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Long Beach, California · Neighborhood guides

Best Neighborhoods in Long Beach

11 neighborhoods we show in person, and the one we'd pick for each kind of buyer.

A long, calm canal in Naples with covered boats at private docks, palm trees and homes on both banks under a cloudy sky
NaplesBest on the water
Shingled beach houses and two tall palms glow in golden light beside a wide, empty beach with tire tracks, under a dark gray sky
The PeninsulaClosest to the beach
Silhouette of a lifeguard tower on the sand against an orange sky, with calm water and the lights of the port on the horizon
Belmont ShoreMost walkable
Median askingLong Beach$895K853 for sale
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Where to live in Long Beach. The short answer.

The best Long Beach neighborhood depends on what you want: Naples for a canal home with a dock, the Peninsula for sand at your door, Belmont Shore to walk everywhere, Downtown to live without a car, Belmont Heights for families and Bixby Knolls for the most house for the money. Alamitos Beach condos are one of the lowest-priced ways to live near the beach. For an older house with history, look at California Heights, Bluff Park and Los Cerritos, and for mid-century design, Park Estates. Near the water you pay more and give up parking and yard space. As of September 2026, Naples houses asked about $1.5 million to $10.25 million and Bixby Knolls houses about $860,000 to $1.8 million.

Our picks in Long Beach

Naples

Best on the water

Naples is three canal islands in Alamitos Bay, and many canal-front homes have their own dock. As of September 2026 houses there asked about $1.5 million to $10.25 million, and as of December 2024 four of the six seawall sections still had no funding.

Read the guide ›The Peninsula

Closest to the beach

On this mile-long sandspit many front doors open onto a boardwalk and the sand instead of a street, with the ocean on one side and calm Alamitos Bay on the other. As of September 2026, houses were listed at about $2 million to $6.75 million. Walk-street homes have no front driveway, and you'll want to check the flood zone and get an insurance quote for the exact address.

Read the guide ›Belmont Shore

Most walkable

Second Street's 14 blocks of restaurants, shops and gyms run through the middle of the neighborhood, the blocks are short and flat, and the ocean beach is its south edge. Parking is the hard part, since many bungalows have one alley space or none, and weekends get crowded.

Read the guide ›Downtown Long Beach

Best without a car

The Metro A Line starts here and runs to Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena and Pomona without a transfer, and groceries, restaurants and the water are a walk from most buildings. The downside is city noise, street closures on event weekends and paid parking.

Read the guide ›Alamitos Beach

Most affordable near the beach

As of September 2026, condos here asked about $325,000 to $1.8 million, about half of them between $400,000 and $800,000, and from most buildings the sand is about a ten-minute walk. Almost everything for sale is a condo, many in older buildings, so check the HOA's reserves first and expect to hunt for parking.

Read the guide ›Bixby Knolls

Most house for the money

As of September 2026, houses asked about $860,000 to $1.8 million. For that you get a 1920s to 1940s Spanish, Tudor, Craftsman or ranch house on a bigger lot than near the coast, more often with a yard, a driveway and a detached garage. Budget for old-house repairs, and check east-side blocks for small-plane noise from the airport.

Read the guide ›Belmont Heights

Best for families

Belmont Heights has quiet, shaded streets of Craftsman houses, with Recreation Park and Colorado Lagoon's swimming beach close by and the ocean a short ride downhill. Only four houses were listed in September 2026, asking about $940,000 to $3.95 million. Parking is tight on the old blocks.

Read the guide ›California Heights

Best for a historic house

It's Long Beach's largest historic district, nearly 1,500 homes, mostly 1920s and 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival. Houses there can apply for a Mills Act contract, which the city says usually cuts new owners' property taxes by 30% to 50%. Any exterior change needs a city Certificate of Appropriateness, and small planes fly over some blocks.

Read the guide ›
Live from the MLS

Long Beach by the numbers.

