Uniquely Long Beach Stocking Stuffers
Though the holidays bring visions of bicycles by shiny trees and luxury cars under oversized bows, the fact is sometimes the best, most unique gifts we give or get are those buried in our stockings. And fortunately, Long Beach is stuffed with unique shops and boutiques offering one-of-a-kind gift ideas. Here’s a few to checkout.
THE HANGOUT
When it comes to unique items, The Hangout’s wide-ranging selection just might qualify it as a superstore. This collective of small merchants, all operating in the uber cool, 1920’s brick building that used to house a grocery store, The Hangout (2122 E. Fourth St.), located on Retro Row, has a bookstore and a plant nursery and, if you prefer to grow your own, they have the seeds. There is custom made body butter and incense and vintage 45 rpm records. There’s handmade journals to write down your feelings and sketchbooks to draw them. There's a little something for everyone!
FIND YOUR FEET SOCK & SANDAL
Socks are pretty much the ultimate stocking stuffer, after all, a stocking is pretty much a really big sock. And this Shoreline Village mainstay has a really big sock selection. Booties and full-length, athletic and dress, and representing virtually every kind of interest a person could have. There’s sports team socks, dog and cat owner socks, socks that rep specific hot sauces and beers, there are artsy socks and kitschy socks. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Find Your Feet (419 Shoreline Village Dr.) has a lot of socks, including paying homage to the ultimate foot – yes, a Bigfoot collection.
LB SWAG
If you’re looking for something for someone with serious Long Beach pride, or someone desperate to appear so, this is the place. LB Swag (5304 E. Second St.) for the very best, LBCentric stuffers. Of course, there is the iconic “Long Beach Vs. Everybody” T-shirts and hoodies. Other only in Long Beach items include Trees on the Bay replicas, with lights, and Belmont Shore "Locals Only" candles. There are T-shirts repping Junipero as well as “Traffic Circle Survivor” gear.
ALIEN ARTIFACTS
A relatively recent addition to Retro Row, Alien Artifacts (2132 E. Fourth St.) is located next door to The Hangout and offers an equally wide ranging, though decidedly more vintage and humorous take on things. There are Pee Wee Herman action figures and Dolly Parton coffee mugs. Like your entertainment options on tape? They actually have music cassettes–Gap Band? Yes, please!– and VHS film cassettes. Star Trek? Yep! There are T-shirts and sweatshirts, buttons and bumper stickers and so much more.
ANNEISE/ASH BAY SOAP CO.
These are two shops sharing a single, lovely space, one combining wellness and fashion, visual and olfactory pleasing, most everything in the shop made by hand. Ash Bay (440 E. First St.) features a wide variety of handcrafted soaps, bar shampoos and beauty items of all kinds containing ingredients ranging from vegan to goat’s milk, charcoal to hemp. There are lip potions, face serums and loofas. Anneise has cool, contemporary clothes for women and children as well as handmade jewelry, all of it gently priced and exuding a relaxed, balanced vibe. It also offers a wide variety of very cool, very handmade sunglasses because who isn’t always losing their sunglasses?
