Loved the pike, yes navy, my dad was stationed in long beach, The eating places and walk under the street, love it there. Used to collect old post cards of long beach, still have a few left, most were on the pike and the old Virginia hotel, not longer there. I don't remember much of what you talked about. even grew up there.
6:12 Roger Maris sizes up Sandy Koufax. Wow. Great job with this Matt! You deserve more views but they will come with time as folks ask themselves about this history. Love the Noir angle that really was the history of West Beach next to the Pike. My mom took me there several times in the early ‘70s. ✨
This is the second viewing of this presentation and I can happily say it is well done, but am not sure it is just a tad overly lurid. In the mid and late 1950's I was in grammar school and I lived in the areas highlighted here. My parents were divorced then and I lived with my mother at the Caldwell Apartments, which was located east of the Pike on Seaside Walk. My Dad lived in the Venetian Square Apartments in a unit overlooking the ocean, also on West Seaside Walk; the Venetian is shown on a slide in this presentation and is in the area known as the Jungle. I spent a lot of time at his place. The Venetian Square was pretty and well-kept and I have no recollection of tawdriness in the immediate area. I may have not been made aware of its dangers. But as a single-digit aged child I roamed between the two dwellings and to and from a hot dog stand my parents operated across from the Municipal Band Shell on Seaside Walk, not far from the Cinderella Ballroom and the Municipal Auditorium. I knew a lot of the characters inhabiting the Pike amusement zone I have always felt fortunate I was able to be raised in such a uniquely appointed area and in such an open society as we had back then in Long Beach.
We lived in the jungle as kids we didn't see any of those bad people, we were poor and it's the only place my mom could afford in the late 50's with 4 kids. My grandma finally moved us up across Ocean Blvd. Where we grew up, close enough to go to the Pike and Beach. Long Beach is my hometown... I got married and we moved to Fresno, Ca. but it has changed so much I hardly recognized it when we had our Family Reunion in 2012. It broke my heart to see it so run down with graffiti and homeless people living in tents at Lincoln Park. I haven't been back since.
LOVE my city!!! Thank you for this. I walk in downtown all the time and constant day dream of the photos of what it used to be and look like. I've stared at vintage lb photos for long periods of time, ha.
Fascinating material. Appreciate you sharing the historic images and stories of the downtown area.
Loved the pike, yes navy, my dad was stationed in long beach, The eating places and walk under the street, love it there. Used to collect old post cards of long beach, still have a few left, most were on the pike and the old Virginia hotel, not longer there. I don't remember much of what you talked about. even grew up there.
Great - I vaguely remember it from the 60s when as teens we would boldly walk the Pike!
6:12 Roger Maris sizes up Sandy Koufax. Wow.
Great job with this Matt! You deserve more views but they will come with time as folks ask themselves about this history. Love the Noir angle that really was the history of West Beach next to the Pike. My mom took me there several times in the early ‘70s. ✨
I remember going to the pike as a kid.
Interesting
This is the second viewing of this presentation and I can happily say it is well done, but am not sure it is just a tad overly lurid. In the mid and late 1950's I was in grammar school and I lived in the areas highlighted here. My parents were divorced then and I lived with my mother at the Caldwell Apartments, which was located east of the Pike on Seaside Walk. My Dad lived in the Venetian Square Apartments in a unit overlooking the ocean, also on West Seaside Walk; the Venetian is shown on a slide in this presentation and is in the area known as the Jungle. I spent a lot of time at his place.
The Venetian Square was pretty and well-kept and I have no recollection of tawdriness in the immediate area. I may have not been made aware of its dangers. But as a single-digit aged child I roamed between the two dwellings and to and from a hot dog stand my parents operated across from the Municipal Band Shell on Seaside Walk, not far from the Cinderella Ballroom and the Municipal Auditorium. I knew a lot of the characters inhabiting the Pike amusement zone I have always felt fortunate I was able to be raised in such a uniquely appointed area and in such an open society as we had back then in Long Beach.
Thanks!
We lived in the jungle as kids we didn't see any of those bad people, we were poor and it's the only place my mom could afford in the late 50's with 4 kids. My grandma finally moved us up across Ocean Blvd. Where we grew up, close enough to go to the Pike and Beach. Long Beach is my hometown... I got married and we moved to Fresno, Ca. but it has changed so much I hardly recognized it when we had our Family Reunion in 2012. It broke my heart to see it so run down with graffiti and homeless people living in tents at Lincoln Park. I haven't been back since.
LOVE my city!!! Thank you for this. I walk in downtown all the time and constant day dream of the photos of what it used to be and look like. I've stared at vintage lb photos for long periods of time, ha.
Glad you like it! As an older LB resident I can tell you that it was way different back then. Thanks for the good words.
I grew up in LB I remember "The Jungle". Not fondly.
Me too. About 1964 when I was 4. I have memories of bad things.