Los Nietos to Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto. The City of Long Beach was officially incorporated in 1897. The Pike was the most famous beachside amusement zone on the West Coast from 1902 until 1969. Gradually the oil industry, Navy shipyard and facilities and port became the mainstays of the city. In the 1950s it was referred to as "Iowa by the sea", due to a large influx of people from that and other Midwestern states. The city was once the largest cattle ranch in the US, and early in the 1850s was the largest city in the state. It is now one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., with a population of more than 1.5 million. It has been the site of a number of high-profile incidents, including the shootings of two police officers and a jogger in the early 1960s. The current mayor is Democrat Bob Filner, a former mayor of Los Angeles and a former member of the California House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in office in 2010, the first Democrat to serve a full term in Long Beach since the city was incorporated. He is the son of former mayor Jotham Bixby, who is considered to be the father of the present-day city.

Geography

Long Beach has a climate that can either be described as a hot semi-arid climate or a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. Days in Long Beach are mostly sunny, as in Southern California in general. Long Beach suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the entire United States. The water quality in the Long Beach portion of San Pedro Bay, which is enclosed by the Federal Breakwater, commonly ranks among the poorest on the entire West Coast during rainy periods. Long-term average levels of toxic air pollutants (and the corresponding carcinogenic risk they create) can be two to three times higher in and around Long Beach, and in downwind areas to the east, than in other parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, such as the Westside, San Fernando Valley, or San Gabriel Valley. The Los Angeles River discharges a large portion of urban runoff directly into the harbor water. This runoff contains the debris, garbage, chemical pollutants, and biological pathogens washed into storm and storm water. Because the breakwater prevents tidal flushing, this water is sometimes unsafe for swimming up to weeks each year. The city's beaches, can be subject to red tides due to this ecological stagnation, as well as ecological scrubbers dominating several coastal communities. The area that is now included in several communities is Long Beach historically included in ecological scrubber communities, with several communities dominating the coastal scrubber areas. The Long Beach beaches average a D or F grade on beach water quality during rainy period in the Beach Report Card.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Long Beach had a population of 462,257. The racial makeup of Long Beach was 213,066 (46.1%) White, 62,603 (13.5%) Black or African American, 3,458 (0.7%) Native American, 59,496 (12.9%) Asian. The ethnic Cambodian population of approximately 20,000 is the largest outside of Asia. Non-Hispanic Whites were 29.4% of the population in 2010, down from 86.2% in 1970. The city has changed predominantly since the 1950s when the population was 45% White, 14.9% African American (U.S. Census), 12.1% Asian, 1,2% Pacific Islander, 20,6% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. As of 2014, the population of the city was 473,577. The median household income was $52,711, with 20.2 per cent living below the federal poverty line. The average household size was 2.78, and the average family size was 3.52. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. There were 176,032 dwelling units at an average density of 3,422.2, with 67,949 (41.6%) being owner-occupied, and 95,582 (58.4%) being occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2%. 195,254 people (42.2%) lived in owner-occupant housing units and 258,726 people (56.0%) living in rental housing units.

Economy

Long Beach was a Navy town for many years before the base closed. Boeing is still the largest private employer in the city. Trade valued at more than $140 billion moves through Long Beach annually. The Port supports more than 30,000 jobs in Long Beach. Jesse James' West Coast Choppers custom motorcycle shop was in Long. Beach. Much of the Monster Garage cable TV show was shot in. Long Beach Green Business Association is an organization working to create economic growth through the promotion of green business and promoting a buy local program for Long Beach, California. The Long Beach Accelerator was founded in 2019 as a public-private partnership between the city of Long Beach, Sunstone Management, and California State. University, Long Beach with the aim of growing the presence of diverse technology entrepreneurs in the. city. It generates about $16 billion in annual trade-related wages statewide statewide. The largest shopping center within the city is the Long Beach Towne Center, a power center opened in 1999 on the site of the Long beach Naval Hospital. The Pike Outlets and 2nd & PCH are new retail centers. Until the 1950s, Long Beach was the major retail hub between Los Angeles and. Santa Ana. Buffum's, Walker's and Robert's all had their flagship stores in theCity. Later the Long beaches Plaza and Marina Pacifica malls were built, since repurposed as retail power centers. The city is home to the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation.

Culture

Long Beach is known for its street art. The Long Beach Municipal Band is the longest running, municipally supported band in the country. The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music presents a wide variety of classical, jazz, and world music concerts each year. Long Beach Opera, founded in 1979, is the oldest professional opera company serving the Los Angeles and Orange County regions. KJAZZ 88.1 FM (KKJZ) broadcasts from California State University, Long Beach. Kbeach is the student owned and operated web-only radio at CSULB.Long Beach City College operates two internet student-run radio stations, KCTY FM and KLBC AM. long Beach is the host to a number of long-running music festivals, including the Bob Marley Reggae Festival (February), the Cajun & Zydeco Festival (May), the El Dia De San Juan Puerto Rican Festival (Salsa music, June), the Long Beach Jazz Festival (August), and the Brazilian Street Carnaval (Brazilian music, September) Long Beach is also the point of origin for bands and musicians such as Dazcat Dolls, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Frank Ocean, Snoop Dogg, Tha Tha Pound, Nate Dogg and The Antlers. The city has several resident professional and semi-professional musical companies, such as Crystal City Theatre and Crystal City International Theatre. The City of Long Beach has a percent for art program administered through the Arts Council of Long beach and the Redevelopment Agency.

