1. Go mod
Devoted collectors will drool over the midcentury eye candy at Xcape, with items like Sputnik Lightolier chandeliers and restored vintage Brown Jordan patio furniture. Recently spotted: a rare Paul McCobb tobacco-teak-and-bronze room divider (once rented for a Mad Men Palm Springs set) and a Lei Around for tiki-style lounging. 2236 E. Fourth St.; xcapelongbeach.com.
2. Dress the part
Find reconditioned cashmere sweaters for less than $50, felt hats, and Risky Business–era Ray-Bans at Meow. Even the decor is retro, with salvaged display fixtures from Long Beach icons like Steak-O-Rama. Much of the inventory is plucked from closing department stores, so items are in great condition. 2210 E. Fourth St.; 562/438-8990.
3. Hit a diner
Punk-rock drummer Chris Reece restored a rundown '50s diner into a neighborhood fish house and decked it out with his own collection of seaworthy antiques and Long Beach historic photography. Now Pike Restaurant & Bar is the place for shoulder-to-shoulder communal beer drinking and gorging on lobster tacos. $; 1836 E. Fourth St.; 562/437-4453.
4. Visit a throwback theater
The Art Theatre is the longest-running single-screen theater in Southern California. The wine bar next door, Art Du Vin, has wines based on the movies and is an intimate spot for a post-flick debrief. $10; 2025 E. Fourth St.; arttheatrelongbeach.com.
5. Buy the book
The owners of Open hand-select the used inventory to cater to the arty leftist counterculture. Pore through sections like "Short Attention Span Fiction" or back issues of architectural-design magazines. You might even find a first edition of Fast Times at Ridgemont High by Cameron Crowe. 2226 E. Fourth St.; thestoryofopen.com.
