Greyface

Okay, this street makes me happy. I can use it to ninja my way into downtown without going through the hassle on Broadway/Long Beach Boulevard/PCH etc. Coming off the 710, if you follow the split to the left and exit onto the right, you'll bypass a lot of the headaches getting into the area. Vibe-wise, I dunno. It seems like a fairly well off neighborhood, but the LBC obsession with shabby chic makes it hard to tell dirty and trashy from chic. Some of the houses CAN'T be cheap, but it's not really my style.

I usually sneak onto Locust when I'm headed north from 7th and don't feel like dealing with Long Beach Boulevard. Truthfully, there's not much too it. It's clean enough and seems pretty safe, and other than jerks like me, not too much traffic. I'll probably be looking at Locust for rentals next time I move, looks like a nice balance between nice and cheap.

If you absolutely cannot take a bus/cab/passport to the Queen Mary area, Queens Way is one of your only options. I don't think there any residences, but the area is nice in a business/touristy kind of way. If you are driving and your directions SAY Queens Way, zoom in a little more on Google so you can actually SEE what direction to go. That area gets a little confusing, as a lot of the streets merge into others.

Santa Fe can take you basically from near down town all the way back into Los Angeles. The industrial surroundings make the residential buildings a little less glamorous but it is a good alternative to the freeway when traffic is terrible. Not very clean, not well kept up, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Anaheim is one of the streets that run the length of the city. With tons of apartments, houses, and businesses, Anaheim is a busy street. While Anaheim is dotted with bus stops and gas stations, there are also lots of residential buildings, making it a popular low income area to make your home. No, it isn't pretty though much of it, but it is inexpensive and accessible.

Rayo is just plain obnoxious. Big rigs park in the street and cause a huge choke point for traffic, it is dirty, and people are rude. There are a few apartments further down, but I can't imagine anyone wanting to live on this overly dirty road. The only upside is its proximity to the freeway, but since it is usually so congested on Imperial, it still takes forever to reach the offramp.

Linden is one of those streets that are awesome on one side and terrible on the other. It doesn't make too much sense, but there it is. There are several amenities near or on Linden, but as in most of Long Beach, the parking is a nightmare. Since you are quite near the transit mall, if homeless people bother you, this area of Long Beach may not be for you.

This street looks like the residents have "gorgeous garden" contests. It is incredibly quiet and clean, and the people are very friendly. We visit this street pretty often and it is near lots of amenities but far enough that the traffic doesn't seem to be a pain! If we could afford to, we'd be there in a heartbeat!

There a lot of cats and classic cars. I only recommend petting one of those...

Please don't move to Oregon St. It's got a few apartments, but WOW is it scary. I worked on Oregon for a while, and while food, gas, and even West Coast Choppers are just down the street, I still would steer well clear of the few apartments in the area. If you simply must move, try Pacific or Magnolia. A little less scary, and a lot more light poles.

I live on 4th and Walnut, and it's sort of in the center of "Retro Row." There are tons of shops, several bars within walking (or stumbling) distance, some good restaurants, and plenty of public transportation. My main complaint is the amount of traffic. It did not used to be so trafficky when we moved here about a year and a half ago, and now there is a constant and obnoxious flow of cars.
The area is a bit trendy, probably wasted on a shut-in booknerd like me, but it's better than a lot of towns.