Ocean Center Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ocean Center Building |
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| General information | |
| Location | 110 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, California |
| Coordinates | 33°45′59.15″N 118°11′33.36″W / 33.7664306°N 118.1926000°W |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Height | 197 ft (60 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Meyer & Holler design by Raymond M. Kennedy |
The Ocean Center Building is a tall, 14-story building in downtown Long Beach, California. It stands about 197 feet (60 meters) high. This historic building was finished in 1929. It was designed by Raymond M. Kennedy from the Meyer & Holler architecture firm in Los Angeles.
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Exploring the Ocean Center Building's Design
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When the Ocean Center Building was first built, it had a very clever design. It had two main entrances on the ground floor. One entrance was higher up, on the bluff (a steep cliff) overlooking the ocean. This was on Ocean Boulevard.
The other entrance was lower down, closer to the beach. This entrance was at the bottom of the Pine Avenue incline, which is a sloping street. This made it easy for people to get to the beach and to a fun area called the Walk of a Thousand Lights in The Pike amusement zone.
What Was Inside the Building?
Back then, the building was full of different things. It had many shops, offices, and even parking spaces. On the beach level, there was a shopping area with an archway. This archway led to a restaurant and a large men's clothing store.
Later, the restaurant became a penny arcade, which is a place with coin-operated games. The clothing store turned into a Hollywood on the Pike cabaret, a place for entertainment shows. There were also smaller shops along Pine Street.
Above these shops, there was a parking area where people could rent spaces each month. The rest of the building was used for more shops and offices. Some offices even had outdoor balconies on the roof, along with turrets and a tower.
A Castle by the Sea?
The roof of the Ocean Center Building looks different depending on if you view it from the east or the west. It has parts that look like battlements, which are the protective walls on top of a castle. This makes the building look a bit like a grand castle!
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How the Shoreline Changed
Even though the Ocean Center Building was originally built right next to the ocean, things are very different today. Now, you have to walk a long way to reach the water from the building.
This happened because of big changes made to the Long Beach Harbor and the breakwater (a wall built in the water). Also, the Los Angeles River was straightened. These changes stopped the ocean from washing away sand.
Over time, more and more sand built up, making the beach much wider. By the 1950s, the beach was so wide that the area between the building and the ocean was paved into a parking lot. This area is now called Seaside Way. More land was added, and now Shoreline Drive and Shoreline Village are built on top of that new land.
The Famous "Pike" Amusement Zone
The Ocean Center Building was built near a boardwalk that was originally just planks of wood on the sand. This boardwalk made it easier to get from Pine Street and the Long Beach Pier to a bathhouse called The Plunge.
This simple boardwalk was first known as The Pike. Later, "The Pike" became the name for the whole entertainment area. This included rides, snack stands, and carnival games. This area became very famous and appeared in many tourist photos, TV shows, and movies, like It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
The boardwalk was later paved with concrete and lit up with strings of lights hanging above. It was then renamed The Walk of 1000 Lights. The archway of the Ocean Center Building was often the first thing visitors saw, making it a grand entrance to all the fun!
New Life for an Old Building
Today, the Ocean Center Building is getting a big makeover! It used to be an office building, but it is now being changed into homes. In 2017, a company called Pacific6 bought the building.
They started the project in 2019. When it's finished, the building will have about 80 apartments. Residents will be able to use rooftop terraces. The ground floor along Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue will have space for new restaurants and small shops.
See also
- Jergins Trust Building
