We came to Retro Row on the 4th Friday event. So while walking throughout the street, I stumbled…read moreupon the bookstore, which has been on my bucket list for a while. First off, I love the diversity of books, cool merch, and welcoming store. I love how it is Filipino-owned, and they feature books that highlight our society's differences. Plus, you can actually meet the owner, which is a plus. She is amazing and super friendly. Most book stores can be a bit expensive, but not here. Prices are great. The store itself is a bit small, so on busy days/nights, it can get pretty crowded. It is worth the visit. Lastly, this is another bookstore that I can check off my list. Really cute with a great selection of books with cute decor. Make sure to pick up one of the cute bookmarks or tote bags she sells because they are pretty cool.

I was walking down the street on 4th Street on a Saturday afternoon when I just happened to pass by…read morethis quaint and lovely little bookstore! As I walked in the store I was greeted with a warm smile and a welcome! I was kindly informed if I had any questions to feel free to ask them! I was grateful for their help. I walked in one of the rooms and it was a treasure trove of books! They were well organized and labeled by groups. I was just browsing around until suddenly one of the books caught my eye! It's called The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi. The description intrigued me so I decided to buy it! As I walked towards the cash register, I noticed the cutest little finds I didn't know I needed. So I got a cool looking sticker too! My whole experience felt warm, welcoming and personable. I'll most definitely will be coming back! This place is a delight!

I love when staff recommends additional books and walks me over to find items. I was there for…read morepoetry, literature, and literary criticism. Can't wait to come back next month. Easy parking. Super helpful staff. Wide selection. Great prices on first editions. They also accept apple pay.

I definitely pictured something else before meeting some friends here a few weeks ago…read more I have to say I was COMPLETELY overwhelmed and anxious. I did look at the small childrens book section and did not end up purchasing anything as they were priced higher than I was expecting. I also did a quick walk around before letting my friends know I was going to head outside, and most of them followed me as they were also feeling overwhelmed. The one guy I saw was very helpful and friendly with showing me where the childrens books were.

This store made my head spin a bit but used bookstores can be an adventure. It is bigger than it…read morelooks from the outside so be prepared to spend some time here. There is definitely the appearance of organization here. Biography is labeled in this section, military is over here, mystery over there, and so on. But while you probably will find some Agatha Christie in the mystery section, which makes sense, you will probably also find some Christie over in fiction. It is the same with other authors. I don't know if this is the store's doing or whether customers are shifting books around intentionally or otherwise but it is a little maddening at times. Most serious book hunters, especially those found rummaging through dusty used bookstores like yours truly, don't mind spending extra time looking for books. The hunt is part of the fun. They have some real gold nuggets here, if you spend the time. Also, speaking of gold nuggets, although Western is probably not the most popular genre these days, the Western section here is one of the larger ones I have ever seen. This store is well worth a visit. I found nearly all the prices to be extremely reasonable. Free and easy street parking all around. The counter fellow, who may have been the owner for all I know, was a real character and very pleasant.

Revisit? Maybe, once a year or so…read more I would love to be allowed to refresh this place and let my inner Marie Kondo loose. Ah! I love the iconic, inviting Once Read Books in huge blue letters on the building. I enjoy the layout of the shop and how it feels like you can hide and get lost. There's a pleasant muffled bookstore hush. The man behind the counter is nice. Pricing seems fair. All good elements, I just think the book selection, decor, and tidiness could be improved. Ideas: Expand the kids section and add more board books Include more recent titles in the fiction and cooking sections Try to keep popular authors in stock (couldn't find any Stephen King) Cute new chairs, especially in the kids section (love a bookstore with chairs) New rug in the kids section Clean up the random boxes of books near the counter Update the genre and author signs Anyway, even with all that, it's still fun to browse here. If you're looking for older titles, magazines, etc., this is definitely a place you should hit up.

Great bookstore, but it's a lot more cramped because they gave up downstairs space. I love their…read moredisplays, collection of books, games, toys and esthetics. The staff is nice and helpful. I have one major problem, they NEED TO CHANGE THE AIR FILTER IN THE restroom (esp the woman's). It has never been changed because it so filthy. Please, CHANGE your air filter because it's a health (allergy) inducing problem.

This is one of two Barnes & Noble locations in Long Beach; this store - newly remodeled as of…read moreNovember 2025 - is in the Marina Pacifica plaza along with AMC Theaters, Ralph's, and Nordstrom Rack. By far, it's one of the most beautiful bookstores I've been to! A giant floral arrangement greets you the moment you walk in. The space lets in plenty of soft, bright light and there are cognac-colored armchairs spread throughout where you can pick up a book and read awhile. Even the counter says "words are magic," and I tend to agree! Layout-wise, new releases and vinyls are found toward the front, then fiction on the right, fantasy, kids in the middle/back, games and puzzles left/back, and gifts and journals front left next to the registers. There is no cafe at this location (although there is at the B&N Towne Center). I had a pleasant experience, albeit brief, with the associate who helped ring me up. Of course, B&N is retail pricing so items aren't necessarily cheaper, but I'm newly signed up to their membership and sometimes the 10% discount that fetches you comes out to be a little less expensive (e.g. Blackwing pencils, Rifle Paper). Plus, they often run promotions for rewards members, both free and paid, such as journals earning extra stamps during the second half of January. So keep an eye out for those deals!

