Wrigley Neighborhood, Long Beach, California

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Wrigley District in Long Beach, California, USA, gets its name from William Wrigley, the owner and founder of the famed Wrigley Spearmint Gum Empire in Chicago. It was one of the first communities established in Long Beach. The original subdivision pattern was established in 1905. The area is developed throughout on a gridiron street pattern.

The district is bounded on the north by the 405 Freeway, on the south by Pacific Coast Highway and east by Long Beach Boulevard. Pacific Avenue also goes through the area with commercial strip land uses. The Los Angeles River and the 710 Freeway make up the western boundary.

The neighborhood has a community park, Veteran's Park, convenient access to local freeways, Blue Line light rail transportation and the new Wrigley Marketplace shopping district - an innovative joint venture between Long Beach and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The center combines neighborhood-serving retail with a modern park and ride facility for light rail commuters.

[edit] Special events

Each December, the Wrigley Neighborhood plays host to the Daisy Avenue Christmas Parade, which has been an annual tradition since 1953. The parade goes down Daisy Avenue, starting at Pacific Coast Highway and going to Hill Street in the same area as the Daisy Avenue Greenbelt.

In days past, the mature Christmas trees (firs) that lined the Daisy Avenue center median (reaching from Pacific Coast Highway and north about 3 blocks) were lighted for the Christmas season. Holiday displays were set up on the median and the residents of Daisy Avenue often participated by decorating their own homes. Locals called the area "Christmas Tree Lane" and motorists lined up for the holiday drive up the avenue.