Wrigley Long Beach, CA

Considered a historic district, the Wrigley neighborhood was one of the first communities established in Long Beach. In the early 1900s, Spanish Colonial Revival style homes began being built in the Wrigley area.

Many museums populate the areas surrounding the Wrigley community. The Long Beach Museum of Art provides a beautiful facility that rests on the shores of Long Beach. It hosts exhibitions, art programs, special events and a restaurant called Claire's that overlooks the ocean. Some of their art programs include Kidsvisions, adult workshops, Toyota Tours and family art-making workshops.

Annual events include the Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade, a traditional event where the city of Long Beach comes out to enjoy holiday festivities.

Thai Sky Long Beach Restaurant has a great selection of authentic Thai Royale Court style food for you to try. This establishment has an extensive selection on its menu including Wonton Soup, Roasted Duck Curry, Pad Thai, Rad Nar with Crispy Noodles, and Cashew Nut Chicken.

To experience an authentic pizzeria, head over to Buono's Pizza. This family started eatery serves classic Italian dishes like pizza, chicken parmigiana and fettuccine alfredo. You can choose from a variety of different pizzas, including Margherita, BBQ Chicken, Scampi & Spinach, and Chicken Rancho Italiano.

If you’re in the mood for something heavy, check out Handy’s Smoke House Delicacies in the neighboring community of Bixby Knolls. Here, you can enjoy hearty dishes such as the smoked ham, lamb, brisket sandwiches, smoked turkey and yellow tail. Handy's also has an assortment of specially made rubs and sauces.

For a centralized entertainment area, head to downtown Long Beach and check out The Pike at Rainbow Harbor. This multi-million-dollar development sits on the waterfront and provides a variety of amenities. It has a Ferris wheel, an open-air marketplace, a movie theater and a host of restaurants and entertainment venues. The Laugh Factory, located in The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, provides a great place to unwind. The factory hosts different shows and events, such as All-Star Comedy, Latin night and Sunday Funday.

The Wrigley neighborhood provides many methods of transportation. Many people travel via automobile, but public transportation also makes for a popular option. Long Beach Transit buses service this neighborhood, and you can also catch a subway train to Los Angeles at the neighborhood train station.

Unfortunately, only one bicycle lane runs through Wrigley along the Los Angeles River, but the community does have sidewalks. The residential streets are narrow and lined with street parking, making it a less than ideal area for biking. Interstate 710 borders this neighborhood while the Pacific Coast Highway runs directly through it. You can call and arrange for a taxi, or catch an Uber. The wait time for an Uber, excluding peak times, ranges between about 5 to 10 minutes.

Residents enjoy a few parks in and near the Wrigley neighborhood to explore. Veterans Memorial Park serves as the community park for Wrigley. It provides some of the most recreational facilities in Long Beach, touting a lighted softball and baseball field, soccer field, four basketball courts, two tennis courts and a volleyball court, a picnic area, restroom, and playground.

Nearby Signal Hill Park provides picnic tables, barbecue areas, a playground for children, a basketball court, community room and restrooms. Another local park, the Cesar E. Chavez Park supplies a picnic area, playground, a half basketball court and restrooms. You can hold or attend events at the amphitheater located in the park, and utilize the community center.

If you have four-legged friends, treat them to Wrigley Heights Dog Park. Dogs can run around and play, and the park supplies doggie bags, pooper scoopers and a doggy drinking fountain. Other nearby parks are Bixby Park and Rainbow Harbor, where you can participate in water recreational activities such as fishing, whale watching, dinner cruises and scuba diving.

The cost of living in the Wrigley neighborhood tends to be lower than the rest of Long Beach. The rent for a one-bedroom residence asked in this neighborhood, however, costs a little more, averaging around $1,120 compared to $1,010 being the mean rent asked in the rest of the city.

The cost to grab a schooner at a local dive bar like PBS Pub & Co runs about $5. Getting gas in this neighborhood costs you a little more than the national average by about 8 percent. You can either take a train ride from Willow Street Station to Downtown Long Beach Station or just catch a bus. Both options run between $2.50 to $3.50 round trip.

Magnolia and Willow is a fun specialty shop in Wrigley that specializes in antique collective, vintage decor and gifts. Wrigley does not have a mall in it's community but the Long Beach Towne Center serves as a shopping option within close proximity. It has affordable shopping with stores such as Ross, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Lowes, and Barnes & Noble. Several dining options include Chic-fil-A and Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que.

Belmont Shore presents another shopping alternative. This district has stores such as Banana Republic, the Gap, Lucky Brand Jeans and The Children's Place. Boutiques such as La Bella can be found here, a high-end women's fashion boutique that sells apparel, accessories and handbags. It is also the location for the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade.

The grocery stores that surround the Wrigley community are Ralphs, El Paisano Ranch Market and Albertsons. For fresh produce, head over to the Long Beach Southeast Farmers Market.