Beach Streets Downtown 2023 – Open Thread

9:42 AM PDT on May 23, 2023

Skaters at Long Beach’s Beach Streets – photos by Joe Linton/Streetsblog

LongBeachize_Ad_Concepts — This article supported by Los Angeles Bicycle Attorney as part of a general sponsorship package. All opinions in the article are that of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of LABA. Click on the ad for more information.

Last Saturday, Long Beach hosted another iteration of its popular Beach Streets open streets festival. Beach Streets Downtown opened more than five miles of city streets - primarily Broadway and Pine Avenue.

The event drew tens of thousands of people who biked/skated/ambled/ran/scootered in car-free streets. Car-free travel to the event was fairly easy via the Metro A Line train. Metro was an event sponsor, providing funding via the agency's Open Streets Grant Program.

Beach Streets was chock full full of activities: live music, drag performers, Long Beach Proud! Fest, kids zone, skating zone, outdoor dining, flea markets, drag queen story hours, art, a new walk/bike path opening, and lots more. Streetsblog didn't have enough time there to experience it all. Find plenty more photos and great commentary at LongBeachIze and lots of great photos and more commentary at the Long Beach Post.

What a fantastic day at @beachstreetslb!

Year after year, this event brings safe, recreational fun for all ages. It's a perfect way to promote traffic safety, sustainability, support our local businesses, and embrace active transportation.🚴‍♀️

Thanks to @MaryZendejasLB ,… pic.twitter.com/Ybn24wkgON
— Office of Mayor Rex Richardson (@LongBeachMayor) May 21, 2023

xxx — Rainbow LGBT+ pride crosswalks at Beach Streets

xxx — Downtown Long Beach's Pine Avenue at last weekend's Beach Streets

🚴🏽‍♀️ Thank you for joining us at @beachstreetslb. We want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who came out and made Beach Streets such a fantastic event! Special thanks to @LongBeachCity @LBPublicWorks @LBSpecialEvents @MaryZendejasLB @LongBeachMayor @LBPD pic.twitter.com/CSzXIRip8f
— Downtown Long Beach (@DLBA) May 21, 2023

xxx — Beach Streets along Broadway: there's suddenly lots of life outside Broadway's protected bike lane

#BeachStreets #LongBeach pic.twitter.com/V1Y8CJ5mrU
— (╯°□°）╯︵∀⊥ᴚƎ∩H ⋊ƆIᴚƎ (@ElRandomHero) May 22, 2023

xxxx — Beach Streets Downtown featured a spur along Long Beach's 4th Street Retro Row, which resembled an outdoor flea market

Readers - how was your experience at Beach Streets last Saturday?

Joe Linton @StreetsblogLA

Stay in touch

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

The Week In...

This Week In Livable Streets

Bike Month continues, Metro 91 Freeway widening, Destination Crenshaw, Culver City Bus, Santa Monica MANGo, Metro bike lockers, Metro Sepulveda Transit, and more

May 6, 2024

The Valley

San Fernando Valley Bus/Bike Updates: G Line, Roscoe Bus Lanes, Laurel Canyon Bike Lanes

Short newly protected bike lane on Laurel Canyon Blvd, extensive NSFV bus improvements under construction this month, and scaled-back G Line plans should get that project under construction this summer

Joe Linton

May 6, 2024