Favorites

I was in Long Beach today attending a convention at the Long Beach Arena. I've been to this arena many times and every time I go I love admiring the surrounding buildings. Today, I'm sharing my three favorite buildings.  

The first one is the Long Beach Arena. The building is in the shape of a drum and along the exterior  is a huge mural named "Planet Ocean" from artist Robert Wyland. This mural is one of 100 murals of Mr.Wyland's Whaling Walls. For a list of the 100 Whaling Walls murals click here.

The second building is the International Tower, a condominium complex . This building was completed in 1966 and is considered a Mid-Century Modern Icon. I must admit, this building reminds me of a stack of dishes.

The third one is the Villa Rivera,  a 16 story French Gothic building. The building is topped with a cooper roof with a green patina and is adorned with gargoyles. This building is also a condominium complex. An interesting fact, from 1929 through the mid 1950s  the Villa Rivera was the second tallest building in Southern California. 

Once, again these pictures were taken with my iPhone and do not capture the true beauty of these buildings so you should make your way to Long Beach and check them out!