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. From Union Station in downtown L.A., transit users can access the regional Metrolink rail system to access a vast area of urban Southern California, and connect to nationwide Amtrak trains as well. In the 1870s, as many as 30,000 sheep were kept at the ranch and sheared twice yearly to provide wool for trade. [19] The Pike was the most famous beachside amusement zone on the West Coast from 1902 until 1969; it offered bathers food, games and rides, such at the Sky Wheel dual Ferris wheel and Cyclone Racer roller coaster. [47], The 2010 United States Census[50] reported that Long Beach had a population of 462,257.
Even after greatly reducing the number of local employees in recent years, Boeing is still the largest private employer in the city. [75] Long Beach Shakespeare Company for over 20 years has provided free outdoor Shakespeare Festivals in the Summer. Long Beach Woodrow Wilson High School was used to shoot Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and has been used for commercials for Nike and Adidas, particularly one with Los Angeles Sparks basketball star Candace Parker.
[99][100], Although California's surfing scene is said to have gotten its start in Long Beach when in 1911 two surfers returned from Hawaii and the city hosted the first National Surfing and Paddleboard Championships in 1938, surfing is now uncommon in Long Beach due to a 2.2-mile (3.5 km) long breakwater built in 1949 to protect the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Long Beach Freeway (I-710) runs north-south on the city's western border, with its southern terminus adjacent to the Port of Long Beach on Terminal Island at the intersection of the Terminal Island Freeway (SR 103) and State Route 47.
During the same weekend as the Grand Prix, there is also an IMSA SportsCar Championship race, a Formula D round and the Pirelli World Challenge. About 19.3% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.7% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over. Long Beach Transit also operates the Passport shuttle within downtown Long Beach. Long Beach completely surrounds the city of Signal Hill. In addition to serving 55 square miles (140 km2) with over 500,000 residents, the department's Marine Safety Division patrols the waterways and beach front areas.
See All Phone Numbers. When Jotham Bixby died in 1916, the remaining 3,500 acres (14 km2) of Rancho Los Cerritos was subdivided into the neighborhoods of Bixby Knolls, California Heights, North Long Beach and part of the city of Signal Hill.