Is Signal Hill a Good Place to Retire?

The Los Angeles Times recently placed the city of Signal Hill on a ranking of the 10 best places to retire in California.

That was a surprise. It’s not the typical place you might think about as a retirement community.

Other locations on the list include the coastal city of Eureka not far from the Oregon border, the mountain town of Big Bear Lake and Grass Valley in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Signal Hill is the only town in the top 10 that’s anything like it.

As the newspaper article acknowledges, the city is a small and compact location; and that it’s close to industry with a few oil fields and the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. But the pros certainly outweigh the cons with perks that include great views of the harbor and city; and it’s in a central location that’s close to popular sections of Long Beach and to beaches, marinas and attractions in the area.

Signal Hill has gone through a series of changes in recent years. If you drive up Hill Street from Redondo Ave., or on Willow Street near the intersection with Cherry Ave. and other nearby parts of the city, you’ll see the new high school, neighborhoods filled with luxurious tract houses, popular retail store locations and quite a few employers with light industrial operations and business offices.

There are less oil wells, more parks and recreation and it’s become a desirable place for people to visit, work in and to move into. While some residents and Long Beach locals would like to see the oil wells go away, there are less of them now than years ago – and the future of the existing wells and possible expansion is still being worked out at city hall meetings.

Perks of Living in Signal Hill

There are other perks you can tap into when visiting Signal Hill.

One of these is parks. You can go to Signal Hill Park on Cherry Ave. and Hill St. It’s a 10-acre park that has picnic tables (some with covers), barbeque areas, basketball courts, a playground, restrooms and a community room. You can rent out the community room for an event, with the rate being much lower for residents of Signal Hill.

Dog owners have the benefit of going to Signal Hill Dog Park at 3100 California Ave. Dogs are only allowed to roam off-leash in the park’s fenced yard, but you get to take their leash off. You can take your dog to other Signal Hill parks, but you have to keep them on their leash at these places. You have to clean up after them, too.

It’s easy to find routes for hiking, biking and running. It’s no surprise that the Sierra Club has had a popular hike there for years. If you take a drive up Hill Street from Redondo Avenue, at certain times of the day, you’ll see it packed with people getting their exercise.

If you keep going up the hill, you can stop at Sunset View Park, Hilltop Park and you can hike along Skyline Trail. Hilltop Park is a very popular location in the city. Along with viewing the landscape surrounding the city, visitors have immediate access to walkways and trails used by many hikers. On a clear day, you gain a breathtaking view of the surrounding areas that go out for miles across the southland.

The Los Angeles Times listed a few other benefits for retiring in Signal Hill. The city has a low crime rate and frequent police patrols. You can take family to events such as Concerts in the Park and Holiday Celebrations.

There are great places to shop and go out to eat. You can go to all types of grocery stores from Mother’s Market & Kitchen to Albertsons, Food4Less and Costco. Some of its most popular restaurants include Black Bear Diner and Golden Eagle Restaurant.

One of the challenges is the city has become so popular that a lot of visitors can come to enjoy the parks and views. They may be leaving a lot of trash and making a good deal of noise.

One thing to keep in mind is that you can’t drive up to the top of the hill and watch fireworks shows on the 4th of July anymore. The city’s Facebook page calls it the 4th of July Hilltop Neighborhood Closure. Skyline Dr. is closed to vehicle traffic between Cherry Ave. and Dawson Ave. starting at 6 p.m. through 11 p.m.

Residents and guests on Ocean View Drive and Sea Ridge Drive can access their community via the gate at Hill Street. and Sea Ridge Drive., the city says.

Senior Services in the City

For members of the senior community who choose to retire there, the monthly Senior Scoop newsletter, which you can find on the city’s website, shows a calendar of events and provides information on activities. One of these events will be the October Excursion, which offers an $8 bus ride for residents and $13 for non-residents to the Getty Center. This event is sold out.

You can also go to the Signal Hill Public Library for a morning of games, coffee and conversation. It’s part of the city’s Social Club, a club for seniors aged 55 years and older. It also has a walking club and an exercise club for the senior community.

The fact that Signal Hill made the LA Times ranking and that people choose to retire there, is similar to what you’ll find in nearby areas. Residents of Leisure World, a Seal Beach retirement community, will tell you they enjoy the weather, the location that’s convenient for family and friends to stop, by things to do in the area and fun activities they can tap into right there in their own community.

Residents have been attending activities marking the City of Signal Hill’s 100-year birthday this year. Visit the website for a dedicated page with information on events, activities and celebrations taking place throughout the year. For those who have questions, you can contact the Parks, Recreation and Library Services Department at (562) 989-7330 or email them at 100years@cityofsignalhill.org.

As for the future of oil drilling in Signal Hill, the City Council still needs to decide on whether Signal Hill Petroleum’s request to extend its permit another 20 years and allow up to 46 new oil wells to be added to what it already has granted. More than 50 residents filled the Signal Hill council chambers for its monthly meeting in June to protest the city’s allowance of the major oil-well permit. They talked about the harmful impact that the oil wells have on the air quality and to residents’ respiratory systems.

The city is waiting for a final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to come out, which would go the Signal Hill planning commission for review and approval, and then on to the City Council for a vote.

One development gave some local residents and environmental groups hope in late June, according to CalMatters. California’s oil industry withdrew its ballot measure intended to overturn a state law that imposes new restrictions on oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools and hospitals and medical facilities. Signal Hill Petroleum had been part of getting that ballot measure on the initial November ballot.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.