We had a wonderful stay at Nelson's place. It was perfectly situated to restaurants, shops, the beach (although the view from Long Beach is mostly container ships and oil rigs, you are better off heading south or north to enjoy the ocean and a more natural setting), and a great launching place for trips into LA to visit colleges and sites. The house had a beautiful wrap-around porch and we enjoyed all our meals sitting outside on the deck surrounded by palm trees, grapevines, and lush vegetation. It felt like we were in a tropical paradise. The kitchen is well-stocked, and Nelson left us some sparkling water and seltzers to drink and a plate of cookies. When we had a small issue with a squeaking door, he immediately offered to fix it. He also lent us a cooler, a cart to bring home groceries since the store is only a few blocks away, and beach towels.
The neighborhood is very nice, everyone says hi and is very friendly. The shops on 4th Street are very unique and perfect for vintage clothes, housewares, or fun gifts. There are endless coffee shops, and I highly recommend getting ramen from Jounetsu on 4th Street. We also enjoyed several of the local breweries, and of course, visited the Getty Center in LA.
Nelson was very responsive and a great host. You will enjoy your stay at his place, and appreciate how close everything is. We plan to stay with him again in the future if he has any openings (place gets booked up so plan ahead).