Monterey, CA

Monterey sits on the southern curve of Monterey Bay, a Central Coast city where Highway 1 meets the road to Salinas and the 101 corridor. Pacific Grove lies next door to the west and Seaside to the east. In the Spanish and Mexican years this was the capital of California, and the city still carries itself like a place that has been important before. Houseberry splits it into four parts that feel quite different. The waterfront and visitor streets hold Old Town, Cannery Row and New Monterey, where adobes, aquarium crowds and a working shopping avenue share the shoreline. The flat northern side covers Del Monte Beach, Villa Del Monte, Del Monte Grove Laguna Grande, Oak Grove, Casanova Oak Knoll and North Fremont, a practical belt of beach blocks, campuses, errands and the airport. The inland slopes bring Alta Mesa, Monterey Vista, Aguajito Oaks, Deer Flats Park and Fishermans Flats, with curving streets under oaks near Del Monte Center. Up top, Skyline Forest and Skyline Ridge Estates climb into the pines with the quiet to match. Homes follow the geography. Near the water you find adobes, cottages and compact stucco houses on small lots, while the hills run to mid-century ranch houses and larger custom places with decks and bay glimpses. Outdoors begins with the Monterey Bay Recreation Trail, which follows the shore past Old Fisherman's Wharf toward Pacific Grove. Away from the water, Jacks Peak Park and Huckleberry Hill Nature Preserve offer pine forest and ridge walks, and El Estero Park gives the middle of town a lake. Locals go to Monterey's Fish House for seafood, pick up pastries and espresso at Alta Bakery, and save The Sardine Factory for an occasion. Between them sit plenty of small counters worth learning. Daily life divides by terrain. Downtown and Lighthouse Avenue work on foot, while the north side and the hills lean on a car, with Whole Foods at Del Monte Center and the Safeway in Del Rey Oaks covering most grocery runs. Buses are run by MST. Summer weekends are the cost of the setting, since the streets that make the place beautiful also fill with visitors and parked cars. In return, many residents can reach sand, pines or a quiet ridge before the day gets going.