The Neighborhood That Quit Long Beach Over a Pier

Every Veterans Day, I think about the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier. It’s one of the most-walked places in southeast Long Beach, and most people who stroll it every weekend have no idea how it got there.

The short version: a neighborhood wanted a pier so badly, it left the city to get one.

1908: Belmont Heights asks for a pier and gets told no

In 1908, residents of Belmont Heights asked the City of Long Beach to build them a pier. The city said no. Frustrated by the refusal, and by high taxes, the neighborhood broke away and formed its own City of Belmont Heights.

The independence didn’t last. Belmont Heights rejoined Long Beach after the city agreed to build the pier residents wanted.

1915: Devil’s Gate Pier opens on Christmas Eve

The original wooden pier opened at 39th Place on Christmas Eve, 1915. Nearly 4,000 people came out in the first few days.

Its official name was the Grand Avenue Pier, but almost everyone called it Devil’s Gate Pier. The nickname came from a natural rock arch that once extended seaward from the low bluffs at 39th Place.

1967: The concrete pier we walk today

By mid-century the old wooden pier was worn out. The city built a new concrete pier just east of the original, and it opened in 1967. It runs about 1,620 feet into the ocean, with a hexagonal platform at the end that’s popular with anglers.

A memorial to those who served

In the early 2000s, the pier was renamed the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier to honor Long Beach area veterans. The memorial was formally dedicated in 2005, and it’s worth slowing down for:

• An inscription at the entrance dedicates the pier to the men and women of the nation’s armed forces.
• Flags represent every branch of the military.
• Medallions set into the deck honor individual veterans, many of them local.
• Benches along the pier commemorate significant battles.

It’s a quiet reversal of the Hollywood Walk of Fame: instead of celebrities, the names underfoot belong to neighbors, parents and grandparents who served.

What’s next for the pier

The pier is due for an update. The City of Long Beach has called the Belmont Pier revitalization an important project for the 2028 Olympic Summer Games, and community input has focused on a timeless design that keeps the pier’s history, room for outdoor events, and smaller-scale food options.

In the nearer term, the city is moving forward on replacing the end-of-pier dock that was damaged in a 2017 storm. That project would restore Long Beach Transit’s Aqualink water taxi stop, connecting the pier to Alamitos Bay, the Queen Mary and Downtown.

What the pier means for Belmont Heights homeowners

The pier anchors one of the most walkable stretches of coastline in Long Beach. From much of Belmont Heights, you can walk to the beach, the pier and Second Street in Belmont Shore without getting in the car. I covered that in more detail in The Most Walkable Neighborhoods in Long Beach.

For buyers, that lifestyle is a big part of what you’re paying for near the water. Public investment in a landmark like the pier tends to make a neighborhood more desirable, though every home’s value still comes down to its own condition, location and comps.

Much of the housing close to the pier is condos. If you’re shopping for one, read up on the Fannie Mae condo lending changes for 2026, because they affect how condo purchases get financed.

Take a walk this Veterans Day

The next time you’re out at 39th Place and Ocean Blvd, read a few of the medallions. Each one is a story. If your family has a medallion on the pier, I’d love to hear about the person it honors.

And if you’re thinking about buying or selling in Belmont Heights or anywhere in Long Beach, let’s talk.

About the author: Costanza Genoese Zerbi is a Broker Associate and founder of Costanza Genoese Zerbi & Associates at eXp Realty of Greater Los Angeles (DRE #01941438). She has 600+ closed transactions and $525M+ in career sales volume, and has been RealTrends Ranked in the Top 1.5% Since 2017. She was #1 in Long Beach by sales volume in the 2024 RealTrends rankings.