|
|
|
The crew aboard explorer Henry Hudson's Half Moon first sighted the Long Beach barrier island in 1609 as he sailed around the south shore. It was named the Great Sand Beach, but it took more than 250 years before the first settlers arrived. A group of wealthy developers built the Long Beach Hotel in 1870 and the area began to boom. When the hotel burned down in 1907, William H. Reynolds envisioned Long Beach as the "Riviera of the New World" and began to implement change. He widened and deepened the channel, built the boardwalk, and designed and built a 300-room fireproof hotel, which became the centerpiece of the burgeoning resort community. The city of Long Beach was incorporated in 1922 and continued to flourish until the Depression, when it began to transform into the residential/beach community it is today. Today the city is experiencing a renaissance of growth, while maintaining its two vital anchors - a stunning stretch of pure white, sandy beaches and the impressive boardwalk, which attracts runners, walkers, baby strollers and cyclists, and is easily accessible from most city boulevards. In addition to the historic train station, many of the older buildings in Long Beach are being replaced or recycled into new modern residences along the shore or new shops inland. Two major downtown shopping areas can be found along Park Avenue and along West Beech Street. The city of Long Beach recently celebrated its 75th Anniversary. A "Heritage Walkway" was created and residents could purchase a brick engraved with a personal message to be built into the walkway. The walkway is permanently installed in Kennedy Plaza in front of City Hall. The city also hosts an annual Arts & Crafts Festival on the boardwalk and a Sandcastle Building contest. With the ocean on one side and the bay on the other, Long Beach is truly the modern "City-by-the-Sea" William H. Reynolds envisioned it to be. |
