"Cruising" for a sense of place in Long Beach, California: The phenomenology and spatiality of romance while gondola cruising

Abstract

A qualitative methodology employing an auto-ethnography, face-to-face interviews, and an online survey investigates: 1) how American gondoliers experience, interact with, and fulfill romantic expectations of couples, 2) what couples experience when encountering gondola boats, gondoliers, and the landscape of Naples and Alamitos Bay, and 3) why gondola cruising is significant for the neighborhood of Naples, its adjacent communities, and the City of Long Beach. Results provide insight on the experience of romantic spaces, the relations, subjectivities, and dispositions of workers (gondoliers) and clientele (couples), issues of gender and ethnicity, the culture and performances of American gondoliers, and maritime landscapes as workplace. This study shows American gondola boats, gondoliers, and canals work together to socially construct, authenticate, and embody a romantic sense of place throughout the landscapes of Naples and Alamitos Bay, which benefits the tourism of Long Beach, California by attracting visitors wishing to experience romance in a special way.