There’s so much more to the City of Long Beach than ocean, sand and boardwalk. Just ask Joel Greenberg. He’s providing an insider’s guide to this seaside community to guests of the Allegria Hotel in Long Beach twice a week through mid-October.
Greenberg – by day, he’s an attorney at Rivkin Radler, a law firm headquartered in Uniondale – provides free two-hour walking tours on Wednesdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. through Long Beach for the Allegria’s guests this summer. On Wednesdays, the tour focuses on points of interest east of the Allegria Hotel, while on Sundays, the tour highlights points of interest west of the hotel. Greenberg also developed a 60-minute audiovisual show about the Long Beach barrier island.
It was tourists who motivated Greenberg to showcase the area.
“Out of towners would often stop me in front of the Allegria Hotel and ask: ‘Is there anything to do around here besides going to the beach?’ This widespread lack of knowledge and available resources is what motivated me to offer my free walking tours and audiovisual presentation to the Allegria Hotel,” Greenberg told Long Island Business News.
Tour highlights include the historic mansions in Long Beach’s Red Brick District, a former speakeasy from Prohibition days, the Long Beach Holocaust Memorial, a pedestrian walkway to the vibrant west end of town, houses of worship, memorials to the victims of 9-11 and Superstorm Sandy, and a visit to some of the shops nearby.
And while the tour touches on history, “my focus is on all the incredible natural resources on this barrier island, the incredible beach vibe that reflects this community’s live music and art scene and the exciting entrepreneurial spirit of our new restaurateurs and small business owners who are bringing their enthusiastic energy and innovation to our historical barrier island,” he said.
Greenberg moved to the area 16 years ago.
“I found living by the water to be more peaceful, serene and calming than any other place where I’ve ever lived,” he said. “It’s where I am most creative and relaxed and where I feel most in harmony with nature.”
After reading “Blue Mind,” a book by marine biologist Wallace Nichols, Greenberg learned that “there is a scientific explanation for this blissful feeling,” he said, adding that “most residents and visitors to coastal towns experience it as well.”
And, he said, “it’s why friends and family who spend a few hours with me here in Long Beach always say the same thing when they leave: ‘It’s amazing. I’m so relaxed. I feel like I’ve been on vacation for two days.’ That’s a ‘blue mind,’ and we’ve all experienced it.”
The tours are suitable for all ages, including families with school-age children. Participants are advised to wear comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen and to carry water to keep hydrated. Restroom facilities are nearby throughout the tours.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
