Long Beach Construction (Planned, Proposed, & Current)

[PromenadeIrishmen]

Originally Posted by regboi21

What do you guys think Long beach's skyline would look like 50 years from now


A. San Deigo

B.San Francisco

C.Los Angeles

D.Chicago

Not to be a shmuck but how about option
E. Long Beach

[LAMetroGuy]

New render and logo for the AVIA by LodgeWorks:

[regboi21]

Does anyone have any info on the project that is proposed on the parcel that currently has a burger king restaurant a old studio apartment building and a bank its pacific ave right by the metro blue line pacific station and the former top value grocery store also what ways do you guys think downtown could be a more safer place to live work and play.

[PromenadeIrishmen]

Originally Posted by regboi21

Does anyone have any info on the project that is proposed on the parcel that currently has a burger king restaurant a old studio apartment building and a bank its pacific ave right by the metro blue line pacific station and the former top value grocery store also what ways do you guys think downtown could be a more safer place to live work and play.

I have a good idea, have the police that pulled me over for a no seat belt ticket on Monday night and put them on bike duty they seam to have there eyes open for anything, I sure am glad if attended the charity for them at the Blues Cafe on Saturday as if they didn't get enough money out of me by choice now im forced to pay them.


But all seriousness the few things that can be done to improve safer place to live to live in Downtown im sure are already being done, but its going to take more than the city works to improve on it. is there any form of neighborhood watch in place, or monthly meetings for a little bit of a pow wow for the city safety. Little things can help a lot for each others neighbors.

[PromenadeIrishmen]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

New render and logo for the AVIA by LodgeWorks:

[PromenadeIrishmen]

3

[yibs]

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_7009951

And making downtown safer would be nice, but you would have to get rid of a lot of the crime element out of the area. Sadly there are a lot of bad people living in downtown, and the city has designated downtown as a low income area for housing for lower income families. Notice that most city officials live on the east side, and then people wonder why they want all the poor people to live downtown. I was yelled at by bums on the west side saying get out of our park, it's for homeless people only. I told then to f off, and get a life. I'm so sick of these people. Nobody wants to come to a town where your bothered with that kind of stuff. Well San Francisco can be bad, but makes up for it in being a such a beautiful world class city.

[InsExchLoft_dweller]

Originally Posted by PromenadeIrishmen

I have a good idea, have the police that pulled me over for a no seat belt ticket on Monday night and put them on bike duty they seam to have there eyes open for anything, I sure am glad if attended the charity for them at the Blues Cafe on Saturday as if they didn't get enough money out of me by choice now im forced to pay them.


But all seriousness the few things that can be done to improve safer place to live to live in Downtown im sure are already being done, but its going to take more than the city works to improve on it. is there any form of neighborhood watch in place, or monthly meetings for a little bit of a pow wow for the city safety. Little things can help a lot for each others neighbors.

It sounds like a lot of people, even us on the thread, bought into the pitch that downtown is this great city... now that we know it's not - we need to try to change things. I know this thread is about "new developements" but let's face it, all these pretty renderings are crap and that's why I don't read the thread so much anymore... time has proven that all these renderings are just that, renderings. Now that this thread seems to be more about, hey what the hell is going on and why is this city still a pile of shit, i'm going to come back more often. Here's a group of residents trying to make a difference.


North Pine Neighborhood Alliance

MEETING NOTICE-
Monday, October 1st, 6:00pm at King's Fish House on Pine- Community Room

This next meeting will set the tone, agenda, and leadership for the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance for the next year. The meeting will be conducted in an open forum so that all NPNA residents will have the opportunity to help develop the goals and priorities of our association.

Your input is very important!

AGENDA

Develop goals for NPNA
Pass the NPNA Bylaws
Elect open executive board positions
Form committees
Make a difference inour neighborhood....see you all on Monday.

Robert Garcia

NPNA President

[Ruby]

Hi,
Hi, everyone. I am new to the Forum. I am buying a place in the Aqua Tower and it is going into escrow next Monday.

Originally, we were going to purchase a loft in downtown LA. We reserved a 1 bedroom unit in a historic building called Roosevelt which is located right across from Macy’s. The unit is on the 4th floor facing 7th street and it comes with one leased parking space, free for ten years only. I have been very skeptical of DTLA but my hubby thinks it has potential. There are numerous homeless people strolling around and even doing their bathroom business right in front of the building. The whole place smells like a public toilet. Most of the ground level retail spaces along that street are empty and it looks so run down. Before we signed the final contract, we inspected the unit and found out the advertised 913 sqt living area turned out to be only 750 sqt; the developer includes all the exterior walls and façade into the calculation. Then unbelievably, the purchase price in the contract was 3% higher than what we reserved it for.(@#x*!) That was the last straw and we canceled the reservation right away.

