Kiosk Gives Long Beach Visitors Historic Perspective

While Long Beach is well known for its stretches of boardwalk and beach, a subtler distinction of the city is the diverse architecture. Homes range from Tudor to Moorish Revival to Queen Anne to Modern.

Dwellings of these and other styles are now featured in photos on a panel on the new kiosk at Kennedy Plaza by Cornerstone Kiosk. Another panel on the four-sided directory displays images of Long Beach from decades past, including bath houses that once lined the boardwalk, the original City Hall and the post office building that still stands at East Park Avenue and Riverside Boulevard.

A third panel shows small snapshots of historic structures and neighborhoods accompanied by brief descriptions of each. Among these are Castles by The Sea, a dance pavilion built along the shore, the Hotel Nassau at Nassau Boulevard and West Broadway, and, of course, Long Beach’s iconic boardwalk.

The text that accompanies the images of the wooden walkway from yesteryear reads: “The Long Beach Boardwalk was constructed in 1907 and stretches 2.2 miles along the white sands of the Atlantic Ocean. It was the main attraction for visitors and residents of Long Beach and one could stroll the 50’ wide structure and see others, stop at the music pavillion and listen to the music, watch a tennis match or dine at one of the many restaurants overlooking the ocean.”

The Long Beach Island Landmarks Association (LBILA) created this kiosk outside City Hall, thanks to a grant from Nassau County and the fourth side of the kiosk tells all about LBILA. The city’s representative Legislator Denise Ford, a West End resident, made the LBILA aware of the grant and submitted an application to use the funds earmarked for various signs. Among them was the kiosk that would inform residents and visitors of Long Island’s history through its architectural treasures, which the organization decided would be a valuable addition to the downtown, said Doug Sheer, a LBILA member who helped design the kiosk.

LBLIA holds a heritage bus tour of the city’s many historical homes, buildings and neighborhoods, including the Red Brick District and the Canals, both of which are featured on the kiosk that is called The Long Beach Heritage Trail. The tour and signage are part of the organization’s broader mission to educate the public about Long Island’s only city on the South Shore.

Joseph Kellard, Patch Staff
Originally Posted June 13, 2013

Cornerstone Kiosk, Inc.

Makers of Community Kiosks for Beautification,
Placemaking and Hometown Memorials
Long Beach, California

(631) 258-0672

Email: info@cornerstonekiosk.com

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