Hello, This is one of the busiest streets in all of Long Beach. Pine Avenue in the downtown district has been know as the center of the Long Beach business district. At one time, it was the location of the best shopping stores and brand name companies. All bus routes stopped along this route. We used to take the bus from our Westside neighborhood to down town, get dropped off for a day’s worth of fun, perhaps a movie, shopping and a walk to the beach, plus, of course, the Pike Amusement Center at the base of the hill slope and ocean. Going downtown meant our dad driving us there to shop, have lunch and go to the Pike. When we went there for ourselves, the hot rod/cruisers were slowly “cruising” the main downtown area. The teenage years during the holiday season always brought all of us to see the sights, again and again. Even though we all had seen these displays a million times growing up. Our hot rod cruisers allowed us to call the shots. Not our dads… Two items from the old photo to explain: the “Safety Subway To The Beach” red arrow and the yellow arrow noting “Do Not Enter.” The “Do Not Enter” signifies a one way street, allowing 4 lanes of traffic and two specific parking rows along each curb. By the time Pine Avenue reaches the Ocean Blvd. intersection, across the street becomes a two way street to the lower beachfront area. This allowed shoppers/diners to park right in front of their favorite stores. During the Christmas season the flow of “looky-loos” for the Christmas lighting displays moved smoothly due to the 4 lanes. It was a tradition for most of the families from all over So Cal, and most of those from Long Beach. The “Safety Subway to The Beach” shows the way to go to the entrance on the inland side of Ocean Boulevard for safe crossing of the normally busy street to the ocean side, ending at the sandy area and the street that ran along the shoreline to the Pike. Inside of this underground tunnel were shops and dining places that catered to all folks visiting Long Beach from businessmen to families to kids wandering around prior to going to the Pike. There used to be a Hot dog tiny stand in the tunnel that had grilled hot dogs that were outstanding. Grilling, not steamed made it seem as if it was from a giant barbecue, like at home. Jnaki Back in 1963, the movie Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was filmed at this particular location in Long Beach. The movie also utilized the various other places downtown and along American Ave. (now Long Beach Blvd) It was fun to be able to know where those scenes were filmed as we all walked at the locations at one time or another. The movie theater, the underground tunnel with cool food stands and access to the beach right out in front… and of course, “The Pike.” 1963 The state theater and underground tunnel below to the beach level area. Note the steep grade of the sidewalk, providing for the tunnel to exit on the lower beachfront level. Pine Avenue going toward the ocean and the Pike. Jergins Trust and the State Theater on the left. (soon to be a Hard Rock Resort Hotel and amenities, including the old Jergins tunnel underneath revamped) All on Ocean Blvd in the foreground. Pine Avenue going toward the ocean. Remnants of the Jergins Trust Building on the left. The Ocean Center Building is on the right. “Top: View of Ocean Blvd. and Pine Ave. looking southeast on August 13, 1986. The Jergin’s Trust Building is on the right, in the center is the Crocker Bank Building (now the Salvation Army Building), and on the left is Breakers. The Jergin’s Trust Building was named for the Jergin’s Trust oil company, which built a four story addition in the early 1920s. The Lowe’s State Theater occupied the lower part of the building. The original Jergin’s Trust Building is no longer. By 2027, a new Hard Rock Hotel/resort will be the cornerstone of the oceanfront shoreline for Long Beach. It will be the first new hotel built in the last 30 years. The tunnel underneath where we used to cross Ocean Blvd. will supposedly be retained and updated, too. The hotel would incorporate what is billed as the tallest open rooftop bar on the Southern California coast, overlooking the Port of Long Beach and other nearby tourist attractions such as Alamitos Beach, Shoreline Village, Long Beach Cruise Terminal, and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Plans also call for an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness studio, two restaurants, and other Hard Rock-branded offerings. It was approved in 2021, would make the Hard Rock Hotel the second tallest tower in Long Beach at just over 402 feet in height. The project, is also required to restore access to the historic Jergins Tunnel, which has set below Ocean Boulevard since the 1920s. The hotel would be the latest in several big changes for downtown Long Beach. Just in time for the 2028 Olympics events in Los Angeles (about 40 minutes away) or the Long Beach events along the nearby shoreline and harbor. YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
