Wrigley, Long Beach, CA

Wrigley sits just east of the river levee in central Long Beach, and that concrete channel works as its backyard. The Wrigley Greenbelt runs along the top of the levee with walking paths, then ties into the regional river bike path heading down to the harbor. The name comes from the chewing gum family, whose company built homes on a small cluster of lots between 1928 and 1934 that now form a historic district of Spanish and Tudor revival houses. Across the wider neighborhood you'll find Spanish-style bungalows, mid-century ranch homes and small apartment buildings, many of them updated while keeping their original details. Veterans Park gives Wrigley 14 acres of ball fields and rec programs, Baker Street Park opened in 2011 on the site of an old family ranch, and a second green strip on Daisy Avenue traces an old Pacific Electric rail line through the middle of the neighborhood. Willow Street is the neighborhood's main commercial street. Wrigley Coffee pulls shots from Common Room Roasters beans and runs a job training program behind the counter. Long Beach Beer Lab, a few doors west, serves pizza alongside its own beer. Groceries are close. There is an Albertsons on East Willow, a Grocery Outlet on Willow and a Northgate Gonzalez Market on Pacific Avenue. The Metro A Line stops at Willow Street, which makes downtown Long Beach and Los Angeles easy without a car, and the 405 and 710 are minutes away. The commercial strips along Willow, Pacific and Pacific Coast Highway lean toward fast food and older storefronts, so the independent spots are scattered rather than clustered. Wrigley makes up for it at the river, where the greenbelt path is busy with runners and bikes from early morning on.