Villa Riviera, Long Beach
Villa Riviera is a truly historic building, completed in 1929. It was Southern California鈥檚 second-tallest building and the tallest private structure for nearly three decades.
Designed by architect Richard D. King, the 16-story building features a French Gothic Chateauesque style, highlighted by its steep copper roof and a distinctive octagonal tower. Its clever design includes splayed wings, which provide ocean views to most of the 130 condominium units, making it a well-known landmark in Long Beach.
In addition to its memorable architecture, Villa Riviera was equipped with a range of luxury amenities such as a ballroom, an Italian-style roof garden, lounges, high-speed elevators, modern heating systems, and parking for 100 cars.
The building is also famed for the fierce-looking grotesques that adorn its upper floors 鈥� sculptures of a bear with a shield, a cougar, an eagle, and a winged chimera blending wolf and bird features.
Throughout its history, Villa Riviera has seen diverse uses, serving as an apartment hotel, housing top Naval officers during World War II, and briefly managed by silent film star Norma Talmadge.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, it continues to be a celebrated architectural gem and elegant residential community in Long Beach.
Designed by architect Richard D. King, the 16-story building features a French Gothic Chateauesque style, highlighted by its steep copper roof and a distinctive octagonal tower. Its clever design includes splayed wings, which provide ocean views to most of the 130 condominium units, making it a well-known landmark in Long Beach.
In addition to its memorable architecture, Villa Riviera was equipped with a range of luxury amenities such as a ballroom, an Italian-style roof garden, lounges, high-speed elevators, modern heating systems, and parking for 100 cars.
The building is also famed for the fierce-looking grotesques that adorn its upper floors 鈥� sculptures of a bear with a shield, a cougar, an eagle, and a winged chimera blending wolf and bird features.
Throughout its history, Villa Riviera has seen diverse uses, serving as an apartment hotel, housing top Naval officers during World War II, and briefly managed by silent film star Norma Talmadge.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, it continues to be a celebrated architectural gem and elegant residential community in Long Beach.
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Villa Riviera on Map
Sight Name: Villa Riviera
Sight Location: Long Beach, USA (See walking tours in Long Beach)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Long Beach, USA (See walking tours in Long Beach)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Long Beach, California
Create Your Own Walk in Long Beach
Creating your own self-guided walk in Long Beach is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Long Beach Introduction Walking Tour
Situated along the picturesque coast of Southern California, Long Beach is a thriving metropolis that effortlessly blends urban excitement with coastal charm. The extensive stretch of sandy shores lining its coastline makes it an ideal destination for beach lovers and sunseekers alike.
Indigenous people had lived in the area for over 10,000 years before the arrival of Spanish explorers in the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Indigenous people had lived in the area for over 10,000 years before the arrival of Spanish explorers in the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Long Beach Murals Walking Tour
Famous as a coastal resort, Long Beach, CA, can get pretty hot rather often. Still, despite the heat, quite a lot of people love to explore this city's colorful public art and murals in particular. Over the years, Long Beach has had a great deal of these joyful and inspirational touches added to its landscape.
Perhaps the most notable of them, depicting various pleasant ways of passing... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Perhaps the most notable of them, depicting various pleasant ways of passing... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Long Beach Historical Buildings Tour
Apart from its long, wide beaches, the city of Long Beach is famous for its architectural diversity. The downtown area is dotted with buildings of various styles, many of which date back to the turn of the 20th century.
One such gem is the Breakers Hotel, an iconic oceanfront structure from the 1920s. Over the years, this building has hosted a plethora of Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries.... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
One such gem is the Breakers Hotel, an iconic oceanfront structure from the 1920s. Over the years, this building has hosted a plethora of Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries.... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles