Seal Beach is a city in Orange County, Southern California. Seal beach is a small town on the coast with a beach front and pier. Main Street is a pleasant place to stroll with a number of restaurants, bars and gift shops.
Understand
[edit]Seal Beach is a small city with all of the charm of a small beach town. With a history in aerospace and manufacturing, the economy has partially transitioned to hospitality and tourism, swelling with out-of-towners in the summer hitting the beach. North of the beach is the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, north of that is the Leisure World retirement community.
Get in
[edit]
By air
[edit]- John Wayne Airport (SNA IATA) [1] in Santa Ana. SNA is served by many major commercial and commuter air carriers.
- Long Beach Airport (LGB IATA) [2].
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA) is the largest airport in the area.
By car
[edit]Seal Beach is located at the intersection of Seal Beach Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway, between Long Beach and Huntington Beach. Interstate 405 and State Route 22 (7th Street or the Garden Grove Freeway) are a few miles north of Seal Beach, and Interstate 605 ends just north of Seal Beach.
Get around
[edit]Walk down Main Street straight onto the pier.
See
[edit]
- 1 The Seal Beach Pier. The Seal Beach Pier is the second longest wooden pier in California. It is a popular location for walking and hiking, and there is a playground at its entrance.
- 2 Los Cerritos Wetlands. Los Cerritos Wetlands is a 965 acres (391 ha) wildlife refuge located within the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Public access in the refuge is limited or restricted to once-a month tour (last Saturday of each month) as it is located within an active military base. The San Gabriel River flows through the wetlands complex, which is a critical habitat and winter stopover for many birds along the Pacific Flyway. Birds found in the refuge include great blue herons and three endangered bird species: California clapper rail, California least tern, and Belding's Savannah sparrow.
- 3 Anaheim Bay. Anaheim Bay is an extensive harbor and wetland complex that includes the Huntington Harbor, which serves small private vessels, and the Bolsa Bay, a salt-water estuary. The term "Anaheim Bay" generally refers to the deep-water Navy harbor at the bay entrance. Bordering the bay are hundreds of acres of salt marshes, some of the largest remaining such habitats in Southern California.
Do
[edit]
Seal Beach is home to 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of beach, with popular activities including swimming, surfing, and fishing from the pier.
- 1 Bay Theater. Undergoing restoration as of 2021, the Bay Theatre is a single-screen movie theater that is best known for its screenings of foreign and independent films, and for its revival screenings. The Bay Theatre is also home to a Wurlitzer organ which is used for concerts and silent film screenings.
Buy
[edit]Shops for tourist can be found along Main Street while more every day shopping can be found at the Seal Beach Center on Pacific Coast Highway.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Mahé, 1400 Pacific Coast Highway, ☏ +1 562 431-3022. Excellent seafood, steak and sushi restaurant
- 2 O’Malley’s on Main, 140 Main St, ☏ +1 562 430-0631. Good restaurant and Irish pub with excellent menu choice
- 3 Hennessey's Grill, 143 Main St, ☏ +1 562 598-6456. Good for breakfast and dinner
- 4 The Hangout Restaurant & Beach Bar (The Hangout), 901 Ocean Avenue, ☏ +1 562 431-4888. Daily 7AM-midnight. Casual New American restaurant & bar in Seal Beach with 180º views of the Seal Beach Pier. Serving breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner. A must-go for Bloody Marys & seafood. $11 to 30.
- 5 Jane's Corndogs, 907 Ocean Avenue, ☏ +1 562 431-2854. Daily 10:30 AM-10 PM. Unpretentious classic corn dog and lemonade stand close to the pier. $.
- 6 Sweet Jill's Bakery, 123 1/2 Main St, Seal Beach, CA 90740, ☏ +1 5625983445. Sun-Thur 5:30 AM-9 PM, Fri-Sat 5:30 AM-10 PM. Freshly baked cinnamon rolls $.
- 7 Crema Cafe, 322 Main St, Seal Beach, CA 90740, ☏ +15624932501. Daily, 7AM-3 PM. European-inspired cafe featuring breakfast & lunch classics, espresso & a dog-friendly patio. $10-$20 per person.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 The Pacific Inn, 600 Marina Dr, ☏ +1 562 493-7501. Good size rooms. Friendly staff. Basic breakfast, but then Main Street is just round the corner.
Stay safe
[edit]Seal Beach is generally very safe. There may be rowdy people after midnight in the downtown or during St. Patrick's Day due to the several Irish pubs. In an emergency, dial 911. The non-emergency phone number for the police is +1 562 594-7232. The police department's main station is on Seal Beach and Adolfo Lopez on the north side of town, and there is a substation at the pier.
Go next
[edit]
| Routes through Seal Beach |
| West LA ← Long Beach ← | N  S
|
→ Westminster → Irvine |
| Santa Monica ← Long Beach ← | N  S
|
→ Huntington Beach → Dana Point |
Ends at  ← Long Beach ←
|
W  E
|
→ Garden Grove → Orange/Santa Ana |