Long Beach

Best Dead Girl Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. the Black Dahlia, Los Angeles' most famous unsolved murder since being found, cut in half, there in 1947. Her last place of residence was 53 Linden Ave., and previous to that, she worked in a café where Village Treasures is now, at Broadway and Linden Avenue.

Best Used Book Store Acres of Books. Row upon row of non-seismically retrofitted books dating back so long that prices embrace trickle-down economics, stagflation -- even brinksmanship. Positively encyclopedic. 240 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, (562) 437-6890.

Best New Book Store Open. This place continues the tradition started by Dodd's (gone), Rodden's (gone), Chelsea (gone) and others: just a good little independent with a taste for the city's history. On some level, all books are history books. 144 Linden Ave., Long Beach, (562) 499-6736.

Best Breakfast Egg Heaven Cafe vs. Omelette Inn. At Egg Heaven, you get your comically complex, zesty, rich breakfast omelets where eggs are almost a side note -- all in slightly snooty Belmont Heights. At Omelette Inn, you get the gritty downtown vibe: waitresses with nose rings and belly chains and breakfasts that showcase the true bounty of the chicken. Tough call; listen to your stomach. Egg Heaven Cafe, 4358 E. Fourth St., Long Beach, (562) 433-9277; Omelette Inn, 108 W. Third St., Long Beach, (562) 437-5625.