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This has to be one of the most highly used community parks I've seen. Spend a few minutes here and you'll understand why. Just looks at all it has to offer. With home communities surrounding in almost all directions except for the large bodies of water, it's easy to sense this is the center of gravity that draws in folks, big and small to come to get their recreation on. Wide-open spaces, spaces with shade, take your pick. You might even catch dogs running through an obstacle course. And clean, the place stays clean. Good job.
We love this park. Living next to it is just a perk, but we would drive here because of the location, the scenery, and the friendly people you meet. It's basically our extended yard. The playground structure is well maintained, and most importantly, it's shaded. There are benches right next to the structure so supervising adults can rest their legs too. For older children, they can utilize the tennis court and the newly added half basketball court next to the playground. Parking is plentiful, and it's rarely crowded. There are usually a lot of birthday parties over the weekends, especially during the summer. A newly constructed public bathroom looks great, and being located adjacent to the tennis court is a big plus. The city is going to tear down the old bathroom structure 300 yards away. The only downside I can think of is that there are lots of dogs at this park, so there are naturally plenty of dog poop to go around too. Tread carefully if you want clean shoes!
Very nice place for a walk or to have family times. Views are the best during sunset. Highly recommend!
I was looking for a park to have a picnic at and had checked out several in the same afternoon; when I got to Marina Vista, I knew I'd found it. True to its name, you can see the marina from it (it's just across the street), which also provides a breeze. It's in a residential area, so you don't get noise/fumes from traffic, although you can park your car in a little lot on Eliot, or on the street. And then you can get out of your car (unless you walked or biked) and gaze out on the expanse of well-kept grass and contented park-goers. This park is a great place to do pretty much whatever you'd like to in a park. A sizable chunk of it is pretty trees and hills and some picnic benches, perfect for cookie potlucks or lying on the grass to read or nap, and there's enough space between the trees for kite flying. One section is a playground and tennis courts. Then there's a HUGE section with two soccer fields and a softball field for those who'd like to play team sports, but definitely far enough away from the picnic/quiet area that a ball won't roll into your area. There's a bike path and the Virginia Lee Benedict Grove (although I think "grove" is exaggerating, but I don't argue with signs), and dogs are allowed. Oooh I am so excited about having a picnic there!
As Amy said, the upper parts of the park consist of very beautiful and well maintained lawns, great for picnicking and other types of passive recreation. I have no disagreement with her take on ot. I would like to add to Amy's review that the Marine Vista Park abutts a very small wetland area called the Marine Stadium Marine Reserve (now doesn't that sound repetitive?). This "marine reserve" consists of two very tiny (~100 sq feet) patches of salt marsh. Salt marsh is an extremely important and rare ecosystem in southern California, and it's terrific that the city has protected these postage-stamp parcels. So why am I disappointed about this park? Well-- 1) There isn't much to look at. The native habitats are so small, that it really isn't any use to wildlife, and can't do much to improve the (very poor) water quality in Alamitos Bay. 2) There is no educational component. Although tiny wetlands can't do much for wildlife or water quality, they can be excellent outreach opportunities to teach the publiuc about these ecosystesm (like at Shoreline Park or at the Golden Shores Marine Preserve). There are no interpretive signs or educational material of any sort here.... a missed opportuntiy, to be sure. 3) The upland areas are landscaped with non-native plants. Although these plants are clearly drought-tolerant and water wise, there was no reason for the Parks Department to use non-native plants, which are a danger to the wildlands of California. They could have restored a beautioful coastal sage-scrub habitat, like at the nearby Dunster Marine Reserve. But they didn't A big waste of an opportunity. This park has great potential for native habitat restoration. But right now there isn't much to see.
