This report tells a “Tale of Two Cities:” the vibrant, revitalized Downtown Long
Beach, which in April 2007 was listed as “one of the top 10 revived downtowns
in the United States” by the Urban Land Institute, and the second less‐discussed
Long Beach, consisting of the surrounding working‐class neighborhoods where
poverty concentration is listed as 6th highest in the nation by the Brookings
Institution.
City officials and hospitality industry leaders are now hoping to move to the next
stage of development and attract higher‐end visitors. But in order to succeed as a
tourist destination, the city and the tourism industry need to consider the effects
of low‐wage tourism jobs on the community at large.