All of Long Beach$895K
  1. The Peninsula$3.47M
  2. Naples$3.11M
  3. Belmont Shore$1.97M
  4. Bluff Park$1.7M
  5. Los Cerritos$1.45M
  6. Belmont Heights$1.33M
  7. Bixby Knolls$1.1M
  8. California Heights$900K
  9. All of Long Beach$895K
  10. Alamitos Beach$675K
  11. Downtown$595K

All of Long Beach$607
  1. Naples$1,329
  2. The Peninsula$1,050
  3. Belmont Shore$960
  4. Belmont Heights$764
  5. Alamitos Beach$672
  6. Bluff Park$667
  7. Downtown$622
  8. Bixby Knolls$617
  9. All of Long Beach$607
  10. Los Cerritos$606
  11. California Heights$569

All of Long Beach1,156 sq ft
  1. Los Cerritos3,226 sq ft
  2. The Peninsula2,836 sq ft
  3. Naples2,652 sq ft
  4. Belmont Shore2,533 sq ft
  5. Bluff Park2,007 sq ft
  6. Bixby Knolls1,400 sq ft
  7. Belmont Heights1,173 sq ft
  8. All of Long Beach1,156 sq ft
  9. California Heights1,010 sq ft
  10. Downtown992 sq ft
  11. Alamitos Beach990 sq ft

All of Long Beach55 days
  1. Bluff Park136 days
  2. Belmont Shore109 days
  3. Downtown84 days
  4. The Peninsula78 days
  5. California Heights75 days
  6. Naples74 days
  7. All of Long Beach55 days
  8. Alamitos Beach53 days
  9. Belmont Heights51 days
  10. Bixby Knolls33 days
  11. Los Cerritos30 days

Asking prices for homes on the market right now in each neighborhood we cover, not sale prices. Updated Oct 4, 2026

See all 853 Long Beach homes
Slava Ploshkin, Realtor

Still deciding? Ask me.

I’m a Realtor right here in Long Beach and I know it inside out. Buying or selling, tell me what you’re after and I’ll help you get there.

Call (424) 400-9003

Slava Ploshkin · DRE #02323623English and Russian · How I work in Long Beach

Every neighborhood, side by side.

