Carmelitos, Long Beach, CA

Carmelitos is a large county-owned public housing complex in North Long Beach, and it has been there since before World War II. Rows of low-rise garden apartments spread across landscaped courts and walkways just west of Atlantic Avenue, with a community center on Via Carmelitos. Carmelitos is not a for-sale community in the usual sense. The Los Angeles County housing authority owns and manages the units, and rent is generally capped at a share of household income. The surrounding blocks outside the complex are mostly modest single-story houses and apartments. Atlantic Plaza Park on Via Wanda sits right at the edge of the complex with room for a picnic, and Grace Park on Plymouth Street is a few blocks west. Houghton Park, with ball fields, a skate park and a community center, is a short drive north on Atlantic. South Street and Atlantic Avenue carry most of the food. The Boujie Crab on South Street serves Southern seafood with Cajun seasoning, and Kim Sun Kitchen on Cherry Avenue cooks Cambodian dishes. Starbucks on Atlantic and a string of taquerias, burger stands and fish markets fill in the rest. Superior Grocers on Cherry Avenue covers groceries, and the North Neighborhood Library on Orange Avenue is within walking distance. Mother's Nutritional Center on Atlantic is another nearby market for staples, and Got A Leaf? The 710 and 405 are a short drive, and Long Beach Boulevard runs just west. The tradeoff is that retail around Carmelitos is mostly fast food and quick stops, and bigger shopping means driving to Bixby Knolls or Lakewood. The courts and green spaces inside Carmelitos give it more open space than a typical apartment block, and the lawns between buildings stay in use from after school into the evening.