Sports

The Grand Prix of Long Beach in April is the single largest event in Long Beach. The Long Beach State 49ers baseball team has been playing since 1954. The Catalina Ski Race has been held annually since 1948 and features skiers from up to seventy teams from around the world. A 2.2-mile (3.5 km) long breakwater was built in 1949 to protect the United States Pacific Fleet. The city has commissioned a $100,000 study for this purpose and the study concluded that any changes to the breakwater would be too costly and could have potential impacts on the port of Los Angeles, the U.S. Naval Operations, Marina, and the Peninsula. Long Beach College has participated in national championships in women's volleyball, badminton and men's hockey. The school has also regularly appeared in men's baseball tournaments and has appeared in the NCAA's baseball finals seven times in the last 30 years. The American Basketball League team Long Beach Chiefs played in the newly opened Long Beach Arena during the 1962/1963 season. The Southern California Summer Pro League is a showcase for current and prospective NBA basketball players, including recent draft picks, NBA players working on their skills and conditioning, and international professionals hoping to become NBA players. The Congressional Cup is a one-on-one race regatta held in April. It is the only grade 1 match race regattas held in the US. Many of the winners of the Congressional Cup have gone on to win the America's Cup.

Government

Long Beach is a full-service city that provides nearly all of its own municipal services. The city is supported by a budget of $2.3 billion, and has more than 5,500 employees. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Long Beach is split between California's 44th congressional district and California's 47th district. Long Beach has 279,735 registered voters, of whom 147,276 are registered Democrats, 47,615 are registered Republicans, and 66,857 have declined to state a political party/are independents. It has nine City Council members, who are elected by district, and the Mayor, who is elected at-large since a citywide initiative passed in 1988. The City Attorney, City Auditor, and City Prosecutor are also elected positions. It was first incorporated in 1888 with 59 buildings and a new school. Nine years later, dissatisfaction with prohibition and high taxes led to an abortive and short-lived disincorporation. Before the year 1897 was out, the citizens voted to reincorporate and the 1897 date of incorporation is shown on the city seal. The major exception to the full range of municipal services is electricity, which is provided by Southern California Edison. It is one of the only four municipal health departments in California (the other three being Berkeley, Pasadena, and Vernon) The city provides: water supply and sewer service through the Long Beach Water Department, which has a water treatment plant within the city and an extensive reclaimed water system for parks and other landscaping.

Infrastructure

Long Beach became the first city in California to heavily restrict residency and visitation rights for California registered sex offenders in 2008. The most restrictive prohibits residency by all registered. sex offenders, whether they are on parole or not, within 2,000 feet (610 m) of any. child care center, public or private school, or park. In 2012, lifeguards and other members of the marine safety division responded to 17,867 calls for service. The Long Beach Fire Department operates out of 23 Fire Stations throughout the city. The Los Angeles Superior Court, which covers all of Los Angeles County, operates the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in downtown Long Beach. It is one of the 50 courthouses in the county. The U.S. Postal Service serves as the main postal facility for Long Beach and operates the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which was established in 1943 and closed in 1997, employing over 16,000 people at its peak in 1945. The Marine Safety Division is responsible for the operation and management of the. marine safety and lifeguard division as well as the safe and lawful use of the 9 miles (14 km) of beaches, 5,300 acres (2,100 ha) of oceanfront. property, waterways and marinas. The division staffs 9 facilities year round, with an additional 41 stations during the summer. Additionally the division has at its disposal 6 rescue boats, 7 beach patrols and a dive rescue unit. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.

Education

Long Beach, California has two public institutions dedicated to higher education: California State University, Long Beach and Long Beach City College. Long Beach State is three miles away from the Pacific Ocean and is known for their resources of the arts, such as the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. LBCC is composed of two separate campuses; the Liberal Arts Campus is on the residential area of Lakewood Village, while the Pacific Coast Campus is adjacent to the Eastside neighborhood. Pacific Coast University, a private non-profit law school, is located in Long Beach. The Long Beach Unified School District serves most of the City of Long Beach, with other school districts serving sections of the city. The city also has a private school district that serves some parts of the community. The City of Los Angeles has one of the nation's largest public school districts, the Los Angeles School District (LAUSD) The city has a large number of private schools, many of which are located in the city's downtown area, as well as private schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Diego area. The town has a population of 2.2 million. The population of Long Island, California is 1.7 million. It has a GDP of $28.2 billion. The largest city in the state is Los Angeles, with a population in excess of 1.6 million people. It is located on the eastern edge of the Central Coast, near San Diego and Long Island City. The county's largest city is San Diego, with an population of 3.1 million.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California = 1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Long Beach = 6.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 466,742 individuals with a median age of 33.7 age the population grows by 3.27% in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 9,205.96 residents per square mile of area (3,554.23/km²). There are average 2.83 people per household in the 164,933 households with an average household income of $46,760 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 13.90% of the available work force and has dropped -6.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 13.62%. The number of physicians in Long Beach per 100,000 population = 213.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Long Beach = 12 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 33. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 287. 82 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 45.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 46, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California which are owned by the occupant = 38.69%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 50 years with median home cost = $305,220 and home appreciation of -13.83%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.73 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,920 per student. There are 22.6 students for each teacher in the school, 1577 students for each Librarian and 631 students for each Counselor. 6.85% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 15.29% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 7.91% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).