Located in the Zaferia district amid a mix of longstanding businesses and emerging design workshops, Compound embraces a unique mix of contemporary art and street culture that could only exist in Long Beach. It is our mission to promote our city’s cultural richness and to introduce new concepts and experiences to our bustling coastal community.

Compound is a welcoming oasis set within the urban framework of Long Beach and a safe, affirming space for people to gather. Spread over 15,000 square feet in a mixed-use neighborhood, our campus consists of two converted warehouses linked by a public sculpture garden and courtyard. The main buildings, which at various times in history have served as a garment factory and a preschool, sat dormant for years before our recent renovation unearthed many of the structures’ original features: an art deco façade, raw concrete floors, and an exposed bow truss wood ceiling. The open concept floor plan features gallery spaces, a cafe, a retail space, and seating areas, all unified by an interior design scheme of neutral tones and handcrafted furniture reminiscent of West Coast modernism. Compound is a true indoor-outdoor experience, where natural light spills into the warehouses from skylights and visitors can easily transition between the galleries and the adjacent courtyard filled with sculpture, greenery, and ample space for contemplation.

We are proud to reside in Long Beach’s Zaferia district, an area of the city that has a rich history and is currently experiencing a cultural resurgence. Once a small village, marked by fields of mustard and sugar beets and inhabited by mostly Mexican ranch laborers who worked at nearby Rancho Los Alamitos, Zaferia became a bustling commercial corridor shaped by the proximity of the Pacific Electric Railroad Newport-Balboa branch line (1904), the discovery of oil on Signal Hill (1921), the rebuilding efforts after the 1933 earthquake, and the influx of Cambodian refugees who began settling here after fleeing the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s and 1980s, bringing with them rich cultural traditions through food, architecture, and social practices.

Today new arrivals like Analog Record Shop, Urban Americana vintage furniture store, and Commodity coffee shop coexist alongside cultural centers like the Khmer Arts Academy, culinary mainstays like Pho Hong Phat and Los Compadres, and longstanding bars like Alex’s and Joe Jost’s. The old Red Car railroad route is slowly being transformed into a greenbelt, and the diagonal swath that cut through the area is now Orizaba Park. Just around the corner from Compound, it is a reminder of Zaferia’s unique history as a vibrant locale born from entrepreneurial spirit. We are thrilled to become a part of that history, connecting neighbors, serving as a hub, and drawing in people from afar.