The Sole Runners meet at Marina Vista Park every Saturday morning at 7:00 am during the summer and every other Saturday at 8:00 am in the winter. The location is great because of the great parking and beautiful view out over the water. Convenience of parking is often a make-it-or-break-it factor for me when choosing places to run because I don't want to spend more time looking for a place to leave my car than I actually spend running. For all your early birds, I highly recommend coming before the sun comes up and heading down the path towards Marina Stadium/Long Beach Rowing Association so you can catch a breathtaking sunrise. The reflection on the water makes it look even more magnificent.
So with great "wisdom", despite inclusion of two of my photographs from the wonderful Howl'oween doggie parade my review of this event was removed! Wasn't I there? It seems that although a review is defined as a platform for photography, or so we are told, perhaps that is not so. So my photos cannot be displayed as originally used and any votes have been lost? This is my second year at the parade which occurs on the Sunday prior to October 31. The good luck of seeing the very same very witty paraders was fortunate and I wanted to emphasize that. One sits along the parade route for a ten dollar fee, very worth it. Not only do the pups clearly enjoy their costumes but their human parents are so creative with their own and frequently construct "floats" that must take many hours and much energy. Someone did a great "chairy" harkening back to PeeWee's Playhouse days. Some doggies are feathered, painted, tutu'ed, dragon suited or dressed. Police dogs, hot dogs, devil dogs... how the judges choose is beyond me. A winner from the approximately 300 entries should really just represent the joy that they all give. This parade assures ear to ear smiles. After, if one wishes, venders are present to provide product information and the opportunity to donate to worthy groups. So my original sentiment is still: Hooray for the great Howl'oween doggie parade! The park is a lovely place to walk, play or bring a lunch. The water's edge is a turning point for waterskiiers and quite enjoyable to watch the swerves closeup. The Christmas season lights shining from the water's midpoint are truly a delight.
I agree with most everything both Amy and Raphael have said. The upper part of the park is a great area for picnicking and recreation, especially if you are looking for a park in Long Beach with an ocean view. Raphael has made excellent points about the Marine Reserve, which albeit interesting, could be vastly improved - see Raphael's review for details. I have seen some cool birds there, though. I'd like to add one more thing that *I* like about this park, which is that during summer, the Long Beach Municipal Band plays concerts in the park here every Thursday evening. LB Muni is a top notch concert band, and conductor Larry Curtis is still going strong. Of course, this is not the only park at which they play - during summer, they also play at El Dorado, Whaley, Bluff Park, and Los Cerritos Park, on other nights of the week (see http://www.longbeach.gov/park/facilities/lb_municipal_band.asp for more info and schedule). But I've noticed that the Marina Park concerts have a really fun, Hollywood Bowl-type vibe, what with people bringing their picnic dinners and adult beverages and relaxing by the beach. A lot of boaters will pull their boats right up near the park to listen to the concert in their boats. These concerts are a great way to introduce kids to live music - I saw a kid last night that was utterly fascinated that music could come out of instruments rather than speakers - plus they play some great crowd-pleasers. I know some of my earliest concert experiences were hearing Muni Band in the park. While you're here, be sure to walk over to the nearby Jack Dunster Marine Reserve (http://www.yelp.com/biz/xLdcZrY_QxEN2lo-lP4eNA), which is much better than the marine reserve here.
Every time I've been here I've left with a big smile and a happy-go-lucky feeling. Well manicured healthy grass, big trees over head, tables, playground, picnic areas, tennis courts, and tons of space to create and live life
Very beautiful, well kept park in the nicer side of Long Beach. Parking is no hassle as there's plenty. The park is very scenic and is also now the new home of The Annual Haute Dog Halloween Dog Parade! If you're a dog lover and haven't been, it's a must.
