Long Beach for Goths
Drawn to the macabre? Find beauty in the dark and romance in the ruins? Is your fashion aesthetic best described as “black”?
Well, my goth friend, Long Beach has a place for you. While the city’s goth scene may not loom as large as it once did, there still exists places to express your darkly original style and indulge your love of the unconventional. From atmospheric hangouts to moody romantic corners of the city, here’s your gothic guide to the darker side of Long Beach.
SIPPING
There are many dark haunts around Long Beach for children of the night to seek fellowship over alcoholic beverages. Start with The Wicked Wolf (2332 Pacific Ave), a tea lounge by day and cocktail bar by night inspired by fairy tales and fantasy. Alex’s Bar (2913 E Anaheim St) is a nightclub and music venue, where shows skew toward rock and punk, but the dark red interior was atmospheric enough to serve as the filming location for True Blood. For those interested in escaping the sun and getting incrementally closer to the underworld, head to The Blind Donkey (149 Linden Ave), a subterranean whiskey bar in Long Beach’s East Village. Or find your way to The Exhibition Room, an appropriately cloistered speakeasy hidden inside Roxanne’s (1115 E Wardlow Rd).
SHOPPING
Need black platform boots with straps shaped like bat wings? Is your supply of black nail polish running low? Build your goth/alternative wardrobe at Eclipsed Emporium (4376 Atlantic Ave) in Bixby Knolls, a family-owned boutique offering clothing and accessories for all ages, genders and sizes. Dead Rockers (1023 E 4th St) has more of a punk vibe, but also stocks goth apparel and accessories, plus you can browse their vinyl record collection. Lastly, there’s always Hot Topic (31 The Paseo Unit 5A) at The Pike. After shopping, you can enigmatically ride the Ferris wheel or get ice cream at Cold Stone.
SIGHTSEEING
While somewhat anachronistic under Long Beach’s nearly perpetual sunny skies, Gothic Revival architecture can be found around the city, offering a hint of gloom with dark spires and gargoyles hanging over city streets. Built in 1928, the Villa Riviera (800 E Ocean Blvd) is one of Long Beach’s most iconic landmarks, with its Chateauesque peaked copper roof and yes, gargoyles of eagles, wolves, and mythical creatures. Those who want straight-up goth vibes can traipse through the city’s oldest marked gravesites at Sunnyside (1095 E Willow St) and Long Beach Municipal (1151 Willow St) Cemeteries in central Long Beach or wander the crypts at Forest Lawn (1500 E San Antonio Dr) and All Souls (4400 Cherry Ave) further north.
ACTIVITIES
Goths are loath to journey outdoors, but if you must leave your lair, here are some Long Beach activities that may be tolerable for the stormiest of souls. If you’ve never darkened the doorway of an escape room, the Haunted Manor-themed experience at PanIQ Room Long Beach (327 Pine Ave) is a fantastically freaky place to start. This escape room is rated Easy, so if you want to take things up a notch for scares and difficulty, try the Expert-level Insane Asylum. Or consider a tour of local sites that might harbor the paranormal, like the Queen Mary (1126 Queens Hwy)–the historic ocean liner is rumored to be haunted by several spirits of the long-departed–or The Bembridge House (953 N Park Circle Dr), a Queen Anne Victorian mansion on the outskirts of town that hosts weekly tours (with a spookier version available in October). Plus, there’s always a campy midnight screening of Rocky Horror with live shadow cast Bit of Mustard every third Saturday at the Art Theatre (2025 E 4th St) that brings out some local ghouls.
SAVORY BITES
Even goths must feed on mortal food to fuel their shady spirits, and in Long Beach you can seek out eats and eateries that will suit. At The 4th Horseman (121 W 4th St), you will find craft beer, wine, and specialty pizzas inspired by, of course, the apocalypse. The restaurant’s decor is like an 80s horror movie exploded, and the menu is littered with pizza names like Angel of Death, The Pale Horse, and Vampire Slayer. Imbibe craft beer and chow down on hearty pub food at Altar Society Brewing & Coffee Co. (230 Pine Ave), housed in Downtown Long Beach’s oldest building, a former Masonic temple that oozes mystical vibes. Grill ‘Em All (5411 E Ocean Blvd), offers the Ozzy Burger with a black bun, and at Afters Ice Cream (5708 E 7th St / 1388 Daisy Ave), purveyors of Dark Matter Brownie Batter ice cream, featuring fudge chunks and chocolate swirls floating in a black brownie batter ice cream.
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