Belmont ShoreSmall old houses around Second Street, a few minutes' walk from flat waterRead the guide ›NaplesThree canal islands in Alamitos Bay, built from 1905, and some of the priciest homes in Long BeachRead the guide ›Belmont HeightsCraftsman bungalows on the rise above Belmont Shore, with a local main street on BroadwayRead the guide ›Downtown Long BeachWhere Long Beach started: apartment towers and old storefronts, with the harbor at the foot of Pine AvenueRead the guide ›Alamitos BeachOld apartment blocks east of Downtown, with Broadway through the middle and the sand at the end of the streetRead the guide ›Bluff ParkA 1982 historic district of big pre-war houses on the ocean bluff, facing a 13-acre strip of lawn above the beachRead the guide ›Bixby KnollsNorth Long Beach's uptown: 1920s to 1940s houses under big trees, with the breweries on Atlantic a walk awayRead the guide ›California HeightsLong Beach's largest historic district: nearly 1,500 homes, most of them Spanish Colonial Revival, on streets with vintage lamppostsRead the guide ›Los CerritosAbout 700 large homes on wide streets around the Virginia Country Club and the 1844 Rancho Los Cerritos adobeRead the guide ›Park EstatesCustom mid-century and traditional houses, started in 1948, on curving streets between Recreation Park and Cal State Long BeachRead the guide ›The PeninsulaA mile-long sandspit between the ocean and Alamitos Bay, where front doors open onto a 1920s boardwalk instead of a streetRead the guide ›
Median asking
$1.97M$3.11M$1.33M$595K$675K$1.7M$1.1M$900K$1.45M—$3.47M
Homes for sale
182226414911211311—16
Best for
Walking to shops, restaurants and the beachA canal-front home, often with a private dockFamilies who want a Craftsman house near the beachRenters and anyone without a car, near the A LineA beach condo on a budget, with Broadway nightlifeA big pre-war house on the ocean bluffA period house with a yard for lessSpanish revival houses in a protected districtLarge estate homes on wide, quiet streetsArchitect-designed mid-century houses on big lotsSand or calm bay water at your front door
Typical homes
1920s and 1930s Spanish cottages, duplexes to fourplexesCanal and bay-front homes, 1920s to 1940s villas, modern rebuildsCraftsman bungalows (construction peaked 1918 to 1923), plus small multi-unit buildingsApartment towers; condos in 1920s to 2000s buildingsCondos and apartments in 1920s to 2000s buildingsTwo-story Craftsman and period revival houses, 1903 to 19491920s to 1940s Spanish, Tudor, Craftsman and ranch houses1920s and 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival houses on modest lotsAbout 700 large homes from the 1910s to the 1960sCustom mid-century, traditional and ranch houses from 1948 onBeach cottages, duplexes and big rebuilds on narrow, deep lots
Asking range (Sept 2026)
Houses about $1.09M to $3.3M; 2 to 4 units $1.6M to $2.4MHouses about $1.5M to $10.25MHouses about $940K to $3.95M; condos $460K to $700KCondos about $360K to $1.08MCondos about $325K to $1.8MHouses about $1.65M to $4.5M; condos $325K to $1MHouses about $860K to $1.8MTwo houses at $1.1M and $1.25M; condos $340K to $450KHouses about $1.27M to $4MOne house at about $1.47M; condos at the edges $260K to $459KHouses about $2M to $6.75M; duplexes $1.5M to $4.6M
Walk to
Second Street, the ocean beach and Alamitos BayThe canal walks, plus Second Street and 2nd & PCH across the bridgesBroadway, 4th Street cafes and Recreation ParkPine Avenue, the Aquarium, the harbor and the A LineThe sand, Bixby Park, Broadway and Retro RowThe bluff-top park, the beach and Retro RowAtlantic Avenue's breweries and Scherer ParkAtlantic Avenue, a short walk northQuiet streets for walking; Atlantic Avenue is a short driveRecreation Park; shopping is a short driveThe sand, the bay and Belmont Shore's Second Street
Remodel rules
Parts in the Coastal Zone; check by addressParts in the Coastal Zone; affects remodel, dock and seawall permitsTwo city historic districts cover part of itCondo HOA rules; parts near the water in the Coastal ZoneHOA rules by building; some blocks in the Coastal ZoneCity historic district since 1982; exterior changes reviewedNot a historic district; standard city permitsCity historic district since 1990; any exterior change reviewedNot a historic district; gated La Linda has its own rulesHOA CC&Rs and architectural review; not a city districtCoastal Zone; remodels, docks and seawalls can need coastal permits
Public schools
LBUSD; near Lowell Elementary, Rogers Middle, Wilson HighLBUSD; Naples Bayside Academy elementary is on the islandLBUSD; near Fremont Elementary, Rogers Middle, Wilson HighCheck the address in LBUSD's School FinderLBUSD; assignments change street by streetLBUSD; check the exact addressLBUSD; Longfellow Elementary and Hughes Middle in and near itLBUSD; Longfellow Elementary and Hughes Middle close byLBUSD by address; some families look at private schoolsLBUSD by address; Cal State Long Beach next doorLBUSD; assignments vary by address
Trade-off
Scarce parking, weekend crowds and narrow lotsTop prices, tight parking, seawall work partly unfunded (Dec 2024)Tight parking; few houses for sale; district rules on some blocksCity noise, event-weekend closures and paid parkingScarce parking; older buildings can bring big HOA repair billsRarely listed; old-house repairs and city review of exteriorsOld-house upkeep; small-plane noise on east-side blocksCity review of any exterior change; airport noise on some blocksHigh prices, very few listings, errands by carVery few listings; HOA review; mid-century upkeepFlood-zone checks, summer crowds, walk-street homes without driveways

See Long Beach for yourself.

