Bixby Knolls, Long Beach, CA

Bixby Knolls centers on Atlantic Avenue, the north side main street of Long Beach where First Fridays brings thousands of people out each month to wander between restaurants, shops, street booths and live music. The strip has collected so many brewpubs that locals call it Brewery Knolls. Tudor, Spanish, Mediterranean and Craftsman houses share streets, many on larger lots than the older beach districts. Estate-sized homes around Virginia Country Club sit just west in Los Cerritos, and the historic tile-roof blocks of California Heights are to the south. Rasselbock Kitchen and Beer Garden has a big patio for beer and sausages, Dutch's Brewhouse pours a few doors north, and George's 50's Diner and the Knolls Restaurant are the breakfast standbys. Bixby Joe Coffee and Tea is the neighborhood coffee stop, and HiroNori Craft Ramen is around the corner on Carson Street. Scherer Park on Long Beach Boulevard is the big green space, 26 acres with tennis and volleyball courts, a playground and the Uptown Dog Park. Bixby Knolls Park on San Antonio Drive and Somerset Park on Carson Street cover the east side. The Los Angeles River path is a short ride west. Daily errands are easy. There are two Trader Joe's, one on Atlantic and one on Long Beach Boulevard, plus an Aldi on Atlantic, a Ralphs on Carson and a Northgate Gonzalez Market on Cherry. The blocks near Atlantic are walkable, while the rest of the neighborhood leans on the car. The southern edge runs up against the 405. On First Friday nights, parking near Atlantic fills fast and side streets take the overflow, so the neighbors who live closest usually just walk over.