Walked around the area which used to be my shortcut until they started this 18 month construction that's been happening for like 5 years. Noticed they have a new pickleball court and tenis on the other side. Very nice and clean. Also a playground nearby. You can sign up for pickleball classes or play read more
Came here to take my toddler to burn off some energy and loved this park! There is free parking in a lot and street, lots of green grass, a shaded playground, and tennis courts. When I was there there were people playing pickle ball. The place overall seemed clean and you can see the view of water. Just an fyi the playground is sand around it. read more
1 year ago
This has to be one of the most highly used community parks I've seen. Spend a few minutes here and you'll understand why. Just looks at all it has to offer. With home communities surrounding in almost all directions except for the large bodies of water, it's easy to sense this is the center of gravity that draws in folks, big and small to come to get their recreation on. Wide-open spaces, spaces with shade, take your pick. You might even catch dogs running through an obstacle course. And clean, the place stays clean. Good job. read more
We love this park. Living next to it is just a perk, but we would drive here because of the location, the scenery, and the friendly people you meet. It's basically our extended yard. The playground structure is well maintained, and most importantly, it's shaded. There are benches right next to the structure so supervising adults can rest their legs too. For older children, they can utilize the tennis court and the newly added half basketball court next to the playground. Parking is plentiful, and it's rarely crowded. There are usually a lot of birthday parties over the weekends, especially during the summer. A newly constructed public bathroom looks great, and being located adjacent to the tennis court is a big plus. The city is going to tear down the old bathroom structure 300 yards away. The only downside I can think of is that there are lots of dogs at this park, so there are naturally plenty of dog poop to go around too. Tread carefully if you want clean shoes! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Very nice place for a walk or to have family times. Views are the best during sunset. Highly recommend! read more
6 years ago
I was looking for a park to have a picnic at and had checked out several in the same afternoon; when I got to Marina Vista, I knew I'd found it. True to its name, you can see the marina from it (it's just across the street), which also provides a breeze. It's in a residential area, so you don't get noise/fumes from traffic, although you can park your car in a little lot on Eliot, or on the street. And then you can get out of your car (unless you walked or biked) and gaze out on the expanse of well-kept grass and contented park-goers. This park is a great place to do pretty much whatever you'd like to in a park. A sizable chunk of it is pretty trees and hills and some picnic benches, perfect for cookie potlucks or lying on the grass to read or nap, and there's enough space between the trees for kite flying. One section is a playground and tennis courts. Then there's a HUGE section with two soccer fields and a softball field for those who'd like to play team sports, but definitely far enough away from the picnic/quiet area that a ball won't roll into your area. There's a bike path and the Virginia Lee Benedict Grove (although I think "grove" is exaggerating, but I don't argue with signs), and dogs are allowed. Oooh I am so excited about having a picnic there! read more
19 years ago
As Amy said, the upper parts of the park consist of very beautiful and well maintained lawns, great for picnicking and other types of passive recreation. I have no disagreement with her take on ot. I would like to add to Amy's review that the Marine Vista Park abutts a very small wetland area called the Marine Stadium Marine Reserve (now doesn't that sound repetitive?). This "marine reserve" consists of two very tiny (~100 sq feet) patches of salt marsh. Salt marsh is an extremely important and rare ecosystem in southern California, and it's terrific that the city has protected these postage-stamp parcels. So why am I disappointed about this park? Well-- 1) There isn't much to look at. The native habitats are so small, that it really isn't any use to wildlife, and can't do much to improve the (very poor) water quality in Alamitos Bay. 2) There is no educational component. Although tiny wetlands can't do much for wildlife or water quality, they can be excellent outreach opportunities to teach the publiuc about these ecosystesm (like at Shoreline Park or at the Golden Shores Marine Preserve). There are no interpretive signs or educational material of any sort here.... a missed opportuntiy, to be sure. 3) The upland areas are landscaped with non-native plants. Although these plants are clearly drought-tolerant and water wise, there was no reason for the Parks Department to use non-native plants, which are a danger to the wildlands of California. They could have restored a beautioful coastal sage-scrub habitat, like at the nearby Dunster Marine Reserve. But they didn't A big waste of an opportunity. This park has great potential for native habitat restoration. But right now there isn't much to see. read more
