Bluff Park
Bluff Park, Long Beach’s most luxurious neighborhood, features an eclectic architectural mix of early 1900s era estate-sized dwellings and stunning mansions. Rows of stately single-family, manor-style homes face the grassy knolls and sandy sea cliffs that frame the adjacent Ocean Boulevard.
Greene and Greene, Streamline Modern, Spanish and Mediterranean Revival as well as Craftsman Bungalow designs contribute to Bluff Park’s diverse architectural patchwork of distinctly different period styles built between 1903 and 1949. The sky blue paneled Galaxy Towers are the tallest neighborhood landmark.
The upscale area’s unobstructed panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and its steady stream of sailboats and cruise liners makes it one of the most coveted oceanfront neighborhoods in Southern California. On a clear day, the mountainous silhouette of Catalina Island appears closer than 26 miles out to sea. Dozens of wild parakeets can be seen flocking to and from the palm trees lining Ocean Boulevard, adding to Bluff Park’s tropical feel.
Once home to the silent film industry’s movie mogul elite, Bluff Park is the second largest of Long Beach’s 17 historical districts. A handful of grand estates, similar to the ones once belonging to early film stars like W.C. Fields and Fatty Arbuckle, are still owned by their heirs.
A paved walking/biking path stretches for five miles along the breezy shoreline at the foot of the bluff all the way to downtown. The foot/bike path links up with the nearby Belmont Pier, a newly refurbished 1966 landmark known for its laid-back fishing and spectacular sunset views. Also within walking distance of Bluff Park are the designer boutiques and exotic eateries of trendy 2nd Street in Belmont Shore, a favorite shorefront community with Long Beach locals and tourists alike.
The nearby Long Beach Museum of Art now occupies the historic Elizabeth Milbank Anderson House, a striking 1929 Craftsman mansion perched high on a towering bluff that offers sweeping views of downtown Long Beach, the R.M.S. Queen Mary and Rainbow Harbor.
Bluff Park Area Public Schools:
Kettering Elementary School
www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/ketterin/ketter.html
James Lowell Bayside Academy Elementary School
www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/lowell/index.html
Horace Mann Elementary School
www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/mann/home.html
Naples Elementary School
www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/schools/school_finder/naples.asp
Will Rogers Middle School
www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/sarc/sarc0506/rogers_0506web.pdf
Woodrow Wilson Classical High School
www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/schools/school_finder/wilson.asp
