Two long-abandoned buildings in North Long Beach, which neighbors say had become magnets for crime, have been torn down, leaving a flattened lot on Long Beach Boulevard.
Residents say the demolition is a significant step forward for a neighborhood that had been dealing with vacant buildings attracting squatters, graffiti, and criminal activity for years.
Erica Hines, who lives across the street from the cleared lot, said the removal of the structures brings a sense of relief…