Condos in Downtown Long Beach: What It's Really Like to Live There

The Ocean Blvd skyline is just as iconic as the Queen Mary itself, and the buildings are photographed by residents and visitors from all over the world. You’ve driven past these buildings many times or stared at them during a convention center event like the Grand Prix and wondered, what is it like to live there? What does it cost?

Some of the most iconic condominium buildings in downtown Long Beach are:

• The Villa Riviera, with its historic copper roof and grotesques (gargoyles)

• The International Tower, the iconic Mid-century modern round tower

• The Harbor Place Towers, Modern, Sleek, expensive-looking - located at located at 525 E Seaside Way (with an alternative entrance at 530 E Ocean Blvd.)

• The Aqua, 3 towers of modern living

  
  

  

  Villa Riviera, Designed by architect Richard D. King and completed in 1928 (opening in January 1929), it features a striking green-patinated copper roof, gargoyles, and splayed wings providing ocean views. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

What is it like to live in a downtown loft or condo in Long Beach?

Having toured and sold condos in all of these stylish buildings within downtown Long Beach, each of them are very unique. But what they have in common are luxury living, with professional management and hired security officers. Live staff and live security factor into the higher HOA fees of over $700/mo, and often over $1,000/mo.

The style of each building is what makes it unique. The Villa Riviera has 1920’s original detail and features on the exterior and interior. The International Tower is very mid-century modern, with amazing views from Orange County to Palos Verdes. Harbor Place exudes modern luxury, as does the Aqua. 

The Pros of Downtown Long Beach living:

Walk to everything! Restaurants, events, entertainment, the beach, the marina, shops and more. Bus lines and the LA Metro are easy to access, connecting Long Beach directly to Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena, and up to Pomona. 

The Views! Of course the beach, harbor, and Queen Mary views are the best and condo values are higher for those views. On the other side, the views of Signal Hill and the City to the north are pretty good. 

The higher the floor, the more you will pay as condo values increase with height.

Professional Management: while HOAs govern the building, the management handles the day-to-day activities and the long term projects for the building. 

The Cons of Ocean Blvd, Downtown Long Beach living: 

Noise: traffic noise, convention center event noise, siren noise, and loud motorists.

Parking: The Villa Riviera does not have parking for all its units, given that it was originally built as a hotel in the 1920s. The other buildings come with ample parking and some guest parking. Parking on the street is metered.

Street congestion: residents need to plan ahead of big downtown events that cause traffic congestion.

How much would I pay for a condo in these buildings at today’s market price?

1 bedroom condo:

Villa Riviera, $350,000-600,000

Int’l Tower, $500,000-700,000

Harborplace, $466,000-600,000

Aqua $415,000-500,000

2 bedroom condo:

Villa Riviera, $950,000

Int’l Tower, $550,000-900,000

Harbor place, up to 9th Floor, $610,000 - $850,000

Villa Riviera, $955,000

Aqua $550-750,000

Larger condos/penthouses:

Harbor Place, 11th Floor, 1,410 sq ft, 2 bedrooms: $1,100,000

Int’l Tower, 22nd Floor, 1,080 sq ft, 2 bedrooms: $995,000

What other Downtown condo options are there?

Just north of Ocean Blvd and south of 6th Street are several condo options in the affordable ranges of $400-600k, with HOA dues of $350-500/mo. They range in architectural styles of historic 1920’s art deco buildings like the Cooper Arms and Lafayette, Mid-century, modern ‘80s-’90s, and historic Lofts. These buildings may have City views instead of beach/harbor views. One thing to be aware of is how many deeded parking spaces come with the condo you are looking at. Parking is a premium downtown, and also adds value to the condo.

Tell me more about HOA Dues:

When you invest in a condo with an HOA, you are buying into the financial condition of that association. It is imperative that you understand how it saves, spends, maintains its reserves for future repairs. HOAs are responsible for maintaining common areas, landscaping, community amenities, exterior balconies, roofs, elevators, shared plumbing, parking areas and more.

Lower HOA fees aren’t necessarily a good thing. If an association has kept dues low by failing to adequately fund future repairs, today’s savings could eventually turn into tomorrow’s special assessment.

At the same time, a higher monthly fee doesn’t automatically mean an association is poorly managed. In some communities, those payments may be helping maintain stronger reserves and creating more predictable long-term costs for homeowners.

Before making an offer on a condo, you can research the HOA online. But the most important financial documents will be given to you during escrow such as the current reserve balance, reserve study, recent budgets, upcoming capital projects, insurance costs, any past or future special assessments, and the history of increases in monthly fees.

What is the Future Investment Potential of Downtown:

The City of Long Beach has heavily invested in improving the Downtown areas for the past few decades, and is now attracting even more tourists and convention attendees than ever. The biggest event in the world is coming to greater Los Angeles, the 2028 Summer Olympics! Long Beach will have over 12 Olympic events at the Convention Center, Beach, and Marine Stadium. Hundreds of thousands of fans, athletes, coaches, businesses, and more. Extra rental housing will be needed starting in mid 2027, and could drive up property values in Long Beach near the events, and throughout greater Los Angeles. Ocean Blvd itself will be on the world stage!

Interested in exploring downtown Long Beach condo living? Let's connect.