Downtown Long Beach-Belmont Shore-Parking Solutions-Long Beach California

Long Beach Community News

Long Beach Parking Solutions

Last month the Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog published an article on Downtown Long Beach Parking.  The article discussed the escalating parking problems caused by the re-development in the Downtown Long Beach area.  One of the potential parking solutions addressed was Vertical Parking.  The article went on and examined an assortment of related potential issues and raised a whole bunch of questions for which there were no immediate solutions.  

Shortly after publishing this article I was contacted by the owner of Apex Skypark.  They are a Robotic Parking Solution company located right here in Anaheim.  He took the time to address the concerns and informed me that they are currently working with the City of Long Beach in an attempt to bring these solutions to the Downtown Long Beach and Belmont Shore neighborhoods.  Well, both communities can certainly use more parking - he piqued my interest. 

An invitation to contribute to the Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog was extended to Apex in an effort to better explain this to Long Beach residents.  We are pleased to welcome Harold W Ashworth, a Long Beach Peninsula resident and Vice President of Apex Skypark.

By:  Harold W Ashworth

I have become intimately involved with The City of Long Beach and their Parking Issues. Working with the Long Beach Re-Development Agency has shown me just how critical parking is in the Downtown Long Beach area. As a Long Beach Resident (The Peninsula) I have experienced many of the same issues everyone else faces as they try and Park on 2^nd Street in Belmont Shore for dinner in the evenings and or dinner on the waterfront at Shoreline Village. Whether it is waiting for the Valet to bring your car or running out to re-fill the meter has become quite the challenge.

That being said - The Automated Robotic Car Garages hits close to home for me as I am involved with a local company right here in our own backyard. Apex Skypark®, Inc., located in Anaheim, builds the Robotics and Systems for this new Technology - New to the USA only. Presently there are only 4-5 Garages operating in the USA but many are either under construction or they are in the design phases. We are currently working with Developers and the City of Long Beach on a couple of locations for this very thing. Long Beach will become the first on the West Coast for an Automated Robotic Garage.

Read more »

Posted on September 02, 2008 23:47:00 by Laurie.Manny

Back to School - Long Beach Resources

Long Beach Community News

Back to School Resources

The lazy, hazy days of summer are just about over.  September is closing in on us and the beginning of the new school year is just around the corner.  Are you ready? 

The CBS Early Show put together this great segment on cool back to school gadgets:

• Crammer Study & Sound System - Cool Tool!
• Lightweight laptops -EEE PC 900 (only 2.18 lbs., runs Windows XP and plenty of space, it even has a webcam and it is somewhat shockproof) See the video below to view the many features this neat little gadget provides.
• Digital lunch pail/printer - unlikely duo, but it works
• Cheap MP3, only $39 - not a favorite with kids though
• Back friendly back packs with air lifts to lift the weight off your child - those books are heavy! 

Read more »

Posted on August 30, 2008 08:00:00 by Laurie.Manny

Are YOUR Granite Countertops "HOT"? -Long Beach Real Estate

Are your Granite Countertops "HOT"?

Granite Countertops are one of the top selling points for homes and condos.  In a recent article "Words that Sell Homes", it was disclosed that the word Granite was one of the 7 top words that help sell a home. When thinking about a Long Beach Home Kitchen Remodel, it is the Granite counter-top that is the finishing touch.  Will you go dark or light?  A lot of texture or more sedate? Domestic or Imported? Almost everybody loves granite countertops. 

Recently the NY Times published an article raising questions regarding harmful levels of radon gases being emited by the breadown of uranium in the many varieties of granite countertops.  Radon is a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.

Having read through many of the articles available on the internet most suggest that the countertops emitting the highest levels of radiation seem to be those imported from Brazil and Namibia.

The Marble Institute of America has said such claims are "ludicrous" because although granite is known to contain uranium and other radioactive materials like thorium and potassium, the amounts in countertops are not enough to pose a health threat.

