Ask anyone in Long Beach, CA where to spend a Saturday and the answer is almost always the same two words: Belmont Shore. This is the fifteen-block stretch of 2nd Street running from Livingston Drive east to Bay Shore Avenue, a genuinely walkable main street with more than 150 businesses packed shoulder to shoulder, and the sand of Alamitos Bay waiting at the far end. It is the closest thing Long Beach has to a town square, and it is where locals take out-of-town visitors when they want the city to make a good first impression.

This guide covers what is actually on 2nd Street right now: the restaurants worth the wait, the bars that have been there for decades, where to park without circling for twenty minutes, what the beach end is really like, and the December parade that shuts the whole street down. Every place named below is a real, currently operating business, and every name links to Google Maps so you can pull up hours, current reviews and directions in one tap.

What Belmont Shore Actually Is

Belmont Shore sits in the southeast corner of Long Beach, wedged between the open ocean on one side and the sheltered water of Alamitos Bay on the other. The commercial spine is 2nd Street; the residential blocks running off it are a dense grid of 1920s beach bungalows, Spanish revival duplexes and newer three-story rebuilds, most of them on lots small enough that neighbors genuinely know each other. Naples Island, with its canals, sits just across the bridge to the east.

What makes the neighborhood work is the scale. The storefronts are small, the sidewalks are wide, and almost nothing is set back behind a parking lot, so the whole street reads as continuous rather than as a series of strip malls. You can park once and spend six hours moving between breakfast, a bookshop, the beach, a bar and dinner without ever getting back in the car. Very little of coastal Los Angeles County is built this way anymore, which is exactly why 2nd Street stays busy on a Tuesday night and genuinely crowded on a Saturday.

It is also a dog neighborhood to an almost comic degree. Patios along 2nd Street are full of dogs, the bay-side beach at the end of the street draws a constant parade of them, and several businesses keep water bowls out front as standard practice. If you are visiting with a dog, this is the part of the city built for you.

Restaurants in Belmont Shore, Long Beach

2nd Street is the single densest restaurant corridor in Long Beach, and the range runs from a 1954 pizzeria to a Naples-certified Neapolitan import. These are the anchors, with honest notes on what each one is actually good at.

Domenico’s Belmont Shore — the oldest restaurant in the city

At 5339 E 2nd Street, Domenico’s has been running since 1954, when Domenico and Beverly Spano opened it and became one of the first places in California to serve pizza at all. The Kenyon family bought it in the mid-1960s and it has stayed in continuous operation since. It holds roughly 4.6 stars across more than 2,000 reviews, which is remarkable durability for a restaurant this old and this busy.

What people order: the ground sausage and ground pepperoni pizzas, which are the seventy-year-old house tradition, and the famous house salad with its creamy garlic dressing. Review consensus is that the sleeper dish is the rigatoni and sausage in a very rich tomato cream sauce. The dining room is covered with pergolas and string lights, so it reads as outdoor dining even when you are fully inside. The one consistent complaint has nothing to do with the food: parking near this stretch of 2nd Street is genuinely hard at peak hours, so budget the time or walk in.

Nick’s on 2nd — the special-occasion standby

At 4901 E 2nd Street, Nick’s is the upscale-but-not-stuffy end of the street: classic American food, a serious cocktail and wine list, a chic island bar and a spacious patio built for people-watching. It opens daily at 11am. Reviewers consistently single out the steaks, the fried deviled eggs, and a butter cake dessert that gets described, over and over, as one of the best in the city. The same restaurant family also runs a Mexican concept, South of Nick’s, in Belmont Shore, so the name appears twice on the street.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele — Neapolitan, from the original

The Naples original dates to the 1870s; this 4621 E 2nd Street location brought it to Belmont Shore and it is very much open, running from 6:45am to 9pm on weeknights and to 11pm Friday and Saturday. The early opening is unusual and genuinely useful — it is one of the few places on the street serving well before the brunch crowd arrives. Go for the Neapolitan pizza, which is the entire point.

Open Sesame — Lebanese, and a local institution

Open since 1999 at 5215 E 2nd Street, Open Sesame has been a Belmont Shore favorite for a quarter century and holds about 4.5 stars. It is Lebanese and unapologetically garlic-forward: the shawarma, the pita, and a garlic sauce that regulars order extra of. It gets busy at dinner and the tables are close together, so it is better suited to a lively meal than a quiet one.

