In 1928, American aviator Charles Lindbergh was flying through dense fog along the California coast. The sky had turned a heavy white, and Lindbergh was trying not to panic. While searching for a glimpse of safety, an illuminated “B” atop the Breakers Hotel broke through the clouds, guiding him to Long Beach’s shore. Thankful for the homing beacon and exhausted from the harrowing flight, Lindbergh chose to spend the night in that very same hotel, known then as the “crown jewel of the Long Beach skyline.”

The title is certainly fitting for the 14-story marina property. It’s an unmissable part of the Long Beach skyline and has hosted everyone from Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor to WWII soldiers across its 98 years. Now, after endless anticipation, the hotel is ready to reopen next month, reimagining its star-studded charm while honoring Long Beach’s history.

“Old places have souls, made up in part by the people that were there before,” said Adrian Fine, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy. “It feels like you’re rooted in the place, in the stories. That’s the power of historic places.”

There’s a lot of history in the tall walls of the Breakers Hotel. Ninety years ago the property boasted an underground arcade, a beauty salon, a barbershop, a cafeteria and Turkish-style bathing and steam room areas, known as hammams. For the Old Hollywood guard, the hotel was a hideaway from the spotlight. Elizabeth Taylor is rumored to have spent her wedding night with Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr. at the property, and “Gone With the Wind” star Clark Gable was often seen at the tower dancing, dining and dating. Today, it’s a designated historical monument, a relic of Long Beach’s glitzy (and occasionally shaky) past.

“This hotel has always had life and vitality, even during difficult times,” said Maureen Leary, director of sales and marketing for Fairmont Breakers Long Beach. The hospitality group came on in 2022 to oversee day-to-day operations for the historic building.

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In 1933, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake decimated the city of Long Beach, killing an estimated 120 people and forever changing the way that California measures and predicts quakes. Amidst the rubble, the Breakers stood strong and was even used as a base camp for Red Cross efforts.

A decade later, the hotel’s iconic Sky Room, as Leary explained, would be repurposed as a WWII defense outpost. Soldiers stationed inside would use the top floor as a de facto observation deck to spot any potential incoming ocean attack; upstairs, two pillboxes with gun mountings were installed on the roof. “We have accounts from descendants of soldiers who say their dad thought it was the best job ever,” Leary said. “After the soldiers were relieved, they’d go downstairs to the bar, in uniform. And all of the ladies loved a man in uniform.” One of the original pillboxes remains, a rare WWII relic.

After a series of ownership changes and rebrands, Fred Miller, a founder of Flying Tigers Airlines, bought the building in 1961, renaming it the Breakers International. Miller spent months and $1.25 million on an expansive renovation, reportedly saying he lost half his net worth in the process. Breakers International closed in 1963.

Desperate to pay creditors, he put the property up for auction. Realtor Harvey Miller (unrelated) bought it, planning to turn the building into a retirement home. Years of neglect followed, earning the Breakers the ignominious title of “the West Coast’s largest pigeon roost.” Since then, the property has toggled back and forth with multiple owners and renovations, including operating as a separate failed hotel in the 1980s, and as another retirement community as recently as 2015. For all its faults, Long Beach has never fallen out of love with the old seaside building.

“One of our sales managers here had an aunt who lived here when it was an assisted living facility, and her uncle was a busboy,” Leary said. “Whether it’s a luxury hotel or an assisted living facility, it’s still beloved, and I think Long Beach is ready for the return of its original glamor.”

Pacific6, a local development firm, purchased the property in 2017 and initiated a seven-year restoration, while Fairmont was brought in to manage the property. Together, they’ve worked to bring the building to its reopening as the Fairmont Breakers Hotel, with hopes of truly restoring the crown jewel of Long Beach.

The city has evolved significantly since the hotel’s early days. Once a conservative, predominantly white beach resort town known as “Iowa by the Sea” due to the influx of Midwestern retirees, Long Beach is now a thriving cultural hub. It’s home to primarily Hispanic neighborhoods, the largest Cambodian population outside of Cambodia and Pride celebrations that draw diverse crowds. The city also holds a key place in West Coast hip-hop, with rappers like Snoop Dogg proudly representing it in tracks like “I’m From Long Beach,” where he declares, “Beach city, that’s my claim to fame.”

The Breakers Hotel, standing resilient through these cultural shifts, is emblematic of the city’s evolving identity, one that balances its historic roots with a forward-thinking embrace of inclusivity and community.

“The Breakers has seen many owners — some succeeded, most didn’t,” said LA Conservancy’s Fine. “I think Long Beach is ready for this kind of facility now. It’s at a different place than just 10 years ago. The city is unique, unlike Los Angeles or the rest of the country, and this hotel speaks to where it’s heading.”