The Sole Runners meet at Marina Vista Park every Saturday morning at 7:00 am during the summer and every other Saturday at 8:00 am in the winter. The location is great because of the great parking and beautiful view out over the water. Convenience of parking is often a make-it-or-break-it factor for me when choosing places to run because I don't want to spend more time looking for a place to leave my car than I actually spend running. For all your early birds, I highly recommend coming before the sun comes up and heading down the path towards Marina Stadium/Long Beach Rowing Association so you can catch a breathtaking sunrise. The reflection on the water makes it look even more magnificent. read more
So with great "wisdom", despite inclusion of two of my photographs from the wonderful Howl'oween doggie parade my review of this event was removed! Wasn't I there? It seems that although a review is defined as a platform for photography, or so we are told, perhaps that is not so. So my photos cannot be displayed as originally used and any votes have been lost? This is my second year at the parade which occurs on the Sunday prior to October 31. The good luck of seeing the very same very witty paraders was fortunate and I wanted to emphasize that. One sits along the parade route for a ten dollar fee, very worth it. Not only do the pups clearly enjoy their costumes but their human parents are so creative with their own and frequently construct "floats" that must take many hours and much energy. Someone did a great "chairy" harkening back to PeeWee's Playhouse days. Some doggies are feathered, painted, tutu'ed, dragon suited or dressed. Police dogs, hot dogs, devil dogs... how the judges choose is beyond me. A winner from the approximately 300 entries should really just represent the joy that they all give. This parade assures ear to ear smiles. After, if one wishes, venders are present to provide product information and the opportunity to donate to worthy groups. So my original sentiment is still: Hooray for the great Howl'oween doggie parade! The park is a lovely place to walk, play or bring a lunch. The water's edge is a turning point for waterskiiers and quite enjoyable to watch the swerves closeup. The Christmas season lights shining from the water's midpoint are truly a delight. read more
4 years ago
I agree with most everything both Amy and Raphael have said. The upper part of the park is a great area for picnicking and recreation, especially if you are looking for a park in Long Beach with an ocean view. Raphael has made excellent points about the Marine Reserve, which albeit interesting, could be vastly improved - see Raphael's review for details. I have seen some cool birds there, though. I'd like to add one more thing that *I* like about this park, which is that during summer, the Long Beach Municipal Band plays concerts in the park here every Thursday evening. LB Muni is a top notch concert band, and conductor Larry Curtis is still going strong. Of course, this is not the only park at which they play - during summer, they also play at El Dorado, Whaley, Bluff Park, and Los Cerritos Park, on other nights of the week (see http://www.longbeach.gov/park/facilities/lb_municipal_band.asp for more info and schedule). But I've noticed that the Marina Park concerts have a really fun, Hollywood Bowl-type vibe, what with people bringing their picnic dinners and adult beverages and relaxing by the beach. A lot of boaters will pull their boats right up near the park to listen to the concert in their boats. These concerts are a great way to introduce kids to live music - I saw a kid last night that was utterly fascinated that music could come out of instruments rather than speakers - plus they play some great crowd-pleasers. I know some of my earliest concert experiences were hearing Muni Band in the park. While you're here, be sure to walk over to the nearby Jack Dunster Marine Reserve (http://www.yelp.com/biz/xLdcZrY_QxEN2lo-lP4eNA), which is much better than the marine reserve here. read more
12 years ago
Every time I've been here I've left with a big smile and a happy-go-lucky feeling. Well manicured healthy grass, big trees over head, tables, playground, picnic areas, tennis courts, and tons of space to create and live life read more
Very beautiful, well kept park in the nicer side of Long Beach. Parking is no hassle as there's plenty. The park is very scenic and is also now the new home of The Annual Haute Dog Halloween Dog Parade! If you're a dog lover and haven't been, it's a must. read more
9 years ago
14 years ago
14 years ago
14 years ago
More info about Marina Vista Park
Ask the Community - Marina Vista Park
Can you just show up and play on the tennis courts?
Yes but half of the available space is taken by Pickleball in the morning.
Review Highlights - Marina Vista Park
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