The buildings are generally very pretty they have a cohesive style that reminds you of Washington D.C.'s monument district or some European city's downtown, but therein lies the problem: Parking is not plentiful, and making your way from the garages to your destination can involve walking a block or three. There are numerous $$$ and $$$$ restaurants, delis, and bakeries, but the only fast or simple food I found was at an Arby's and a KFC some distance from the area. I know it's meant to be upscale, but since I'm not furnishing a villa in Tuscany or Aspen, I didn't find many shops or studios that interested me.
it has this Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow-esque quality with musicians standing on the street corners and a small town shopping area vibe going with the streets and store set up. There are strange statues of people on the streets and sitting on street benches but people were liking them and posing for pix with them.
This was a perfect area to walk and window shop on an unseasonably cool summer afternoon. The area is kept up. Nice variety of shops and restaurants. We had lunch at Bub's so we were able to park in their private parking lot. Not sure how much trouble we would have had if we had to park on the street.
It was a Saturday morning and the area was filled with artists. All we talked to were veery friendly … it was an art festival weekend.We walked the excellent rail-to-trail and met other nice people our age who told us how much they enjoyed living there. We parked on the main street … free … and stayed there about 2 hours. A very delightful experience.
Good restaurants within walking distance. Great events scheduled periodically, good shope & antique mall is open 7 days
I had been receiving mailings for some time to go visit Carmel and especially it's arts district. A few art galleries, a few high priced stores and lots of restaurants does not make it an awesome destination. It looks like it has a symphony, dance troup, festivals and such for the locals. However, as a day trip destination, it just did not have much to offer.
Nicely redone historical area with many unique shops and restaurants. We were there on a Sunday afternoon, but even so there was a lot to see. The lifelike sculptures along the sidewalks were surprising and a little disconcerting at first, but once you became accustomed to them they were fun. A nice place to spend and afternoon. Home of the worlds smalls children's art museum.
Good food choices and local shops. Not just art galleries. Nice restaurant variety. If staying at a nearby hotel, it's an excellent walking and dining destination.
We attended the Friday night wine and art walk this past weekend and had a great time. Such a great area and wonderful art shops
I got the chance to visit here while driving through the area. I was very pleased at the cleanliness of the area, old town family feeling you get from the locals and the various choices of restaurants and shopping. No car needed, lovely for just taking a stroll with family or friends.