Tall homes with red tile roofs and white balconies on a bluff above a wide sandy beach, two people sitting on the sand
Belmont ShoreHomes above the sand near Belmont Pier on a sunny winter morning
Photo: Tracie Hall (Flickr: tracie7779), CC BY-SA 2.0
Mediterranean homes with red tile roofs, palms and private boat docks along the water in Naples, seen past a bridge railing
NaplesWaterfront homes and private docks along the water in Naples
Photo: Daniel Stiel, Unsplash License
A palm-lined residential street off Broadway in Belmont Heights, Long Beach
Belmont HeightsPalm-lined streets and Spanish-style homes near Broadway
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Sailboat masts and palms in silhouette at dusk under a deep blue sky, with pink and white clouds reflected in calm harbor water
Downtown Long BeachClouds catch the last light over the boats in Rainbow Harbor
Photo: Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
A paved path beside wide sand, lined by low white condo buildings and taller towers under a blue sky, with two people walking
Alamitos BeachLate afternoon on the beach path in front of the Alamitos Beach condos
Photo: Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
Tall palms and a wide bare branched tree above a sandstone bluff with a white railing, a green slope with yellow flowers below, blue sky
Bluff ParkPalms along the top of the bluff at Bluff Park, seen from the beach path below
Photo: Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0
Two story shingled Craftsman house with deep eaves and exposed beams behind a leafy hedge and a sunlit green lawn
Bixby KnollsA Greene and Greene Craftsman house on a wide lawn on Country Club Drive
Photo: Los Angeles (Wikimedia Commons user), CC BY-SA 3.0
White stucco Spanish Revival bungalow with a red tile roof, an arched front window, iron window grilles and a green front lawn
California HeightsA Spanish Revival bungalow in Los Angeles, the style California Heights is known for
Photo: ubeyonroad, Unsplash License
A cream two story house with a tiled roof and shuttered windows, partly hidden by olive trees, behind a trimmed hedge and a lawn
Los CerritosThe Henry Clock House on Pine Avenue, a city landmark behind old olive trees
Photo: Los Angeles (Wikimedia Commons user), CC BY-SA 3.0
A huge fig tree with thick buttress roots spreading over a sunlit lawn in front of a low ranch house with arched windows
Park EstatesThe old Moreton Bay fig at Rancho Los Alamitos, about a mile east of Park Estates
Photo: Philipp Beckers, CC BY-SA 2.0
A short path between a brown shingled house with red bougainvillea and a gray house leads to palms, dunes and the ocean
The PeninsulaA walkway between houses leads to the sand at the east end of the Peninsula
Photo: Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0

Neighborhood comparisons.

Naples vs Belmont ShoreSee the comparison ›Belmont Shore vs Belmont HeightsSee the comparison ›Bixby Knolls vs California HeightsSee the comparison ›

Questions & answers

Belmont Heights if you want to be near the beach, or Bixby Knolls if you want a yard for less. Belmont Heights has quiet, shaded streets, with Recreation Park and Colorado Lagoon's swimming beach close by, and nearby LBUSD campuses include Fremont Elementary, Rogers Middle School and Wilson High School. Bixby Knolls has 1920s to 1940s houses on bigger lots, more often with a yard and a garage, plus Scherer Park. Longfellow Elementary and Hughes Middle School are in and near the neighborhood. In both, school assignments go street by street, so check the exact address in LBUSD's School Finder.

Read the Belmont Heights guideRead the Bixby Knolls guide

Where we check the facts

The facts on this page (schools, zones, prices) come from the official records below. We double-check them before every showing.

Show all 26 sourcesShow fewer
Photo credits (25)