A City that Doesn’t Leave Politics to the Politicians

In Long Beach, Residents Get a Chance to Deliver Their Own ‘State of the City’

The president of the United States gives a State of the Union address. Governors offer speeches on the states of the state. Even mayors often deliver a state of the city.

This tradition of addresses—of officials, by officials, and mostly for officials—begs the question of what would happen if you let citizens define the condition of their communities instead. Would that generate fresh ideas about how to tackle the biggest challenges?

Long Beach Rising!, a civic engagement program run by a collection of local organizations, is trying to answer that question. On …

My Version of Hell Is a Park in Long Beach

My Family Loves El Dorado Park, But I Hate Everything About It

I detest El Dorado Park.

Yes, I understand the appeal of the park, an oasis of greenery nestled between an aqueduct and the 605 freeway on the outskirts of Long …

Where Can You Dance to the Washboard in L.A.?

The Louisiana Creole Sound of Zydeco Music Is Tough to Categorize—and Tough to Find Outside of New Orleans, Unless You Know Where to Look

It’s not every day that Angelenos stumble upon a washboard, an accordion, and a pot of gumbo all within the county limits.

Maybe that’s because they aren’t looking hard enough. Hidden …

Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell

Devoted to the Red Sox, Cilantro, and a Desk Everyone Else Thinks Is Ugly

Jim McDonnell has been chief of the Long Beach Police Department since 2010; previously, he served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 29 years. Before participating in a panel …

Grant Livingstone

The Guy Who Can Steer Your 950-Foot Container Ship to Shore

Dark wood, padded leather seats with brass nail heads, wrought iron, dim lighting: Everything about the interior of A Restaurant in Newport Beach says old school. The watering hole, formerly …

Wrong Occupation

What Happens When Dock Workers Don’t RSVP

When Occupy Wall Street protesters attempted to shut down West Coast ports earlier this month, they didn’t do much–except demonstrate their ignorance of how ports, and their community of workers, …