The multiyear renovation has preserved many historic elements, including the intricate designs across the lobby ceiling, ballroom chandeliers, historic windows and the front desk, now repurposed as the lobby bar. The mail chute, a striking reminder of pre-digital messaging, remains intact. Long ago, guests dropped Long Beach postcards down the chute, sharing stories of their travels with loved ones at home. During renovations, a letter from the 1960s was discovered inside, never sent.

“When we found it stuck in the mailbox, we were all so excited,” Leary said. “Ownership has been working with the postmaster general to find the designated recipient.”

New additions include a pool, spa and six new bars, including the reopening Sky Room. “You’ll never have to walk more than 20 feet to get a drink” when the property reopens in early November, Leary said. The building plans to have a poolside bar, a live music venue called Alter Ego, a lobby bar that doubles as an afternoon tea spot, an Italian restaurant named Nettuno (inspired by the god Neptune) and a rooftop lounge called Halo offering broad views of Catalina Island and the historic Queen Mary ship down in the harbor.

While much has changed around it, the Breakers Hotel remains a beacon of the city’s glamorous past. With five major reopenings behind it, the Fairmont Breakers Hotel’s next chapter promises to honor that legacy, but is Long Beach really ready for the Breakers this time around? Only time will tell if the sixth time’s the charm.

“The Breakers Hotel isn’t just a building,” Fine said. “It’s a connection to Long Beach’s past and future. This building is one of those that is more of a beacon.”

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Long Beach, CA – While election results have yet to be finalized, it seems that Long Beach voters have approved Measure AC, a $990 million bond measure that will provide critical upgrades and modernization for Long Beach City College’s (LBCC) campuses. This landmark investment will enhance campus facilities, create state-of-the-art learning environments, and fund affordable housing for students, establishing LBCC as a model for the college of the future.

“On behalf of the LBCC community, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the voters for your support of Measure AC,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, LBCC President. “This measure represents an extraordinary commitment to our students and the future of Long Beach City College, and we could not have done it without the LBCC Foundation and community supporters like them. With these funds, we will be able to transform our campuses with cutting-edge facilities that match the ambition and potential of our students. From upgraded nursing labs and state of the art classrooms, to affordable housing and sustainable design, Measure AC will make LBCC an institution where students can thrive academically and personally.”

The passage of Measure AC will allow LBCC to address essential infrastructure needs, including repairing and modernizing academic and job-training classrooms and labs. These upgrades are crucial as LBCC continues to serve as a primary training ground for local healthcare professionals, first responders, and other essential workers. By revitalizing its campuses, LBCC is poised to enhance educational access and equip students with the skills necessary to meet regional workforce demands.

Vivian Malauulu, Board of Trustees President expressed her gratitude to the community, saying, “We are deeply appreciative of the Long Beach voters who believed in this initiative and recognized the need to invest in LBCC’s future. The unanimous decision by our Board to place Measure AC on the ballot reflects our shared vision for a stronger, more accessible LBCC. We would especially like to thank Trustee Uduak-Joe Ntuk, who served as the Honorary Campaign Chair and worked tirelessly to make this measure a reality.”

Measure AC will fund the following improvements:

With almost 100 years of service to the Long Beach community, LBCC remains dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality education. The passage of Measure AC will allow LBCC to support the growing student body, expand programs like the Long Beach College Promise, and strengthen the college’s role as a critical provider of workforce training and transfer opportunities. LBCC will keep the community informed as it embarks on this journey, ensuring transparency and accountability through a civilian oversight committee.

“Measure AC is more than just a facilities upgrade; it’s a commitment to the well-being and future success of our students,” added Dr. Muñoz. “By enhancing our campuses and providing affordable housing, we’re breaking down barriers to education and building a community where every student has the opportunity to achieve their goals.”

For more information on Measure AC and upcoming projects, please visit LBCC’s website.

About Long Beach City College Long Beach City College consists of two campuses with an enrollment of over 25,000 students each semester and serves the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, and Avalon. LBCC promotes equitable student learning and achievement, academic excellence, and workforce development by delivering high quality educational programs and support services to our diverse communities. Visit www.LBCC.edu for more information about Long Beach City College.

MEDIA CONTACT

Stace Toda, Director of Communications & Community Engagement Long Beach City College [email protected] (562) 938-4004

Do you have the best Christmas decorations in town? Send us photos and a description for Patch's 2024 holiday tour o' lights.

Patch Staff

LONG BEACH, CA — Can the holiday lights on your home be seen from space? Does it look like the Las Vegas strip?

If you've spent days or weeks painstakingly hanging strands of lights on your house, palm trees and shrubs, or hauling multiple figurines out to your lawn — Patch wants to hear from you.

Soon, we're compiling a Patch California tour o' lights, where readers can explore the best holiday light displays in the Los Angeles County area.

We aim to have the list up as soon as possible — so email photos and a description of your winter wonderland to Kat Schuster at [email protected].

