Best for big groups and family gatherings who want space, quiet and a pool, with the beach as a day out.
What north Long Beach is like
Bixby Knolls is named for one of Long Beach’s old landowning families, and it still feels like an estate neighborhood: wide streets under big trees, homes set back behind deep lawns, and the fairways of Virginia Country Club running through the middle. It is about as far from a beach-town bustle as Long Beach gets.
The neighborhood’s main street is Atlantic Avenue, which Visit Long Beach calls one of the city’s most diverse dining destinations: Michelin-noted kitchens, breweries, coffeehouses and food halls, with independent shops and galleries in between. Once a month, First Fridays turns it into an art walk, with businesses open late and live music along the street.
History is right next door. Rancho Los Cerritos, beside the country club, is an adobe ranch house built in 1843–44 and now a National Historic Landmark, free to visit. And the beach? A drive away, which suits a trip where the house is half the point.
Plan your visit
- Where
- North Long Beach, around Atlantic Avenue and the Virginia Country Club golf course
- The main street
- Atlantic Avenue, with restaurants, breweries and shops; First Fridays monthly
- History
- Rancho Los Cerritos, free, Wednesday to Sunday
- Beaches
- A drive to Alamitos Beach downtown or the bay beaches in east Long Beach
- Closest airport
- Long Beach Airport (LGB), just to the east
Things to do nearby
A historic ranch, a food hall and a main street worth an evening. Where to start:
Rancho Los Cerritos
A two-story adobe built for John Temple in 1843–44, with gardens and exhibits on the Tongva people, early Spanish settlers and American pioneers. Free admission and parking; Wednesday to Friday and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Plan a visit.
Atlantic Avenue and First Fridays
Dinner and a brewery on the neighborhood’s main street, from Mediterranean at Taboon to the beer garden at Rasselbock. On First Fridays, shops stay open late, bands play and the Expo Arts Center has exhibits. Bixby Knolls events.
SteelCraft
An outdoor food hall where everyone can order their own thing: wood-fired pizza, burgers, tacos, island grill, coffee and a beer and wine bar around shared tables. Easy with a big group. SteelCraft vendors and hours.
Bixby Knolls also has its own Shakespeare company, and breweries like Beachwood and Smog City nearby. Virginia Country Club itself is a private club.
Beaches and water
North Long Beach is inland, so a beach day is a drive. Choose the water you’re after. For a wide ocean beach with volleyball, bike rentals and a path along the sand, go to Alamitos Beach downtown. For calm water, a swim area and a paddleboard launch, go to Bay Shore Beach on Alamitos Bay, and make an afternoon of Belmont Shore or Naples while you’re there.
Bringing the dog? Rosie’s Dog Beach in Belmont Shore is the off-leash zone on the sand, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Check the city’s beach water-quality updates before anyone swims.
Pack the car once and stay for the day: beach in the morning, lunch on Second Street, a gondola or a paddle in the afternoon, then home to the pool.
Getting around
This is a driving neighborhood. Atlantic Avenue is good for an evening on foot once you’re there, but the homes, the ranch and the restaurants are spread out, so plan on a car or rideshare. Rancho Los Cerritos has a free lot across from its gates, and SteelCraft has a lot at 3745 Long Beach Boulevard.
Long Beach Airport (LGB) is the closest airport, just to the east, which makes arrival day easy. Downtown, the Aquarium and the beaches are all a drive south. Long Beach Transit has a trip planner if you’d rather take the bus.
A north Long Beach day
- A slow morning at the house. Coffee by the pool; this is the point of staying inland.
- An afternoon at the ranch. Rancho Los Cerritos opens at 1 p.m. most days (10 a.m. on Saturdays), with docent tours on a first-come basis.
- Dinner on Atlantic. A restaurant or a brewery, or SteelCraft if the group can’t agree. On the first Friday of the month, stay for the art walk.
Make the next day a beach day: pack once, head for the coast and come home in time for a swim.
Bixby Knolls questions
Is Bixby Knolls near the beach?
It’s inland, in north Long Beach, so the beach is a drive. Alamitos Beach downtown and the bay beaches in east Long Beach are the closest choices.
Is Bixby Knolls walkable?
Atlantic Avenue is good on foot for dinner and browsing. For everything else, plan on a car or rideshare.
What is First Fridays?
A monthly art walk on Atlantic Avenue, with shops open late, live music, exhibits at the Expo Arts Center and free electric shuttles. Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association.
Is Rancho Los Cerritos free?
Yes, admission and parking are both free. It’s open Wednesday to Friday and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; groups of eight or more reserve ahead.
Does staying near the club include club access?
No. Virginia Country Club is a private club, and a stay nearby doesn’t include access. The Estate’s own putting green is the next best thing.
Is it a good base for a big group?
Yes. The streets are quiet and there’s room to spread out, and the Virginia CC Estate sleeps ten with parking for eight cars, so it suits family reunions and celebrations.