If you've lived in Long Beach for any length of time, you undoubtedly know of Fingerprints. After…read more30+ years, it is undoubtedly the largest music store in Long Beach, and one of the largest in SoCal. We were there for Record Store Day. Loved the special deals they offered that day and having the chance to listen to a few bands over the course of the day (and get some merch signed!). I think their old store was better for listening, since there was a clear area for the audience--in the current store, we were tucked between shelves of merchandise--but it still worked and we had no problem seeing or hearing the bands. I particularly enjoyed seeing Violet Grohl and her band that day. Dave Grohl was there, but as a member of the audience. It was fun rocking out with him to his daughter's tunes (even if he was a couple of rows away). Love the staff. Rand, one of the owners, in particular, is incredibly knowledgeable. He also does a great job of lining up events and bands. We had such a great day at Fingerprints!

I've been a Fingerprints customer since moving to Long Beach in 2023 and have loved the 4th Street…read morelocation. I've attended countless signings and performances, and I buy a vinyl there almost every month to keep growing my collection. As an LA native, I grew up going to the original Amoeba in Hollywood and continued shopping there after they moved to their current Hollywood Blvd location. I've always appreciated the events they host, and when I moved to LB, Fingerprints felt like LB's version of Amoeba because of its incredible lineup of signings and performances. Since moving to their new Bixby Knolls location, the event experience has taken a step backward. The new space isn't designed to accommodate the crowds these events attract. They proudly increase the vinyl prices for these events to pay for staffing these events while admission continues to be oversold. The result is an experience that feels more focused on maximizing attendance than ensuring fans can actually enjoy the event. I attended the Charli XCX Q&A yesterday, and the stage was so low that I couldn't see anything. Within two minutes of the event starting, I requested a refund because the room was clearly over capacity. Unless you were around 5'6" or taller, the only way to see Charli was through other people's phone screens. When I asked for a refund, the employee handing out vinyl records told me, "Well, it's a Q&A. The whole point is to listen." I respectfully disagreed. Seeing the artist is part of the experience, especially at an in-person event, but my refund request was denied. Even if the focus was solely on listening, the experience still fell short. Employee phone notifications were constantly going off and the front door opened every few minutes as employees loudly turned away customers because it was a private event, and outside street noise frequently overpowered the conversation. At times, I could hear phone notifications and traffic more clearly than Charli herself. I think Fingerprints hosts some of the best artist events and I want to see them succeed in their new location. The event setup needs to improve- a raised stage, better crowd management, clearer policies on phone usage, and limiting attendance to what the space can comfortably accommodate would go a long way toward creating an experience that matches the quality of the artists they bring in.

I miss Richard W!! But Travis is keeping the place open,…read morefriendly, and accessible for ALL your recovery gift needs! There are annual chips and medallions that can only be found here. Plentiful street parking within a block in the neighborhood. Come support your neighborhood 12 Step store!!

I love this store. They carry unique gifts aimed for those people in recovery. From books, t-shirts…read morekeep sakes gifts to celebrate milestone anniversaries in recovery. Great service as well friendly and helpful.

Very cool place to check out. A San Pedro gem! I love walking thru and checking out all the vintage…read moreitems. Their selection is unmatched and very friendly staff.

Truly unique stuff! Second hand books and albums and old…read moremovie posters. You have to experience the Grand Emporium to truly appreciate it.

I stopped by here a few months ago to support a new book release and loved this great little…read morebookshop. It's cozy, filled with engrossing titles, and everyone is helpful and friendly. The categorizations are next level too.

The thing about bookstores these days, is there just aren't enough of them. And as such, any…read morebookstore is a good bookstore. Really. As far as I'm concerned, anyone with enough guts and conviction who opens a bookstore, deserves an award. But what makes a truly important and significant bookstore? Community is important. One that serves its area and brings people together. And to do this, it takes focus. Unless you're amazon, you're going to go broke in a hurry trying to please everyone at your bookstore. So what should we focus on? Maybe something everyone has a connection to, like FOOD. Which brings us to Kitchen Lingo. Hidden in plain sight on the 4th Street Corridor in Long Beach, sits this eclectic and well curated slice of culinary paradise. It is entirely without pretense. Selling both attractively well priced used books and current titles by today's most relevant food authorities, there is something for every reader. And as I sit here writing this, I look around and realize that my wife easily owns enough cookbooks to open up her own bookstore but somehow always seems to find something she needs when we visit. But let's go back to community for a moment. There is always something being planned at Kitchen Lingo. A food demonstration, an author event, etc.. I even noticed that there is a Cake Picnic coming up in June. Of course these are all things that bring people together and create value. This is no accident. Kitchen Lingo's owner, Matt Miller is no stranger to food and its preparation. Having spent years in the trenches, his knowledge of food is extremely deep and he's very easy to talk to. He also usually has a few tricks up his sleeve too. Like good coffee beans to use as a rub or a hot tip on an amazing olive oil. And when all is said and done, he is truly the greatest part of Kitchen Lingo. We should all feel grateful having someone like him supporting food culture in our area. And maybe until he gets his award for opening a bookstore we can all just keep buying lots of books from him. That should help at least a little;)