With views of Marine Stadium and the Colorado Lagoon, Marina Vista Park is aptly named. Its 18.2 acres manage to feel grassy and spacious while containing an array of offerings, including picnic tables, a jungle gym playground in sand with plenty of benches for parents to plant themselves while the kids romp. There are shade trees, some gentle hills for little ones to roll on, and room for plenty of organized sports: two soccer fields, tennis courts and a softball diamond.
History
The site was purchased in 1923 as part of the acquisition that included Marine Stadium, Colorado Lagoon and Recreation Park. Two things that are often at the heart of land disputes in Long Beach--the co-exisitence of oil and wetlands on the property--delayed its transformation into a park for years. In 1996, a bicycle path was added that connects the park to a nearby boat house and rowing center and the Jack Dunster Marine Preserve. On summer Thursday nights, the park is a great spot to plant chairs or a picnic blanket and listen to the city's Municipal Band perform its concerts, a local tradition that makes it the place in the Shore to be.