Beachcombing -- Best City

If there’s one thing Long Beach excels at, it’s being declared the best city for something. Anything, apparently.

Hardly a month passes without another survey, study or publicity release proclaiming our fair city among America’s finest places to live, work, play, ride a bicycle, drink coffee or simply enjoy the weather.

We’ve become so accustomed to these accolades that perhaps City Hall should establish a Department of Superlatives, complete with a director, deputy director, public information officer and a consultant to determine whether we’re the best city for hiring consultants.

Consider some of the distinctions Long Beach has collected.

In 2026, Maxwell Social declared Long Beach America’s No. 1 city for outdoor socializing. Apparently, we’re exceptionally good at standing around outside talking to one another. Anyone who has attended a City Council meeting might question whether listening should be included in that ranking.

Holland Bikes ranked Long Beach 10th nationally and second in California for bicycling. That’s encouraging news for cyclists, although motorists navigating our expanding collection of bike lanes might have a different opinion.

WalletHub ranked Long Beach fourth among America’s best coffee cities. Perhaps that’s because residents need several cups of caffeine before confronting our morning traffic.

Travel + Leisure proclaimed Long Beach California’s “best secret beach town.” That’s quite an achievement for a city of roughly 450,000 people, especially one with a major seaport, an international convention center and a permanently docked ocean liner. Apparently, we’ve been hiding in plain sight.

The Washington Post determined that Long Beach enjoys approximately 210 pleasant-weather days annually, placing us first among cities in its 2018 analysis. Presumably, the remaining 155 days are reserved for complaining about the weather, particularly when temperatures dip below 65 degrees.

Velotric ranked Long Beach third among America’s best cities for day trips. That’s reassuring, although one wonders whether the distinction reflects how much visitors enjoy arriving here or how much residents enjoy leaving town for the day.

Long Beach Airport ranked second among 50 airports in a 2025 Washington Post assessment. Anyone who has experienced the airport’s convenient layout and outdoor boarding areas might agree. Of course, the honor doesn’t necessarily extend to finding affordable airfare to every destination.

In 2020, InsureMyTrip named Long Beach America’s cleanest city. That distinction might surprise anyone who has encountered discarded mattresses, overflowing trash containers or the occasional sidewalk obstacle course. Perhaps the surveyors arrived immediately after a neighborhood cleanup.

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation recognized Long Beach as the county’s Most Business-Friendly City in 2023. Local merchants wrestling with permits, regulations and operating expenses might appreciate an explanation of the judging criteria.

And the Center for Digital Government ranked Long Beach first among cities with populations of 250,000 to 499,999 in its 2025 Digital Cities Survey. Perhaps our potholes will eventually become smart enough to report themselves.

But perhaps the greatest distinction of all is our ability to accumulate distinctions.

Every ranking has its own methodology, sample size and definition of excellence. Some are based on statistics, others on surveys, and still others on someone’s opinion after a pleasant weekend.

We should celebrate genuine achievements without confusing promotional rankings with scientific proof that we’re better than everybody else.

Meanwhile, we’re awaiting the inevitable announcement that Long Beach has been named America’s No. 1 city for receiving No. 1 rankings.

That should be worth a press release, a mayoral proclamation and, naturally, another consultant.

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