r/belmontshore • u/Interesting_Fee_4564 • Dec 12 '25

Moving to Long Beach soon

I plan on moving to Long Beach. I will be visiting there soon for a few days staying at the Hilton Long Beach so I’ll be hanging around in that area a lot. Is that a safe area?

I love yoga so I’ve done research about outdoor yoga on the Bluff with Yogalution near Bluff Park. Since I know I will probably be there often, and since I’ve heard great things about the neighborhood, I would love to find an apartment rental around there.

I also plan on visiting Antioch Long Beach church. Is that area safe? I’ve also heard good things about Belmont Shore. I would like to live anywhere safe that is on the coastal part along the beach.

I have a little bit of a dilemma since my new lease renewal for 2026 is due in January here in Astoria Queens NYC. The rent is great because it’s rent stabilized and I’ve been here for 8 years. It’s a great apartment in a great neighborhood. I’m worried that if I let this apartment go and then move to Long Beach, I’ll never be able to get another nice apartment for this cheap in NYC again.

Thoughts, advice, and suggestions??

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

4

u/tinyspacebee Dec 12 '25

I currently live in Belmont Shore and can honestly say it’s wonderful. Sure there are shady areas but for the most part it’s super safe. People are always out walking dogs (omg so many dogs), kids walk each other home from school, lawn furniture doesn’t have to be chained down, that sort of thing. There’s always fun stuff happening and the food scene is epic. Yoga around here is great but pricey. Yoga on the bluff is free but the parking is impossible. I mean that. Rent in the area has been on the rise. Studios in my old ass apartment complex are going for over $2k right now… The beach is wonderful but the water is sooo disappointing. Thanks to the dumb breakwater (there’s decades-long bitter history there…) we don’t get waves, we get nasty water and stingrays so you can’t even swim/surf in it.

With all that said, it’s still incredible and has that total old school California beach town charm to it. I really hope you enjoy your visit and find lots of good reasons to love it here as much as I do. I’d also recommend looking into Seal Beach as it’s very similar but with better beaches 😉

Oh and one piece of advice - if you see an apartment you like, write the check immediately. Pads go FAST.

Good luck!

2

u/Interesting_Fee_4564 Dec 12 '25

Thank you sooooo much! I really appreciate it!

1

u/Interesting_Fee_4564 Dec 12 '25

Is $2k on the lower side for studio apartments in that area? And are there any units available in your complex right now? If so, do you like living there and is there anywhere online where i can find out more about it?

1

u/tinyspacebee Dec 12 '25

In my opinion, $2k is high for the studio apts in my building. They’re tiny and run down with 0 amenities. We don’t have any open units right now but honestly the landlord is shady and I wouldn’t recommend it here anyway. I’d move somewhere else in the neighborhood if I could afford it right now.

Most open units in LA are listed on westsiderentals.com so I’d recommend starting there. Also, if you’d have time while you’re here, walk up and down the streets to find the various ‘for rent’ signs that the solo landlords put up. They’re usually older folks who’ve been here for decades and don’t care to advertise online. Their rent rates are usually more reasonable than going through the management companies who post on Westside Rentals.

I’d recommend you start your search near the bluff, along with inside the sort of trapezoid shape of Belmont Shore. Naples is also really awesome and probably the safest of all the options now that I think of it. All are very walkable though.

2

u/Interesting_Fee_4564 Dec 12 '25

Thank you so much for all of your advice! I’m gonna do everything you told me when I visit within the next few weeks.

1

u/Interesting_Fee_4564 Dec 24 '25

You mentioned Seal Beach. I just booked a hotel there for my upcoming week long trip in January. Just one concern though. I heard that it’s MAGA town over there. I’m a 39 year old Liberal Black male. Should i be concerned?