For many of us, taking in our neighbors’ outdoor holiday lighting displays and other decorative touches is as much a part of the season as exchanging gifts and singing Christmas carols.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There’s a good reason twinkling holiday lights and colorful displays make us feel good, according to mental health experts.

“It does create that neurological shift that can produce happiness,” Psychologist Deborah Serani, a senior professor at New York’s Adelphi University, told NBC’s “Today” show. “I think anything that takes us out of our normal habituation, the normal day in, day out ... signals our senses, and then our senses measure if it’s pleasing or not.”

Decorating for the holidays “will spike dopamine, a feel-good hormone,” she said. “For a lot of us, Christmas is a magical time, it’s a time of innocence. It’s a time of joy.”

That’s why Patch and T-Mobile are partnering to find the lighted homes around Long Beach that deserve a drive-by.

A few details:

If you’re including a video, please upload it to YouTube and send us the link so we can embed it (make sure it's marked “public”). We also request that the homeowner submit their own yard or a close relative.

We’ll keep updating the list for LA County throughout December.

Once you've provided the information — and submitted a photo or two or a video (after you uploaded it to YouTube) — you will be entered and included in our roundup.

Pro-tip: If you haven't photographed your light display before, a good time to take photos is at dusk.

IMPORTANT: By submitting a photo, you're giving Patch permission to publish it for this feature and future stories. Photos should be original and taken by the person submitting the photo.

So, be sure to check back for updates and sign up for your local Patch.com newsletters as well!

Please copy and paste the following information into an email, along with photos or videos, and follow these guidelines:

We’re looking forward to hearing from you. Remember, email Kat Schuster ([email protected]) to submit photos of your holiday lights.

CALIFORNIA — This week in California business news, home prices 'rebalance'; bankruptcies rise in the Golden State; and Tesla left out of electric vehicle rebates.

A woman called into work on her day off bought a lottery scratch ticket on her break, only to find out she won the jackpot after clocking out.

Check out this week's top headlines for California business news on Patch:

Quote Of The Week

“I’ve only told one person at work, and it was the manager who wanted me to stay late on a holiday. He couldn’t believe it.” - Woman wins lottery after working on her day off.

The Bottom Line

Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Freebie of the Week

Dec. 4 is National Cookie Day and chains across America are offering free cookies to customers. Some large chains offering freebies include Great American Cookies and Insomnia Cookies.

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The owner of the bar was arrested on suspicion of firing bullets into the walls and ceilings above the establishment, according to a report.

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The contract workers have been with the company since the collapse of First Republic Bank in May of last year.

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According to a new study, 17.5% of items at major retailers will be more expensive on Black Friday than their current Amazon.com prices.

Record Number Of Wineries For Sale In Temecula Valley: Report

Owners are approaching retirement age or have become burdened with debt, operational expenses and other issues, the PE reports.

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An Orange County man has been paid the winnings from a $44 million lottery jackpot he won back in August.

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The former Albertsons on Sepulveda Boulevard, once the planned site of a seven-story development, will instead house a new Whole Foods.

LONG BEACH, CA — If you’re planning to put up a live Christmas tree this year, it’s a good idea to scope out what will be available from Long Beach real tree growers.

There are more than 16,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States, stretching over 292,050 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Larger tree farms control about 75 percent of the supply, but if you’re interested in supporting a local business this holiday season, here are some places to chop or pick out a tree within driving distance of Long Beach:

Seasonal lot:

Mr. Jingles Christmas Trees 2 17520 Prairie Ave, Torrance, CA 90504

Garden Center: Armstrong Garden Centers 17

Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

3842 E. 10th Street, Long Beach, CA 90804

Home improvement store:

There are two nearby Home Depot stores at:

There are also two nearby Lowes stores at:

Recent data from the American Christmas Tree Association’s 2024 Consumer Report shows 99 percent of survey respondents intend to display at least one Christmas tree in their homes this year, and among them, 22 percent will opt for a live tree.

According to PickYourOwnChristmasTree, real trees will cost about $13 a foot, depending on the type of tree. At that cost, a typical 7-foot tree would cost about $90.

Years of extreme weather — drought conditions in some parts of the country and excess moisture in others — have affected Christmas tree farms.

This year, attention is focused on the Northeast, where tree farmers are struggling under severe drought conditions that are killing off young trees and could cause future shortages.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about a fourth of the region was in severe to extreme drought, which hits young trees especially hard. It typically takes a tree seven or eight years to grow to the desirable height for decorating.

“Christmas tree farms in the Northeast have, unfortunately, been hit with drought conditions that will impact the crop for several years to come,” American Christmas Tree Association executive director Jami Warner told CNN.

“While consumers will be able to find their Christmas trees this season, some growers in the Northeast will not be able to harvest as many trees as they have in past non-drought years,” Warner said.