I’ve always loved to own an ocean view condo so we started looking at Long Beach along Ocean Blvd and we were shocked when we saw downtown Long Beach; it is renovated since the last time we were there and that was 15 years ago. We actually owned a rental place in Belmont Heights we still had no idea the development that has been happening. We walked in the Aqua Tower and we were sold in seconds. I got so much more with less money compared with the stupid loft in DTLA. I can own a 2 bedroom apartment on the 15th floor with an unobstructed frontal view of the ocean and that comes with 2 car deeded parking. We actually got more excited as we discovered that there are some type of urban living in the area within walking distance; restaurants along pine street, the pike and the rainbow harbor. Oceanfront combined with urban living, this is so unique in Los Angeles and I am still wondering why I didn't know about this before.

[drisee]

InsExchDweller. This NPNA thing looks cool. In my opinion that's the type of stuff needed for this downtown. Screw waiting around for the city to develop something and make some changes. I'm going to try and make it out.

That goes along with what i think this city needs to make it more safe. we need a better environment to walk around in. something more conducive to getting out, getting to know your neighbor and activating the streets. Busy streets are safe streets. beautiful streets are busy streets.

as for this last post by Ruby. I call BULL SHIT. You sound like a shitty buzz marketer hired to spread good pr about Aqua. Thanks but no thanks, take your anti DTLA yeah for Long Beach crap somewhere else. Aqua and its fake art deco look bum me out.

[LAMetroGuy]

drisee,

I'm sick and tired of your stupid posts on this thread. Ever since you started posting here, all you do is bitch and moan about downtown Long Beach. Why don't you take your agoraphobic ass out of the city and move to orange county where you can walk freely and far away from any ethnic "cholos". To call bullshit on Ruby is pure conjecture and totally uncalled for.

I live in Aqua and I support Ruby's sentiment and just because you don't feel the same way, well that is your problem. I love having a deeded parking spot, a great ocean view and being walking distance to restaurants and the Pike. Like always, you are quick to point out architecture that you don't like but we have yet to see what architectural wonder you live in... the place you choose to call home, the location where you spend your monthly rent or mortgage... how divine must this place be? I know that you "just want what is best for the city" but that tired sentiment is just not working for me. Yeah a city of a population of 500k needs work, are you really that surprised? What utopian city did you think you lived in? No city is without flaws, we are finding ours and fixing as we go... but that isn't good enough for you and yet you still shell out a monthly fee for the privilege of living in a place you despise... you are a clever one~!

And to Ruby's point, yes the area in and around the Roosevelt in downtown LA is a cesspool (but that will change in the future) but it is the reality today... deal with it!

[Ruby]

drisee,
You really should chill off. I am a new member to the forum and soon to the community of Downtown LB, I expect welcome and courtesy from fellow community members, not unfound hostilily. I am here to share my exciting news of acquiring a new home, hoping people living around the neighborhood can give me some encouragement and guidelines before we move in. Your attitude really puzzles me since you assume anyone who would buy in DTLB now must be marketing for some body while at the same time you had chosen to live in the same area. If I am bullsh*ting, forgive me to say that, you and I are soon to be living in the same pile of sh*t. I guess your pile would be more sh*tly since you are in it longer than I. After the credit crunch, the real estate bubble has busted. No active marketing can sell a property anymore; the property needs to sell itself based on its own uniqueness and appeal to different types of people. Aqua doesn't need me to market for them since they are almost sold out.

In your post, you seem to be eager to meet your neighbors so together we can build a better place to live, play and enjoy. However, at the same time, you are telling me, a soon to be your new neighbor to take my crap somewhere else. Mutual respect and tolerance for people who might have a different opinion than you is the corner stone for starting a strong community. Why sound like a bitter, beaten, tired old soul when you can be so much more?

[LAMetroGuy]

Originally Posted by Ruby

drisee,
You really should chill off. I am a new member to the forum and soon to the community of Downtown LB, I expect welcome and courtesy from fellow community members, not unfound hostilily. I am here to share my exciting news of acquiring a new home, hoping people living around the neighborhood can give me some encouragement and guidelines before we move in. Your attitude really puzzles me since you assume anyone who would buy in DTLB now must be marketing for some body while at the same time you had chosen to live in the same area. If I am bullsh*ting, forgive me to say that, you and I are soon to be living in the same pile of sh*t. I guess your pile would be more sh*tly since you are in it longer than I. After the credit crunch, the real estate bubble has busted. No active marketing can sell a property anymore; the property needs to sell itself based on its own uniqueness and appeal to different types of people. Aqua doesn't need me to market for them since they are almost sold out.

