The Falcon, a hipster-infested gay dive bar on East Broadway

The story of the Falcon (1435 E. Broadway, 562-432-4146) is one of those cautionary tales of what happens when an old-school dive bar that few but hard-core, day-long drinkers ever paid much attention to develops serious cachet among hipsters and poseurs. Personally, I had a great time in this place, but I was an outsider stopping by for a drink. Longtime locals appear more divided on the Falcon's increasing popularity, some uneasy about the crowds. Other like that the Falcon draws a genuine mix of Long Beach revelers - gays, straights, alternative-music fans (there's a rockin' jukebox), and even a few suits after work. If you're a fan of Akbar up in Silver Lake, or Roosterfish in Venice, you'll likely feel right at home here.