Residents Asked for Solutions. Why is BSBA Promoting “Debauchery” on 2nd Street?

For the years now, Belmont Shore residents have been sounding the alarm about late-night alcohol-related problems on 2nd Street: fights, noise, vandalism, public intoxication, public urination, reckless behavior, and repeated strain on police and city resources. Residents have packed community meetings, spoken at City Council, submitted public comments, documented incidents, and asked the City for meaningful prevention measures before things spiral further.

So why is the Belmont Shore Business Association using its public newsletter to promote an article glorifying exactly this culture? The BSBA recently promoted an item titled “Every Hour is Happy in Belmont Shore,” praising an LBC Vibe “happy hour” roundup. (Newsletter issue: https://mailchi.mp/belmontshore/belmont-shore-welcomes-fleet-week-this-friday)

Nothing wrong with promoting local businesses, but instead of just sharing the vibes, the article repeatedly celebrates excessive drinking, “debauchery,” hangovers, underage drinking jokes, “drunk Gen Xers,” losing “whatever’s left of your dignity,” and “questionable decisions in alleys” behind local establishments.

Below are select quotes of Kari Jenkins from her article: https://lbcvibe.com/the-best-spots-for-happy-hour-in-belmont-shore-long-beach/

2nd Street / Belmont Shore generally

“I have been drinking on 2nd Street for a long time. Since I turned 21 in this town — and maybe a little before that, but we’re not here to rat anyone out.”

→ Joke about underage drinking tied to Belmont Shore bar culture.

“I’ve celebrated birthdays here, cried into drinks here, made questionable decisions in alleys behind certain establishments here…”

→ Explicit normalization of drunken misconduct around local bars.

“I’ve spent more time in Belmont Shore happy hours than I probably should have. Some of them more times than I can remember, a few of them more times than I should admit.”

→ Implied blackout/excessive drinking culture.

DOGZ Bar & Grill

“Dogz is the bar you go to when you can’t taste the difference between Kamchatka and Ketel One anymore, but somehow the burger still tastes amazing.”

→ Explicit intoxication reference: so drunk you cannot distinguish cheap vodka from premium vodka.

“The point is you want to get your drink on in a no-judgment, no-pretense zone…”

→ Direct encouragement of heavy drinking.

Legends Sports Bar + Panama Joe’s

“Panama Joe’s and Legend’s are both Belmont Shore institutions, and I will say this plainly: if you don’t have at least one story of debauchery from one of these two places, do you even live in Long Beach? Legend’s smells like drunk Gen Xers and sticky testosterone and I mean that with complete affection. This bar has seen things. It has watched this neighborhood grow up while steadfastly refusing to do so itself. God bless it.”

→ This passage explicitly celebrates “debauchery” associated with Panama Joe’s and Legends as a defining Long Beach experience. The description of Legends as smelling like “drunk Gen Xers and sticky testosterone” romanticizes a hyper-masculine, intoxication-fueled atmosphere, while praising the bar for “refusing to grow up” alongside the neighborhood. The overall message is that chaotic, alcohol-centered behavior is not merely tolerated — it is part of the identity and charm being marketed to the public.

“Panama Joe’s is less sports bar and more Bloody Hangover Bar…”

→ Explicit hangover branding.

“Just maybe stay out of the alley behind Panama Joe’s. Or don’t. No judgment here.”

→ This line strongly implies that problematic or reckless late-night behavior occurring behind Panama Joe’s is widely understood and normalized. By adding “Or don’t. No judgment here,” the article shifts from merely acknowledging unsafe behavior to effectively encouraging it.

Shannon’s Bayshore

“You don’t usually start your night there. Shannon’s is typically where you end up at last call trying to find your phone that’s already in your hand, along with whatever’s left of your dignity.”

→ Explicitly portrays Shannon’s as the late-night intoxication endpoint where patrons lose control/self-respect.

“Maybe we actually start here and then circle back at the end of the night for a Shoot-the-Root to close it all out properly.”

→ Encourages continued drinking/bar hopping deep into the night.

“Pick a patio, find your barstool, start at Shannon’s or end at Shannon’s…”

→ Frames all-night drinking as the defining 2nd Street experience.

Riley’s on 2nd

“The upstairs patio at Riley’s might be one of the best people-watching spots in the Shore because you can sip your drink and watch the tomfoolery begin at Shannon’s next door in real time. Honestly, some of the best free entertainment on 2nd.”

→ Treats visible late-night disorder as entertainment.

Taco Shore

“Taco Shore understands the assignment. Their happy hour runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every weekday with taco specials and discounted drinks, but the real move is the late-night menu from 9 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and all the way until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The fact that they built in a late-night window every single day tells you exactly what kind of bar Taco Shore is.”

→ The venue is being characterized not primarily as a restaurant, but as a late-night drinking destination catering to bar crowds after hours. The phrase “tells you exactly what kind of bar Taco Shore is” suggests the late-night food window exists specifically to serve intoxicated patrons and sustain the late-night drinking scene.

Overall framing

The article repeatedly markets Belmont Shore not merely as a dining district, but as a destination for intoxication, late-night disorder, and “party district” behavior tied to specific establishments on 2nd Street. At a moment when the City is actively debating how to address late-night safety issues in Belmont Shore, this kind of messaging is not just tone-deaf — it is deeply irresponsible.

Residents are being told their concerns are overblown while the business lobby simultaneously markets Belmont Shore as a destination for exactly the kind of intoxication-fueled behavior neighbors have been documenting for years. So again, why is the Belmont Shore Business Association promoting this?