Tastemaker: Steve Goodling

• What is your city known for, as far as the locals are concerned?
  Plenty. Long Beach locals, me included, know that we’re extremely fortunate with our perfect weather, friendly people, and cultural diversity.  
• Where would you go to see intriguing local art?
  Hmmm…well, just about every corner of town has some kind of fascinating artwork.  For starters, The East Village Arts District features galleries, professional art studios and trendy shops highlighting local artists. Then there are our three unique art museums:  the Long Beach Museum of Art overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the University Art Museum at Long Beach State with its collection of multi-media art and the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), recently named by Conde Nast Traveler as “one of 5 new reasons to see LA". We also have a lot of public art installations.
• Imagine you’re planning a local day trip for your friends.  What would it entail?
  Where do I begin? Well, after a tour of the historic Queen Mary, we’d relax in a deck chair on the ship’s Sun Deck and enjoy the panoramic view of Long Beach’s spectacular skyline. Then we’d take a “Behind the Scenes” tour at the Aquarium of the Pacific where we’d stand above the tank looking down into the depths. Next we’d have lunch, but where to eat would be a tough decision considering there are more than 100 restaurants within eight blocks of our downtown waterfront.  Maybe it would be a progressive meal.  After lunch we’d hop on a Long Beach Transit Passport and cruise to Belmont Shore’s 2nd street to stroll, shop and take in the sun and ocean air.  Finally, and this really is the end to the perfect day, we’d take a sunset cruise through the canals of Naples Island, one of Long Beach’s best-kept secrets, in a Venetian gondola complete with singing gondolier.
• Where in your city do you go to splurge or treat yourself?
  I love great food. So, for a special break, I like to treat myself to a meal at one of Long Beach’s many award-winning restaurants, especially those praised by The Southern California Restaurant Writers Association, Michelin and Zagat.
• What are the three words you would use to describe your city?
  Urban Waterfront Playground.
• Where in your city are you most likely to run into a celebrity?
  Almost anywhere in town since Long Beach is a prime location for shooting Hollywood movies, TV shows and commercials. The city has been featured in big budget movies, including the new Star Trek, Iron Man, Transformers and Will Ferrell’s Anchorman, just to name a few. CBS’s CSI Miami and ShowTime’s Dexter use Long Beach regularly as a stand-in for Miami Vice...  Dozens of other TV shows and movies are shot in Long Beach each year, too, so you never know when you might bump into a famous celebrity or director. Just recently Boston Legal was filming scenes at the First Congregational Church in downtown and there was William Shatner and Candace Bergen mulling around. A lot of celebrities hail from Long Beach, too, including Cameron Diaz, Tiffany Thiessen, Jesse James and Snoop Dog.
  

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