Signal Hill, CA

Long Beach, with its beautiful natural harbor, has long been a center of Southern California shipping and a recreational destination. Signal Hill dates back to the 1890s where it was a popular neighborhood for local families who wanted to live near the schools. As Long Beach expanded during the postwar boom, the area filled with affordable bungalows and apartment buildings for young couples just starting out.

Today, you'll find the Long Beach Fire Department Museum — a popular destination with the kids. The other cultural and entertainment landmarks of Long Beach lie only minutes to the south. Join the monthly Art Walk to see crafts and pieces from local artisans, or head over to Long Beach's famous Aquarium of the Pacific to find educational entertainment for the whole family.

For entertainment and dining, Spring Hill is a destination for little mom-and-pop shops that serve authentic and one-of-a-kind cuisine.

Get your pho fix at Phnom Penh Noodle Shack where staff serve noodles Cambodian style in pork broth. This hole-in-the-wall joint takes cash only, but it's worth planning your afternoon around the student fry noodles and rice pudding.

Further north, locals swear by the sopas and the carne asada at King Taco, a popular local restaurant that started as a food truck and has since expanded to 20 SoCal locations. Check out the cabeza and tripa tacos for flavor you won't find in fast food.

If you're looking for somewhere to take your friends for a night out, join the crowd at local destination Alex's Bar. If it looks familiar, you're not imagining things — Alex's Bar stands in for Fangtasia on "True Blood." When it's not full of TV vampires, Alex's Bar offers karaoke, trivia nights and live music from local up-and-coming bands as well as an ever-changing list of microbrews.

Signal Hill residents rely primarily on vehicles to get around their neighborhood. Long Beach's local bus service offers many routes and pickups throughout Poly High's main streets, especially on Pacific Coast Highway, which cuts right through the middle of the neighborhood. Get around town, catch a ride to the airport or head over to the Harbor Gateway Transit Center where you can connect with LA Metro light rail and bus services across the whole of Los Angeles County.

Many residents get around in their own car. In addition to PCH, on ramps for the 405 and the 710 are less than a mile away, making it easy to head up to Los Angeles or down to Orange County. If you don't have your own car or don't want to deal with finding parking, local taxi companies and services such as Uber and Lyft are only a phone call or a text away. Eco-conscious commuters bike to downtown Long Beach along bicycle-friendly Los Alamitos Avenue.

Within its few square miles, Signal Hill boasts two beautiful parks. During the warm months, which in Southern California run from April through October, splash around in the pool or relax in the peace garden at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. With almost 9 acres of public space, Martin Luther King draws families looking for picnic space, playgrounds for the kids and sports fields for teens and adults to play in rec leagues and pickup games.

Locals looking for exercise head a few block east to Chittick Field Park. Recently reopened in April 2014, Chittick Field features a full-length football field, an all weather track and three soccer fields as well as stadium lighting, bleachers and restroom facilities for fans. This park sees a lot of use from student athletes and the community too.

With one-bedroom apartments going for just $867 on average, housing costs are a full 13 percent lower than comparable neighborhoods. The cost of living in general runs 8 percent lower than the rest of Long Beach, but that's still 25 percent higher than the national average.

A regular monthly pass on Long Beach's bus service that will get you downtown and to school costs only $65 — with significant discounts for students and seniors. If you're driving your own car, the local gas stations are among the cheapest in the region.

If you're eating local, prices range dramatically depending on whether you're looking for a trendy watering hole down south or a hole in the wall up north. Expect to pay $2 for a taco and $6 or $7 for a craft beer at the local pub.

Long Beach has become a favorite Southern California destination for shopping and entertainment. Discover unique shops and more right in the Signal Hill neighborhood.

Get your car fixed up and tricked out along Signal Hill’s stretch of PCH. You can find anything your vehicle needs, from accident repair at A & A Collision to specialty glass and sound systems at Long Beach Audio Shop. Your custom-designed ink can be created by an experienced artist at two of the area's best tattoo shops: Long Beach Ink Assassins and Advanced Dermagraphics Tattoo.

Get your grocery shopping done with ease — there are more than 20 markets within a mile of Poly High. Make a fast run for eggs and milk from one of the many mini markets in the area, or stock your shelves at the Signal Hill Costco. For regular grocery runs, pick up Hispanic foods at Northgate Gonzalez, or find prepared family dinners at Fresh & Easy.