AT the mouth of the Los Angeles River, shipping cranes flex across the skyline — an industrial panorama that suits Long Beach’s gritty reputation. But while the city’s maritime character remains, its rough edges have been smoothed in recent years — the downtown waterfront transformed by redevelopment, the busy port now welcoming both cargo vessels and cruise ships. Along with its sandy shore, a compact downtown of low-rising Art Deco towers, and unassuming neighborhoods where Craftsman bungalows are ringed by tropical gardens, Long Beach has excellent museums, ethnic enclaves and a tangle of Southern California subcultures. Layered, urban and unexpected, it is a city apart from the sprawl and strip malls that define the outer edges of Los Angeles.

Friday

3 p.m.

1. POSITIVELY FOURTH STREET

After an elegant renovation, a former 1920s-era furniture store has become the cultural heart of the emerging East Village Arts District. The 8,000-square-foot building, with exposed beams and original wood floors, is the new home of Fingerprints (420 East Fourth Street; 562-433-4996; fingerprintsmusic.com), one of Los Angeles’s last great record shops. Check the store calendar for coming appearances; Lou Reed did a record signing on a recent Friday. Then, head next door in the same building to Berlin (No. 420; 562-435-0600; berlincoffeehouse.com) for an ice-blended green tea latte or Mexican hot chocolate.

5:30 p.m.

2. SHIP SHAPE

Equal parts kitsch and Streamline Moderne grandeur, the famously Titanic-esque Queen Mary — a 1936 passenger ship turned floating theme park and hotel — is just across the water from downtown’s giant Ferris wheel. For a cocktail or glass of house bubbly, stop in the ship’s grand dining room, Sir Winston’s (1126 Queens Highway; 877-342-0738; queenmary.com) at sunset.