City of Monterey

Plenty of parking but only half of the meters take credit cards… the flip side is parking in a lot that is $ 10-​$ 15 dollars a day. The city really needs to change out the old meters.

I’m surprised there’s not a lot more review for Monterey. I think the best part about the city is the location in between Carmel and Pacific Grove. The ocean is also not far where you can have that nice escape away from all the hustle and bustle. What surprised me when I came here was how Monterey has grown through the years especially with their downtown area. Lots of places to go and even eat especially if you are a foodie like me. Love that there is a good selection of Mediterranean food here as well. All in all, Monterey is a pretty cool place to visit and probably a cool place to live too! It seems very laid back.
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

I’ve lived here for almost a year now and feel so blessed to be here! This is a wonderful city with weather always in the 60ish range. Love being only blocks from the ocean and try to get my toes in the sand as much as possible!
If you’re just here for a couple of days I highly recommend that you walk along the oceans edge on our recreation trail into Pacific Grove and if you get hungry along the way stop at Trailside Café right off the trail. The Aquarium is top notch and changes it’s displays often. The Del Monte Center is a beautiful open shopping mall, not too big and not too small if you need a little shopping or there are lots of shops in both old Monterey (Abrego Ste) and new Monterey (Lighthouse) to keep you busy for quite a while. Great hiking in Jacks Peak, down in Carmel Valley and Garrapata. Don’t leave the area without visiting Carmel by the Sea which has an indescribable charm — if you can afford it you may never want to leave! My favorite beach in the area is the Carmel Beach! Just beautiful! Not a place however to go if you do not like dogs or are scared of them as it’s a leash-​less beach where your furry friends can run and visit with other furry friends!

Monterey can be a lot of fun. The shoreline is gorgeous, there are a ton of great restaurants, and there’s even some wine tasting to be done. Cannery Row is touristy as hell, but it can be nice to stroll along and check out the little stores. I do love the aquarium as well, but it’s absolutely crazy in there. Luckily my company hires it out every 18 months for a conference so we get it all to ourselves for a whole evening… no pushing, shoving, or assault-​by-​stroller! :D
For a low-​cost day trip, Monterey is great… there are several really pretty parks you can plop down on for a picnic overlooking the ocean. If you road-​trip it to get here and you have the choice (and the extra time), I highly recommend coming along Route 1. The views on both ends — north and south — are amazing.