In your post, you seem to be eager to meet your neighbors so together we can build a better place to live, play and enjoy. However, at the same time, you are telling me, a soon to be your new neighbor to take my crap somewhere else. Mutual respect and tolerance for people who might have a different opinion than you is the corner stone for starting a strong community. Why sound like a bitter, beaten, tired old soul when you can be so much more?

Well said!!!

Ruby, welcome to SSP and Aqua!

[drisee]

LaMetro. With all due respect, i feel like we got off on the wrong foot somewhere. now i can either A) be a dick back to you or B) try to understand you and have you understand me. like how people would be in a real community, which yes i would like to see.

Perhaps you should go back and read more of my posts. Yes i'm negative but i've also tried to generate ideas that will move us forward and not just bitch and moan. InsExchLoft_dweller said it best, there are a lot of people both on this post and not on this post that live in the downtown that feel somewhat suckered and realize the potential sold to us is still just that, potential. the city hasn't really developed at all and if it has it's in a bad generic way. so yes a lot of us bitch but we're also trying to get involved and make a difference.

so PLEASE stop with the oh you bitch too much you should move to irvine statement, it's TIRED!!!

also recognize that community means that we all won't agree, that's the beauty of it. but we should be able to have an opinion and not be told to leave town or move somewhere else because of it. i have an opinion. like it or love it, it's mine. the reality is there was never as much talking on this post until we started talking about the issues, go figure right.

I don't like Aqua. It's my opinion and the opinion of many others that have an understanding of architecture, design and culture in general. Great, you bought one, somebody had to. Without the view that building wouldn't sell shit. It's fake pasted on architecture that looks like an old folks home from Miami with its horrible color palette. It's not what the original plans looked like, the city planners fucked it all up and asked for lame changes. I live in a loft downtown, which one shouldn't matter. If you have opinions to share, the stage is yours.

Ruby. I still don't believe you, i think you're just trying to play out your story at this point. Maybe i'm wrong, but so be it. I don't mind being wrong. if you are for real, then i will have mutual respect for you even if we do disagree, i'm all about it. And ya, perhaps Aqua is "almost sold out" but it's been selling for about 3 years now!! It was selling when the market was still pretty hot. Just fyi.

So respect to all.

[yibs]

I think the aqua is somewhat silly looking. Not to mention the units are very small. I've been inside the aqua, and the hallways remind me of a simple apartment complex, unlike other buildings that have more of a 5 star hotel feel when walking around the halls. I still see lots of banners on the balconies. i presume those units are empty, and a lot of people must like empty balconies, because i don't really see chairs or anything, which make me think the unit is empty. I don't know what's so great about living next to the pike. It's just chain restaurants and empty shops. But i did hear the laugh factory will finally open this year after waiting the past 4. That should be very good for the area, but that still doesn't get rid of all the gang banger crap, and poor/homeless people walking around begging for money. Last month some guy was basically living below the pacific building smoking crack and being loud at night. Took the cops almost a week to finally come arrest the guy.

The downtown area is designated as a low income area, so they build million dollar condos across the street from people living in poverty. Now i don't know about you, but that is going to cause tension. Rich people will not like the poor people, and poor people will feel left out seeing all this grand stuff being built around them while they live in poverty. Let me say also that their are crime elements in this city that are hoping for more rich people to move in, because they will become targets for robbery like a friend of mine was on pine ave. This town will never become great if people and business owners don't feel safe. Build all the buildings you want, but without safety you will just have empty units like we do now.

[LB Life07]

..wwWWOOOooww............. I don't know what to say!! Ruby Welcome to the forum. LA Metro Guy....I have to agree with you!! drisee.....this is a city! every one of them have problems......they all have there blighted areas....nice areas and bad!! That's what makes a city feel like a city! San Fran has it, Chicago has it, New york has it, they all have it!!! in due time things will work out, this is a city in a rebuilding phase, there are gonna be some bad decisions and there are gonna be some good ones!! it happens. we are all not going to agree with the decisions and keep in mind some of us will!! that's why certain things that you may not happen to like get built! Because someone liked something you didn't.......You get mad when we say that you have to see what LB came from......Ruby is a good example of that to be someone who was here last 15 years ago and is surprised at it's changes!! Alot of us who have been here can really appreciate how far the city has come in such a short amount of time because we were here to see it when it was sh*t!! You would have really been complaining then.....there's nothing new under the sun and the phrase that you have to know where you've been to know where your going couldn't be more true in this situation!! You have to start trusting some of us on the fact that we know what where speaking of!! O.k. things have slowed a lot.....certain projects may not get built but all that means is that it leaves room for more proposals and hopefully ones that we all will like!! Shoreline gateway will be a very nice project!! hopefully it gets built. The metro block project will turn out to be very nice!! Press Telegram lofts look to be very nice!! Oceanaire also looks nice. Do you mean to tell me that you can't find any appreciation in any of these projects if they do get built!! because all of them have been approved!! And when they do get built that will be a huge change to the downtown area and it's overall environment, I don't blame the developers for waiting until business conditions in the market improve.....that's just smart business, they'd be idiots to go through with plans that could make them loose money and stand empty.

