Surviving the school year is one matter, but surviving free time, boredom and gas prices is another. Luckily, Cal State Long Beach students can find an array of options for entertainment around the Log Beach area. From shopping to museums, CSULB students can get to most destinations for free with their student IDs and the convenience of the Long Beach Transit and The Passport red buses.
Survival-wise, general shopping areas are a must for new and returning students. Any of the 90 buses can be used to travel to the Los Altos Market Center. It is the closest to the campus and can fulfill most needs from groceries, fast-food restaurants and stores like Target.
Passport A and D
The Passport buses, bus A and bus D from the CSULB campus, can suffice as direct travel to more promenades of shopping and dining.
Shopping steps up at Belmont Shore on Second Street, which has stores like Banana Republic and the Buffalo Exchange, and dining like B.J.’s Pizza and Grill. The business association also hosts events such as the upcoming 22nd Annual Car Show on Sept. 11 and an art walk on Oct. 22.
Both the A and D buses stop at the corner of The Market Place on Pacific Coast Highway. It corners a selection of stores such as Unique Boutique and BevMo!, and restaurant favorites like California Pizza Kitchen and Ruby’s Diner.
Heading down Ocean Boulevard on either bus, the International City Theater at the Long Beach Performance Arts Center is the place for an elegant night out. This season’s production of “Private Lives” holds its opening night on Aug. 26. There is a $5 discount for full-time students.
And for the art connoisseur, either bus travels to the Long Beach Museum of Art. Student admission is $6 with an ID. This also includes free admission Thursday evenings from 5 – 8 p.m. and there is free admission every Friday.
Passport B
For a more vintage and creative vibe, Passport B caters to the passé audience by treading down Fourth Street, known for the retro stores and quaint coffee shops and bars. Occasionally, this area draws attention with their art galleries and sidewalk sales; a good spot to stroll through in your spare time.
For entertainment purposes, the Art Theater of Long Beach shows anything from newly released hits to film festivals such as the upcoming 2011 QFilm Festival from Sept. 16 to 18. More upcoming events include standup comedy on Aug. 25 and Red Hot Chili Peppers “I’m With You” concert live from Hamburg on Aug. 30.
Passport C and the 90 buses
The 90 buses serve as a good way to travel to the Museum of Latin American Art on Alamitos Avenue off Seventh Street. Students are discounted to $6 admission. In addition, the admission is free every third Sunday.
Heading toward downtown Long Beach, all of the 90 buses transport to the Transit Mall situating itself in the center of downtown. Passport C, on the other hand, rides on through the middle of the downtown activity.
Passport C heads down Pine Avenue, where there is a spectrum of taste from George’s Greek Café to the Alegria Cocina Latina to the large and undeniable L’Opera Ristorante. Pine Avenue also holds more name brand shopping, such as Reflection and nearby Walmart.
The Pike, also easily gotten to by the Passport C, is mostly known for dining like Tokyo Wako and Sgt. Pepper’s Dueling Piano Cafe, as well as the Ferris wheel and the carousel next to the Laugh Factory. The Pike is also a place for nightclubs and bars.
Shoreline Village is another great spot to recognize Long Beach’s culture. One could experience unique specialty shops such as the Village Hat Shop and the Cigar Guy. Visitors can also see beautiful scenery such as Parker’s Lighthouse and a carousel that can be found within a small arcade.
Additionally, the Passport C bus takes passengers straight into the main attractions of Long Beach with ease. The Aquarium of the Pacific provides a $4 discount per adult ticket that is purchased online. The Queen Mary embraces the ship tour and events such as the upcoming Shoreline Jam on Sept. 3 at the Queen Mary Event Park. And of course, the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center has upcoming events like Chris Tucker on Aug. 19 and the Motion Auto Show and Expo on Aug. 21.
Briefly, common buses used to get to these general destinations are the 91, 92, 93 and 94 buses of the Long Beach Transit. Most of the bus travel is along 7th Street and Bellflower Boulevard, all of which go through the CSULB campus. The Passport buses, A, B, C and D, serve for attraction purposes and are free — regular fare is required east of Alamitos Avenue; only Passport D goes through the campus.
For more information about the bus schedule, visit lbtransit.com.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.
