Open Thread: Long Beach’s Beach Streets and CicLAvia 30

Beach Streets photo via RobertGarciaLB/Twitter
Beach Streets photo via RobertGarciaLB/Twitter

This weekend saw not one, but two, open streets events in L.A. County. If you attended, or have thoughts about either, please leave them in the comments section below.

Saturday saw the 6th annual Beach Streets come to 2.5 miles of Pacific Avenue. In addition to opening the streets to bicyclists, pedestrians and any and all road users not in a car, the city and civic associations such as Skate Kids and the Arts Council of Long Beach programmed pit stops and events throughout the route. For more on Beach Streets Pacific Avenue, head over to the Long Beach Post or the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Image via CicLAvia/Twitter
Image via CicLAvia/Twitter

The next day saw CicLAvia 30 return to Wilmington with a compact 2.25-mile route along C Street, Avalon Boulevard, and M Street for the second time in three years. Some of the groups participating in CicLAvia included the Mayor’s Great Streets Initiative, Las Fotos Project, Self-Help Graphics, and Street Poets Inc.

Did you attend either event? Is there something just cool about having a choice for open streets events? Let us know your thoughts on the weekend that was.

  • Long Beach County? As much as I like the sound of that I don’t believe that they’ve seceded from Los Angeles County.

    I was sad to miss the CicLAvia. When I mentioned it to a coworker I was shocked to discover that there are still Angelenos for whom the concept of an open streets event is completely unknown.

  • Aaron Paley

    Of course, I’m prejudiced towards open streets and their benefits. My wife and I attended CicLAvia in Wilmington and it was really delightful to explore this often overlooked neighborhood. We got a chance to see small stores, visit with vendors, eat at a great Mexican restaurant (Santa Luna), and learn about different non-profits vying for the LA 2050 challenge. It felt like we were visiting a small town right in our backyard. And, by the way, your first line says that there were two open streets events in Long Beach County. Let me know when you find that County. I think you meant in the Long Beach area?

  • Militant Angeleno

    CicLAvia XXX was short and sweet, and that was okay with The Militant, who had to be at several places on Sunday anyway. Though this was The Militant’s 30th consecutive CicLAvia, it was the very first one where he navigated without a bicycle(!) He rode all 2.3 miles and back in roughly an hour on his vintage 1999 kick scooter. Had a kimchi quesadilla from the Kogi truck at the Banning Park hub. Good times, as always.

  • Andrew Yip

    Keep telling your friends and family!!!

  • calwatch

    I attended the Long Beach event and it was pretty quiet, although the hubs had a lot of activity and I enjoyed the mariachis at the Northgate market. Lack of rail service may have deterred out of towners, although most bike racks on the 860 and 862 were not used,

  • Jonathan Lasher

    I actually attended both. I accidentally happened upon the Long Beach event because I’m from Long Beach. So I want to participating. Was nice. On Sunday I attended the CicLAvia in Wilmington. This was my third CicLAvia. I decided that I would actually walk it since it was only 2.3 miles. That gave me an opportunity to see a part of Los Angeles I’ve never seen before (being a native Angeleno ). Very nice and unique neighborhood. Really enjoyable.

  • Aaron Paley

    Thank you for thirty consecutive CicLAvias! That’s awesome! We should form a club of those who haven’t missed one yet….

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