[yibs]

Originally Posted by LB Life07

. they'd be idiots to go through with plans that could make them loose money and stand empty.

Is that why the pike, cityplace, and or city place condos happened? Is that why the aquarium was built? All of the above have lost money,and or hurt long beach taxpayers. All together over 1 billion dollars for these projects that have done nothing. The real estate market is not going to be like it was from 2003-2005. So most of these projects will not happen. Maybe in 5-10 years. Shoreline gateway says it will be completed in 2012, But nothing is ever on time. The 3 cities you mentioned do have bad areas, but those downtowns are bigger, and like i said you can deal with bad stuff when you are in a world class city, and the 3 you mentioned are better than long beach in so many ways that it's pointless to list. And I've lived here long enough to remember the really bad times, and all i can say is could it of gotten any worse? I'm sure it could of, but saying it's better then 15 years ago is laughable because anything is better than a mixture of hookers, gang bangers, punk rockers, the navy and everything else that goes creep in the night. Although we still have some of the above. lol

[LB Life07]

^^change takes time everyone........yibs as for your comment, I can't really fight what your saying, all I can do is refer you to my last post too. Every world class city I've been to has blighted conditions and bums, a hell of a lot more than we do. San Fran is a very beautiful city, but it is loaded with bums who will constantly ask you for things that you don't want to be bothered with!! these cities also have much higher crime rates than we do.....but Im sure that all of us here would take all those issues to have a city like San Fran.....you think the people who live there don't share your same complaints of crime and poverty! they do. For a city of 500,000 our crime rate is not that bad! I just had a cousin recently visit me from Philly and he was amazed at how many cops we have patrolling our streets!! Even though we got hassled by some for crossing the street where we shouldn't have he still appreciated that he felt safe! We don't have 500,000 cops for every person who lives here so they can't watch all of us at the same time! So some things will go unnoticed and some people will get robbed or a building might get vandalized, someone will get shot!! the issues we deal with are no different from the rest of the cities we are striving to be like!! there's always a bad side to the good! Eventually downtown will make some good moves and things will start to fit into the puzzle better!! bums will get pushed back as certain areas improve and they'll make there homes in areas that have not improved. It's life, and every city in every country shares this same part of life!! ours isn't the worse and it's not the best!!

[yibs]

Never said our city is the worse, Not at all. My issues are with people and some in the city council who claim we live in a world class city, and i think to myself are they really insulting my intelligence? We don't have enough great things about our city to deal with the negative. That is basically my point. I lived in the mission district in San Francisco which is now actually being redeveloped too. So i know what's like to live in a bad area, but i was ok with it, because of the things i could do up there to make me forget about those issues. Long Beach has been trying to redevelop downtown since the mid 70's, but people act like give them time. They have had 30 years to try. And i am a body boarder, and the fact that this city cares more about the port then it's residents never sat well with me. I fear that i will be long dead or will have moved away and be old by the time this town is great, and i find that to be somewhat sad.

[Ruby]

drisee,

You don't have to believe me, for now. I am going to see you in some of the city council meetings in the future anyway. I am a firm believer that the community members need to be organized so we are a force that would have our voice well represented in the city. I have lost track of the LB city development or lack of it for many years. I used to work for McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach 15 years ago and at the time, I had concluded the Long Beach city council was not competent since they were running business out of Long Beach. I remembered that due to some odd ordinances/policies, we couldn’t paint the exterior of our planes (the last of the MD11s) in our facilities and they had to be flown somewhere else to be painted.

Besides this site, is there a community blog to allow the members to notify each other in case of important meetings and events? When I planned to buy in DTLA, I always read blogdowntown.com and that is an effective way to keep everyone informed. In one incident, the news that the city rejected an alcoholic beverage application by a soon to be open restaurant at Met Lofts traveled fast. One of city councilman commented that if the area improves too much, then skid row can’t expand . A lot of people including me called that councilman everyday to give him a piece of our mind. If we can organize something like that in Long Beach, that’ll be a wonderful way to communicate.

As for the choice of Aqua, why would I want to buy there if not for the view? My husband and I don’t care for the architecture either but with the view and the brand new interior, all are being forgiven. The sales representatives told us that they are 92% sold and I did check in the LA county assessor’s web to verify the number of units sold as well as the price sold. Aqua is not perfect but it is a nice compromise that we are willing to live with.