“It is very difficult to find pants that fit when you are this tall—which puts great pressure on my favorite dwindling corduroys,” says Jon Mansen, a 6’11” recent transplant from Seattle. Mansen visited Long Beach in March to see his brother and quickly fell in love with the people. “I had a deep desire in my heart to move to Long Beach and to be a part of the community, and so I did, much to my former landlord’s dismay,” he says.
But the transition to Long Beach has not been entirely easy: “My first prospective employment position was a self-serve dog-wash center on Ocean Blvd., but that didn’t pan out like I had hoped.” Instead, Mansen has made use of his free time by getting to know the city better—and practicing piano. “My finger reach is around an octave-and-a-half on the common forte,” he laughs.
And about his size: “The advantage is that I can see a lot of bald spots, and the disadvantage is that people tend to discriminate against me at concerts, yelling, ‘Down in front, Goliath.’” But at least his height is an icebreaker: “I look forward to the many new relationships that I will [form in Long Beach]. It’s not hard to begin a conversation when you’re nearly seven feet tall.” SCOTT JONES
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