Best for food lovers and browsers who want the beach close enough to fit in before dinner.
What Belmont Shore is like
Belmont Shore is Long Beach’s classic beach neighborhood: a main street, a long ocean beach and a grid of cottages and bungalows in between. Second Street is the heart of it, 14 blocks of restaurants, patios, coffee shops, bakeries, ice cream and independent boutiques, from Michelin-recognized kitchens to neighborhood hangouts and sports bars.
It is the most sociable of the coastal neighborhoods. Breakfast out, an hour on the sand, a look through the shops, then dinner somewhere you walked past earlier: a Belmont Shore day mostly plans itself. The street keeps a calendar of its own, too, with Stroll & Savor tastings, the Belmont Shore Car Show and an annual Christmas Parade.
The beach runs along Ocean Boulevard on the south side of the neighborhood, with Alamitos Bay and its calmer water at the east end. Naples and the Peninsula are next door.
Plan your visit
- Where
- East Long Beach, from the ocean beach north past Second Street, between Belmont Heights and Naples
- The main street
- Second Street, about 14 blocks of restaurants and shops
- Beaches
- The ocean beach along Ocean Boulevard; Bay Shore Beach on the bay at the east end; Rosie’s Dog Beach
- Parking
- Meters on Second Street and the side streets, plus public lots behind the businesses
- Closest airport
- Long Beach Airport (LGB)
Things to do in Belmont Shore
Eat, browse, swim and repeat. The three things that make the neighborhood:
Eat and shop on Second Street
Brunch spots, Italian, Greek, Lebanese and pizza, bakeries and ice cream, and boutiques for clothes, gifts and Long Beach souvenirs. Our Second Street guide has picks, hours and an afternoon plan; the Belmont Shore Business Association lists every business.
Bay Shore Beach
At the east end, on Alamitos Bay: a roped-off swim area with a swim dock, a launch area for kayaks and paddleboards with rentals next door, a snack stand and a playground. The calm-water beach for families. Bay Shore Beach.
Rosie’s Dog Beach
The city’s off-leash zone on the sand: 4.1 acres of sand where dogs can run free, open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It isn’t fenced, so leash up on the way in and out. Rosie’s Dog Beach rules.
Beaches and water
Belmont Shore gets both kinds of Long Beach water. The ocean beach is wide and sandy, and the offshore breakwater keeps the waves gentle, so it is a beach for walking, sunbathing and a quick dip rather than surfing. Bay Shore Beach, at the east end, is calm bay water with a designated swim area, a swim dock and a 500-yard open-water course for strong swimmers. Paddleboards and kayaks launch from the loading area there.
Bring the dog. Rosie’s Dog Beach, on Ocean Boulevard between Granada and Roycroft Avenues, is the city’s off-leash zone on the sand. Outside it, dogs stay leashed and off the beach.
Before you swim, check the city’s beach water-quality updates, especially after rain.
Parking and getting around
Second Street and its side streets are metered, $3 an hour from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except holidays, with a three-hour maximum, according to the business association. For a longer visit, use the public lots behind the businesses. Parking information and lot map. For Rosie’s, the city points dog owners to the metered Granada Avenue lot.
Once you’re parked, Belmont Shore is a walking neighborhood: Second Street, the beach and the bay are all on foot, and Naples is just across the bridge. Second Street is a working street with traffic, so cross at the lights.
For downtown, the Aquarium or north Long Beach, drive or take a rideshare; Long Beach Transit has a trip planner if you’d rather take the bus. Long Beach Airport (LGB) is the closest airport.
A Belmont Shore day
- Breakfast on Second Street. Brunch on a patio, or coffee and a pastry to take to the beach.
- Beach in the middle of the day. The ocean beach for a long walk, or Bay Shore for a swim or a paddle across the bay.
- Shop, then dinner. Browse while the boutiques are open, then settle into dinner once the shopping bags are full.
With kids, swap the boutiques for Bay Shore’s playground and an ice cream stop. With the dog, start at Rosie’s and find a patio after.
Belmont Shore questions
Is Belmont Shore walkable?
Very. Second Street, the beach and Bay Shore Beach are all on foot, and Naples is just across the bridge. You’ll want a car or rideshare for downtown and north Long Beach.
What is Belmont Shore known for?
Second Street: 14 blocks of restaurants, cafés and independent shops a few streets from the beach. Belmont Shore, Visit Long Beach.
Can you swim in Belmont Shore?
Yes. Bay Shore Beach, at the east end on Alamitos Bay, has a designated swim area and a swim dock. Check the city’s water-quality updates first.
Where can dogs go on the beach?
Rosie’s Dog Beach, on Ocean Boulevard between Granada and Roycroft Avenues, open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Dogs can be off leash inside the zone only.
Where do you park for Second Street?
At the meters on Second Street and the side streets ($3 an hour, three-hour maximum, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), or in the public lots behind the businesses.
Is Belmont Shore the same as Naples?
No, they’re neighbors. Belmont Shore is the main street and the ocean beach; Naples is the three canal islands just east, across the bridge.