Simmzy’s and Panama Joe’s Cantina

Simmzy’s is the coastal-casual gastropub of the street: rotating craft beer taps, woodfired pizzas, burgers, tacos and the shoestring fries people come back for. It is genuinely kid-friendly, which matters in a neighborhood this full of families. Panama Joe’s Cantina, at 5100 E 2nd Street at Granada Avenue, is the loud, colorful Mexican option that runs late and works best for a table of six or more rather than a quiet dinner for two.

The Naples Rib Company — barbecue at the far end

Technically past the Naples bridge at 5800 E 2nd Street, but it belongs on any 2nd Street list. It runs about 4.4 stars across roughly 1,600 reviews and is widely treated as the barbecue benchmark in Long Beach: baby back, St. Louis and beef ribs, plus prime rib and tri-tip. Reviewers reliably mention the cornbread with honey butter, the mac and cheese, and the warm towels brought out after the meal. It opens at 4pm on weekdays and noon on weekends, and there is valet parking, which on this street is worth something.

One honest correction worth making: Michael’s on Naples, for years the special-occasion Italian restaurant at the Naples end of 2nd Street, is no longer operating. Older guides and listicles still recommend it. Do not plan an anniversary around it.

If you want the wider city picture rather than just this corridor, our guide to the best restaurants in Long Beach covers the other neighborhoods, and the Long Beach brunch guide handles weekend mornings specifically.

Bars and Nightlife on 2nd Street

Belmont Shore nightlife is neighborhood-bar nightlife, not club nightlife. It skews toward people who walked there and intend to walk home.

Legends Bar + Grill has been on 2nd Street since 1979 and has a legitimate claim as one of the first modern American sports bars in the country. It is wall-to-wall sports memorabilia with an enormous projection screen, and on game days it is the loudest room on the street. Dogz Bar + Grill is the opposite energy: a relaxed, openly dog-friendly spot built around hot dogs, sausages and beer. Panama Joe’s and Simmzy’s both carry a strong late bar crowd, and Nick’s island bar is where you go when you want a properly made cocktail rather than a pitcher.

The practical note: 2nd Street is compact enough that a bar crawl here is genuinely walkable end to end, which is not true of most Long Beach nightlife districts. Our full Long Beach bars guide covers downtown and the other corridors.

Coffee, Juice and Casual Daytime

Mornings on 2nd Street belong to the walkers, the dog owners and the beach crowd. Salud Juice covers the health end — certified organic cold-pressed juice, smoothies, acai and pitaya bowls, wellness shots, plus coffee and pastries. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele’s 6:45am open makes it an unexpected early option. For the full citywide list of independent roasters and cafes, see our Long Beach coffee shops guide.

Shopping the Fifteen Blocks

The retail mix on 2nd Street is mostly independent: boutiques, salons, surf and swim shops, home goods, pet supplies and service businesses, with a modest number of chains mixed in. More than 150 businesses operate along the corridor. The character of it is that you can browse without a plan — the storefronts are small and close enough together that walking the full fifteen blocks and back is a legitimate afternoon activity rather than a chore. Weekday afternoons are the calm window; Saturdays from about 11am onward are the busiest hours of the week.

The Beach End: Alamitos Bay and Mother’s Beach

Walk 2nd Street east and you hit the water. This is a real advantage over most Long Beach commercial districts, and it changes what a day here looks like.

Mother’s Beach, on the northeastern side of Naples Island inside Alamitos Bay, is the family default. Because it sits inside the bay just below Marine Stadium, it is protected from open-ocean motion, so the water stays calm and shallow with lifeguard coverage in peak season. The surrounding Marine Park is the only spot in the area combining grass, sand, a large modern playground, picnic facilities and a designated swimming area in one place. It is also the natural launch point for paddling: from there you can reach Marine Stadium, Los Cerritos Channel, and the full loop around Naples Island.

The bay-side sand at the end of 2nd Street itself is calmer and more sheltered than the open-ocean beaches further west, which is why it draws so many families and dogs. For the wider list, our Long Beach parks guide and things to do with kids in Long Beach cover the rest of the city’s outdoor options.

Parking on 2nd Street: the Honest Version

This is the single most common complaint about Belmont Shore, and it is a fair one. Here is how it actually works.

2nd Street has single-space parking meters that accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and Discover), running at $3.00 per hour from 10:00am to 7:00pm. Meters line 2nd Street itself, the side streets, the alleys and several public lots. The side streets and the public lots are the move — circling 2nd Street directly during a Friday or Saturday dinner rush is how people lose twenty minutes. Park two or three blocks off the main street and walk in; the neighborhood is flat and the walk is pleasant.

