California State University Long Beach
One of the largest schools of the California State University system, CSU Long Beach has a variety of shooting locations. We have done a “World Ends With You / Wonderful World” shoot with a few friends at the art studio. I have also coordinated a small shoot at the campus terrace (see photos below).
These shoots were done on a weekend during vacation time – spring break and summer – during a Saturday. Though CSU Long Beach is known for having 30,000 students, it is virtually empty on on the weekends.
Note: The Japanese garden is very anal about photo shoots and small events. It’s a nice place to explore and visit while you are at CSU Long Beach, but not recommended for an impromptu photoshoot.
Restaurants
Most campus restaurants are closed during the weekend. However, within driving distance, downtown Long Beach is not too far away. The Pike has plenty of restaurants for a variety of budgets.
Parking and Transit
Parking is easy to find on the weekends. However, the campus is fairly spread out. It really depends where you want to schedule a shoot or small gathering. If you are not a student, you would also have to pay for a day permit. Check the campus map on the CSU Long Beach website for more information for parking.
The Passport is a free bus system that goes back and forth from the convention to downtown.
