If you're looking to spend Valentine's Day in a romantic yesteryear, there isn't a better place to find yourself than the Art Theatre on Fourth Street. Recently restored to its glamorous past, the Art is the only single screen theater in Long Beach. It is also a living architectural example of Streamline Moderne, the Art Deco phase inspired by transportation of the time - ocean liners, elegant passenger trains, and sleek luxury automobiles.

After last year's $1 million renovation, the Art Theatre is now home to high-quality first run films. From Fourth Street's pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, the Art immediately draws you back 70 years with its inlaid mosaic sidewalk, freestanding ticket booth, and friendly staff. It creates a cinema experience that embraces lively, in-depth discussions.

"A film comes to an end and you can have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and talk about it afterwards," says co-owner Jan van Dijs of the conversation that spills from the chairs and tables outside the Art. "You can see people coming and leaving. You can't do that in a multiplex but you can do it here."

Two years ago, co-owners Jan and Sybil van Dijs and Mark and Helen Vidor, purchased the building from movie aficionado Howard Linn. For six months, a team of thirty people faithfully restored the Art's front façade using the original 1930s blueprints and renovated its inside space.

It was a process that energized van Dijs, who specializes in historical renovations and adaptive reuse projects. "You see a building and say, 'Yeah, we can do something with this'," he says. "Then you just get excited and something positive happens."

Built in 1924, the original Carter Theatre opened between two storefronts the following year. Its first significant restoration came immediately after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake when architect Cecil Schilling renovated the building in the Art Deco style. It was renamed the Lee Theatre and the gold metallic name 'Lee' can still be found on the Art's sidewalk. Subsequent renovations followed, including another name change to the Art Theatre in 1947.

Now van Dijs and his partners have returned the theater to its Art Deco past. The façade boasts a restored marquee and the two original storefronts are again in use as a wine bar and coffeehouse. They even provide clues to the latest restoration's level of detail. Wooden frames around the wine bar's windows lead to the discovery of the original storefront while the coffeehouse frames reveal how carefully the new construction was matched.

From the outside, the Art resembles an ocean liner cutting through the water, with waves recreated on the front doors. Inside, the design continues with a clean blue and white space that includes a proscenium arch that defines the screen. Extra legroom and space for wheelchairs surrounds 380 wood-backed seats, and additional Art Deco details were recreated for the wall pillars to enhance the interior ambiance. Even the 35mm projector from the early 1960s was retrofitted with digital sound and a new lamphouse.

The Art now gives Long Beach one of the best places to connect with friends and neighbors. The wine bar constantly updates its menu, often featuring special selections to match current movies. Photos from local artist Chris Launi, who specializes in shots of Art Deco buildings, line the walls of the lobby and the wine bar showcases artwork from Last Saturdays on 4th, the neighborhood's monthly art walk.

For van Dijs, the interest in restoring the building directly reflects what has long attracted people to the area. "The appeal is a timeless design," he smiles. "It brings you back to this period of mid-century California - a time when everything was possible."