By Dianne Anderson

Ultra Lounge, the newly renovated cafe across from 1535 Gundry Avenue in Long Beach is the first of its kind for the neighborhood, a cross between Melrose Place and Sunset Blvd. A bit bohemian.

About a decade in the making, the 2,500-foot facility stands like a mirage in the middle of Central Long Beach with water fountains trickling inside down the purple wall backdrop. Outdoors, a large patio with great kickback furniture, and a firepit.

Inside, a sound studio and equipment in the back, along with the plasma and the big screen will lure them in. During playoffs, teens who wouldn't step foot  inside a church found themselves drawn to the popping purple, green and orange color combination and minimalist rehabilitation of the once sixties retro decaying building.

“It’s not just about the building, but the building facilitates community,” said senior pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr., of Antioch Church. “It sets the tone and the mood. The bright venue brings out the creative.”

Serious groundwork began four years ago, and from it came many challenges and delays. Bad contractors tried to take money without finishing the job. Pressing on, the project now only has a few loose ends, like furniture and a good espresso maker before the grand opening weeks away.

“There’s a shock value. People don’t expect it to be on that street in that neighborhood,” he said.

“For people that pass by, they just don’t expect for that to be there in the center of it all. We have fun and we hang out; it brings a sense of pride to the neighborhood,” said Pastor Chaney.

Youths will learn about sound engineering, a trade that keeps their interest, he said. It will be a place where community can meet, network with like-minded artists. They can have open mic, a little jazz in the background, poetry slams, artists, comedians and singers.

Located directly across from Antioch Church, Pastor Chaney said he thought he might have to spend extra money to knock out walls and build in windows. Turned out, once they peeled away the stucco and drywall, the building was an old storefront with a huge window area already intact.

“We said, wait a minute, it has the glass window front, which is the greatest, particularly at night,” he said. “The light inside is a completely open venue. Just wonderful.”

The main focus of the youth program is not just keeping kids off the street, he said, but a safe and natural place to hang out. Some of their kids are at risk, while others are A students. It’s a diverse group.

Once launched, the cafe will be open to the public seven days a week, serving light finger food, coffee, herbal teas.

Youth minister Ryan Smith works with Antioch teens 12 to 18, and said that the cafe will be good for community morale, and open to all neighborhood kids. They’ll have movie screenings, and provide background ambiance like jazz and rap discussions.

“That’s one of the reasons why we wanted the windows instead of stucco so people can look in and come in and check it out for themselves,” he said.

Over the last few years as he’s been working with local youths, he noticed an interesting twist. In the old days, parents used to bring their kids to church. Today, it’s the kids dragging their parents to church.

Teens come in off the street on their own, looking for direction. Sometimes, the parents aren’t far behind.

“The parents will see the change in behavior at home and they come here to find out what’s going on,” Smith said. “[One father] said, we couldn’t do it, what are you guys doing?”

Lately, their youth program has seen a lot of interest because of the way the church presents the gospel, he said.

“I think the culture that we’ve established is kind of like a gravitational pull for the kids from all over who are coming to check out what’s happening,” he said.

As the cafe gets going, and with the bad economy and the growing need, one can’t help but wonder if the cafe is set to catch a lot more unsuspecting stragglers wandering in from off the street.

“That's the intention,” he laughs.

For more information on services and upcoming events in Long Beach, see http://www.antiochlb.com.