Outside metered hours the pressure drops considerably, so a late dinner or an early morning is a much easier parking proposition than a Saturday lunch. If you are going to the Naples Rib Company, valet solves the problem outright.

The Belmont Shore Christmas Parade and Annual Events

The neighborhood’s signature event is the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, held on the first Saturday in December. It draws roughly 30,000 spectators and is now Southern California’s second-largest holiday parade. The 2025 edition was the 41st annual; the 2026 parade runs Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

The route runs east along East 2nd Street from Livingston Drive to Bay Shore Avenue, then loops back west to Livingston, so spectators on both sides of the street get a close view. It features over a dozen local marching bands and around 100 entries, with floats built by Long Beach businesses and neighborhood associations. It is free, no tickets or RSVP, and the streets close at 4:00pm so people can set up chairs and blankets. Arrive early; the good spots go fast.

The other date worth marking is Long Beach Food Scene Week, which ran July 31 to August 9 in 2026 with more than 100 participating restaurants citywide, several of them on 2nd Street. December also brings the Naples Island canal Christmas lights and boat parade one bridge to the east, which pairs naturally with the Belmont Shore parade the same month. Our Long Beach events guide tracks the rest of the calendar.

Living in Belmont Shore

Belmont Shore is one of the most expensive places to live in Long Beach, and the reason is simple: walkability plus water. Citywide, Long Beach runs about 52% above the national average on overall cost of living, with a median home price around $847,000 and a median rent near $2,287. Belmont Shore and the blocks around it sit meaningfully above those citywide figures, because the small lots, beach proximity and the 2nd Street corridor are exactly what buyers pay a premium for.

What you get for it: a genuinely walkable daily life, a beach at the end of the street, and one of the higher-rated areas for safety in a city where roughly 80% of the 97 neighborhoods are rated A or B on safety despite a middling citywide grade. What you give up: space, quiet on summer weekends, and easy parking. Rentals turn over reasonably often, and the housing stock skews toward small units and duplexes rather than large single-family homes.

If you are weighing the area against the rest of the city, our best neighborhoods in Long Beach guide compares them directly, cost of living in Long Beach breaks down the numbers, is Long Beach safe handles the safety question honestly, and moving to Long Beach covers the logistics.

A Perfect Day in Belmont Shore

Start early with coffee and a walk down 2nd Street before the meters go live at 10am, when parking is still easy and the street is quiet. Mid-morning, walk east to the water and take the loop around Naples Island’s canals — it is about a mile, entirely flat, and one of the best walks in the city. Come back for a late lunch at Domenico’s or Open Sesame, spend the afternoon browsing the boutiques or lying on the sheltered bay sand at Mother’s Beach, then take a sunset gondola ride or a kayak out into Alamitos Bay. Finish with dinner at Nick’s on 2nd or the Naples Rib Company and a drink at Legends or Simmzy’s. Total driving required: none, after you park once.

That is the argument for Belmont Shore in a single day. It is also why people who live here rarely leave the neighborhood on weekends.

Belmont Shore FAQ

Where exactly is Belmont Shore in Long Beach?

Belmont Shore is in the southeast corner of Long Beach, centered on 2nd Street running roughly fifteen blocks from Livingston Drive east to Bay Shore Avenue, between the open ocean and Alamitos Bay. Naples Island is directly east across the bridge.

What is the oldest restaurant in Belmont Shore?

Domenico’s Belmont Shore at 5339 E 2nd Street, open since 1954 and Long Beach’s oldest restaurant. It was one of the first places in California to serve pizza.

How much is parking in Belmont Shore?

Street meters run $3.00 per hour from 10:00am to 7:00pm and accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover. Side streets, alleys and public lots are far easier than 2nd Street itself during peak dining hours.

When is the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade?

The first Saturday in December. The 2026 parade is Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm along East 2nd Street from Livingston Drive to Bay Shore Avenue. It is free, draws about 30,000 people, and streets close at 4:00pm.

Is Belmont Shore walkable?

Yes, unusually so for coastal Los Angeles County. The fifteen-block corridor is flat, densely built with more than 150 businesses, and ends at the beach, so most visitors park once and walk everywhere.

Is Belmont Shore dog friendly?

Very. Patios along 2nd Street routinely welcome dogs, Dogz Bar + Grill is built around it, and the sheltered bay-side sand draws dogs all day. See our Long Beach dog-friendly guide for the citywide list.

Is Michael’s on Naples still open?

No. Michael’s on Naples, long the special-occasion Italian restaurant at the Naples end of 2nd Street, has closed, though older guides still list it.