Bixby Knolls - Long Beach, CA

The Bixby Knolls neighborhood, including California Heights and Los Cerritos, sat in the middle of the historic Rancho Los Cerritos in the 1800s. When oil was discovered in Signal Hill just to the south, the local population exploded. The area became a mecca for nightlife and was considered one of the premium neighborhoods in Long Beach. As businesses closed their doors through the 1970s, the area began to slump, but young families discovered the beautiful homes in the early 2000s, rejuvenating the area.

Rancho Los Cerritos lets visitors experience what life was like in 1840s Long Beach. Take a free tour of the original adobe residence, the old schoolrooms and the beautifully restored grounds.

Every Halloween, Long Beach locals flood to California Heights for the Long Beach Haunted House on Myrtle Avenue. This free haunted house maze truly frightens its guests with its dead ends, crawl spaces, moving floors and creepy animatronics.

The Bixby Knolls neighborhood features quite a few unique, casual eateries, mostly lined up along Atlantic Avenue. There are plenty of American restaurants, but adventurous palates will want check out the Italian, Japanese, Mediterranean, and even Hawaiian restaurants in the vicinity.

When Bixby Knolls locals need to buy a birthday cake, they go straight to Jongewaard's Bake n Broil on Atlantic Avenue. While you're waiting for your cake to be boxed up, sit down to enjoy some fluffy lemon blueberry or pumpkin spice pancakes. Cinnamon rolls, chicken pot pie, and quiche also win raves. If you're still choosing that birthday cake, try the red velvet or German chocolate to make everyone happy.

Bixby Knolls locals get double nighttime fun when they head to the Exhibition Room and Roxanne's Cocktail Lounge, two joints which share space on Wardlow Avenue. Roxanne's puts a hip, modern spin on a dive bar, complete with pool table, photo booth, comfy sofas near a fireplace, and a dance floor with a DJ spinning a wide variety of music. In the same building, the Exhibition Room's speakeasy vibe becomes evident from the moment you have to enter through a phone booth. Make reservations for the live piano bar and enjoy craft cocktails made with top tier liquors by creative mixologists.

Long Beach Transit runs buses through the Bixby Knolls neighborhoods in all directions to connect residents to Artesia, Lakewood, Cerritos and downtown Long Beach. In addition, the free Long Beach Passport bus runs from Bixby Knolls to the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific and other sites in downtown Long Beach. Taxis are available only on an on-call basis, with Uber and airport shuttles also available by phone.

Most locals in the Bixby Knolls neighborhoods choose to drive their own cars as their primary means of transportation. Parking remains easy on residential and commercial streets in this uncongested area, and Interstates 710 and 405 sit at the borders of the neighborhood to allow easy access to Orange County, Santa Monica and Pasadena.

Long Beach pioneered separate bike lanes in southern California and provides bike racks throughout the city. In addition, the LA River bicycle trail runs right along the edge of Bixby Knolls to connect cyclists to downtown Long Beach. Pedestrians find Bixby Knolls welcoming with its well-maintained sidewalks and gentle hills, though distances make commuting on foot unsuitable in most cases.

Several small free neighborhood parks give Bixby Knolls residents places to play, relax and hang out with friends and family. Los Cerritos locals can find their neighbors walking their dogs and having picnics at Los Cerritos Park. The park has tennis courts, a fun playground and a great hill for kids to roll down.

Sherer Park features the Uptown Dog Park, though you'll have to keep your dogs from chasing the ducks in this park's picturesque pond. Take advantage of the volleyball, basketball and tennis courts as well as the weight room and programs at the community rec center to stay fit.

Although the neighborhood parks tend to be too small to host major events, you can head straight south into downtown Long Beach every summer to enjoy the Long Beach Park Jam, which brings reggae, soul, jazz and world music to Cesar Chavez Park. Yoga, drumming, and arts and crafts lessons are also available.

Bixby Knolls offers an array of homes that truly capture the essence of Long Beach living. For those considering a one-bedroom apartment, you might pay around $1,800 dollars per month. Alternatively, if a house is more your style, the average house for rent costs around $2,300 per month. For those with dreams of putting down roots, the average house price typically hovers around $880,000.

The Lakewood Center Mall and Long Beach's Shoreline Village, the nearest major shopping centers to the Bixby Knolls area, feature many recognizable brand-name shops. You can find some unique specialty shops right in the neighborhood, as well.

Bring your kids along when you visit Pixie Toys on Atlantic Avenue, and be sure to make an appointment at the store's doll hair salon. This family-owned store chooses each toy carefully, so you'll find a beautiful selection every time you enter the shop. Make this your birthday party go-to and take advantage of the free gift wrapping.

Vintage Emporium in California Heights sells beautifully curated antiques and many handmade items. Stop in when you're seeking jewelry, old china, handbags, or other gifts, and make time to stop in at the Blackbird Cafe, another neighborhood favorite, right next door.

Bixby Knolls residents only have to go as far as Atlantic Avenue to do their grocery shopping at Ralph's, Trader Joe's, or Vons. For farm-fresh produce, head to the Bixby Knolls Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons and pick up some kettle corn, nuts, and fresh flowers as well.