This building has a name, and is on the list of Historical Landmark buildings for Long Beach. It's known as Villa Riviera, and since it's completion in 1929, has stood as the iconic piece of skyline for the city of Long Beach.
It started off as a luxury Co-op, but couldn't find any takers after the crash, was bought by a couple with Hollywood ties (she was a silent film star, he ran Fox Studios) and turned into a hotel/condominium. Eventually it reverted back into a full scale condo, and that's where it is today. During WWII it housed Naval officers and had lookouts in the turret scanning for enemy ships (they were building vessels at the bay).
From this old ad, we can see an interesting historical fact: that it was the second tallest building in the Southland (as people call the Ventura/LA/OC/SD/Inland Empire area), and held that distinction for almost twenty-five years. It was second to this:
This is the LA City Hall. Hell yes I have two references to City Halls in a row.
The Villa Riviera also held the first ever Miss Universe Pageant in 1952, which may actually be a dubious mark on the ledger, depending about how you feel about beautiful young ladies and their abject objectification.
I like here how it looms out in the distance, rising above this alley. I call it my "They can almost see how the regular people live" photograph.
They replaced some of the original gargoyles in the past decade as well:
Here's a silly camera phone effect that I failed to completely block out with my finger...
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