If you have granite countertops and are concerned whether radon or radiation is a problem you can:

1. Contact the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (aarst.org). Testing costs between $100 and $300.
2. Find a certified technician at the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site at epa.gov/radon, as well as from state or regional indoor air environment offices, which can be found at epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html.
3. Radon test kits are available from the National Safety Council  (or call 1-800-SOS-RADON).  Some home improvement stores sell test kits.  To find a qualified testing or mitigation contractor, contact your state radon office or either of the national private radon programs.

Articles on the subject you might be interested in reading: 

• What's Lurking in Your Countertop? - NY Times
  
• Granite Countertops A Health Threat? - CBS News
  
• Radon in Granite
• Could your granite countertops be leaking radon gas?
• Granite Countertops & Radon Gas

Posted on August 13, 2008 20:34:28 by Laurie.Manny

Parking Solutions for Downtown Long Beach

Downtown Long Beach Parking

Impacted Parking Areas

The re-development of Downtown Long Beach and the multitude of new high rise buildings are certain to complicate an already difficult parking shortage.  Many of the historic condos in Downtown do not have any parking available at all.  Residents rent monthly spots in available asphalt lots at fairly reasonable monthly rates, but with land at a premium how long will these lots remain available?  Where will the owners of these condos, local business owners, guests and customers park? 

Recently a friend and I were discussing the parking problems in Downtown Long Beach now and projecting into the future.  As we discussed potential solutions it occurred to me that the solutions themselves were very problematic.  

Vertical Parking and other parking solutions involve a lot of equipment.  Equipment is expensive to both purchase and run, breaks down, requires parts that are not always immediately available and requires trained engineers and mechanics.  What happens when your car is parked on level 5 and the equipment breaks down? What if the part is not immediately available and needs to be imported from Japan?  Would there be a manual over-ride system to bring your car down to ground level? How could all of this be kept affordable?

Many of the systems exhibited in these videos showed fully automated parking structures.  Who do you call when the systems fail?  What happens if it is very late at night?  There I go assuming the lots would be open 24 hours, I am still such a New Yorker sometimes!  But seriously, how could they not be open 7 and 24? 

Tonight I watched many videos from around the world displaying parking systems for both small and large spaces.  While watching I realized that every one of them showed 1 car being easily and quickly parked or retrieved.  It was so simplistic it made me laugh.  I remember an evening in Manhattan when a group of us went to see a show.  The last parking lot with any space available was in a very thin and very tall building with an elevated vertical parking system.  They charged a whopping $60 to park the car and that was 8 or 9 years ago.  We waited well over an hour to retrieve the car.  All of the shows let out at about the same time and the lots were inundated. 

The other thing that really struck me while I was watching these videos was the desolation of the parking lots.  I couldn't imagine retrieving my car at 3:00 AM without experiencing a great deal of fear. 

I can only imagine the stress levels of people waiting for their cars to be delivered to them when they are late for an appointment.  Imagine having to wait for 10 or 15 cars before yours is delivered!  Downtown has a large workforce most of which finish their work day between 5 and 6 PM.  How long would it take for them to get their cars out of these lots? 

We didn't come up with any solutions, but it was an interesting conversation and has my wheels turning (pun intended). 

What do you think?

Update 9/3/08

The owner of Apex Skypark in Anaheim contacted me about the concerns expressed in this post.  As a manufacturer of Robotic Parking Solutions and a company currently involved with the City of Long Beach in an effort to bring these solutions to us, I offered them space on this site to respond. 

Please visit their article at:

Downtown Long Beach-Belmont Shore-Parking Solutions-Long Beach California

Posted on August 03, 2008 05:01:43 by Laurie.Manny

5.8 Earthquake Shakes Long Beach

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook Long Beach at 11:42 AM today, epicentered in Chino Hills.  There have been 15 aftershocks in the half hour since it hit.  It didn't shake long enough to cause any obvious or significant damage.

Once the shaking stops, owners of Long Beach Real Estate should take a look at their foundations for new cracks.  There are some new and inexpensive ways to fill cracks to prevent further damage.  It's smart to care for your foundation. 

Posted on July 29, 2008 15:12:12 by Laurie.Manny