Traffic Circle, Long Beach, CA

Traffic Circle, in east Long Beach, is named for the roundabout that joins Lakewood Boulevard, Los Coyotes Diagonal and Pacific Coast Highway. It still moves tens of thousands of cars a day. Homes in Traffic Circle sit on the blocks behind the shopping, mostly mid-century single-family houses with a good share of apartments and small complexes closer to the big roads. Streets a few turns in from the circle are flat, quiet and residential. Los Altos lies east, with Recreation Park and Park Estates below it. Stearns Champions Park on 23rd Street is the local park, and Recreation Park's golf courses, tennis center and dog park are a short drive south. Colorado Lagoon's swimming beach and the Belmont Shore sand are about ten minutes away. The circle is ringed with food. Up Lakewood Boulevard, The Potholder Cafe is the breakfast stop and Spire's Restaurant is the classic diner. For a more polished dinner, VUE Bar + Restaurant sits near the airport. Errands take very little planning. Ralphs at Circle Center, Vons on Ximeno Avenue and Sprouts on Pacific Coast Highway all sit within a few blocks of each other, surrounded by fast-casual chains. Long Beach Airport is at the north end, and the 405 is a short hop up Lakewood. Traffic is the obvious tradeoff. The circle and its feeder roads are loud and busy, and homes along Pacific Coast Highway and Lakewood hear it. A few blocks in, the neighborhood is quiet enough that the main sound on a weekday afternoon is a plane on approach to the airport.