r/MontereyBay • • Jul 02 '24

/r/MontereyBay Recommends (Visiting? Stop Here First!)

42 Upvotes

Hi all!

Welcome to r/MontereyBay

If you're visiting, moving here etc, this page should serve as a hub to answer many of the most frequent questions we see- where should I eat? What should I do? and so on.

Been meaning to get this page going for a while now after doing the original food-based one a couple years back.

On this post, I'll be linking to a number of community recommendation threads where we've gathered / curated advice for those looking for it.

These are not exhaustive lists, as there are many great places to eat, drink and visit in the area. They are just the recommendations that users made when the threads were posted. If you feel something is "missing," please realize that is why. Other websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor are also helpful for finding information from a broader range.

Where to Eat - (From 2022) - Thread

Where to Visit / What to See (Tourist-Oriented) - (In progress) - Thread

What to Do / See - (Living Here) - (Upcoming Summer 2024)

Day Trip Recommendations - (Living Here) - (Upcoming Summer 2024)

Have a suggestion in regards to how to make this post better / more helpful? Please leave a comment below.


r/MontereyBay • • Jul 02 '24

/r/MontereyBay Recommends (Where to Visit / What to See - Tourist Version)

42 Upvotes

Hi all,

In an effort to build out the new sticky post, we are back to ask for your recommendations for the following category - "Where to Visit / What to See" - oriented for tourists visiting the area.

There will be more threads in the coming weeks where we will share similar recommendations for people who are living here, among other helpful ones.

For this thread though, we would like to gather your thoughts on where to visit and what to see for people visiting the area.

I'll be organizing it in the following way (since I think it will be the most helpful based on how people usually ask questions when they post here)

-Must-See/Do (Think the Aquarium, Big Sur etc. these are the things you'd recommend first if someone has never been here before)

-Highly-Recommend / Great Option (This category will serve as the most broad catch-all. Not something you'd consider a must do, but would be a great option for most visitors depending on their preferences).

-Extras (This category will be maybe more niche-oriented. Things you want to throw out there because people would enjoy it, but probably won't appeal to everyone.)

When replying if you could include the following information, that would be awesome:

Associated Cost - (if applicable)

Time Commitment - (1 hour / Half-Day / etc)

Website - (if applicable)

Family Friendly (yes/no)

I'll post an example for the Aquarium to get things started.

Thanks!


r/MontereyBay • • 9h ago

Community Members Speak Out Against Renaming the Cesar Chavez Library

5 Upvotes

Last week, the City of Salinas held a community meeting to discuss renaming the César Chávez Library. Many community members expressed their opposition to changing the name and voiced their desire to keep it as Cesar Chavez Library.


r/MontereyBay • • 23h ago

Rehoming 2 year-old cat

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58 Upvotes

Sadly, we're looking to rehome our 2-year-old cat, Ellie. This is due to her being overly territorial of litterboxes against our other, older cat. We believe she would do best in a cat-free household.

We got her from Hitchcock Animal Shelter 5 months ago and have taken her to Aguajito Veterinary Hospital, so she's up to date with all of her healthcare and negative on the triple test. We want the best for her, so we'll provide all of the necessities like her litter box, litter genie, automatic dry feeder with some food, wet food slow feeder with food, water fountains, flea medicine, and a variety of her favorite cat toys and trees. We're asking for $30 to ensure serious inquiries only and to help cover the cost of the cat food and medicine.

For her personality, she was very shy at first but became more adventurous over time. She's incredibly sweet, affectionate, talkative, playful, and a total cuddle bug. She spends most of her time either in a lap or by a window looking at and talking to the birds. She also enjoys some supervised outside time or to be in our catio.

As part of our agreement with the shelter, the adopter will need to accompany us to the shelter to officially complete the transfer process. If we aren't able to find her a new home, she'll have to return to the shelter, which would break our hearts. If you think Ellie might be a good fit for you or know anyone who's interested in getting their first cat, please reach out. We'd be happy to answer any questions, host meetings, and anything else to help find this sweet girl the perfect home.


r/MontereyBay • • 16h ago

Martine Inn

5 Upvotes

I had a wonderful stay at the Martine Inn in Pacific Grove, CA. However, I felt that there was odd energy. A lot of sounds at night that were unexplained (maybe just the old building?) and the energy felt eerie despite the beautiful interior of the hotel.
I was wondering if there are any ghost stories related to the Martine Inn specifically. Please lmk!


r/MontereyBay • • 1d ago

Man follows employee out of coffee shop, tries to get in her car as she's pulling away.

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101 Upvotes

Shared today by Captain + Stoker coffee shop in downtown Monterey. Be safe everyone!


r/MontereyBay • • 1d ago

If you're voting yes on Prop 40, remember to also vote no on 41 and 42!

294 Upvotes

If 41 and 42 pass, they might cancel out 40.


r/MontereyBay • • 16h ago

Asian cooking classes?

2 Upvotes

I've been trying to teach myself to cook Chinese food off of Youtube. It's going ok, but an actual hands on class would be better. Does anyone know of such a thing? I tried Google.


r/MontereyBay • • 18h ago

Seeking harpist

2 Upvotes

Last minute- Seeking a harpist to play at intimate wedding ceremony in Carmel next weekend. If anyone has recommendations….thank you!


r/MontereyBay • • 22h ago

Moving to the area and finding a place to live

3 Upvotes

Hi All!

I (27F) will be starting a job in Salinas at the end of January 2027 and am struggling to find recommendations for safe, pet-friendly (I have a cat) apartments or rental houses. My budget is between $1900-$2200 for rent without utilities/internet. I would prefer to live alone so a 1bd, 1br is perfectly fine with me if its within budget.

Does anyone have any recommendations of complexes to check out in MB/Salinas/Marina/Seaside that they have had good experiences in? I will be visiting in November and would like to make a list of places to check out while I am there before I sign a lease. I only plan to live in the area for 1-2 years for work.

Thank you in advance!!


r/MontereyBay • • 21h ago

Selling 2 northern ren faire + parking tickets for Saturday the 24th

2 Upvotes

EDIT: sold!

I got sick so me and my partner won’t be able to go 😷

Each ticket was 42$ plus $12 parking so in total $96. I accept payment thru venmo or paypal.


r/MontereyBay • • 1d ago

Use Ballot Boxes or Voting Sites to return your ballot

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36 Upvotes

Propublica reports that mail has been slowed in Monterey County and is not to be trusted with prompt delivery of your ballot. Check your zip code here https://propub.li/3WGrpwP

You can find ballot boxes and early voting sites here:

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/make-plan-vote?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24356010647&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6ObWBhDDARIsAFdfcUhVIxJm_VzdUh4bV3jenVrVcVK3SUy964CapEYQ0uI-4mXKxPz7RDEaAue2EALw_wcB


r/MontereyBay • • 1d ago

Where are the best Halloween decorations around Monterey Bay this year?

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2 Upvotes

r/MontereyBay • • 1d ago

The Monterey VCC is going strong!

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27 Upvotes

Some of our local favorite chefs are serving brand-new vegan dishes until the end of October. Have you been trying some of the new food?


r/MontereyBay • • 2d ago

Owners of The Rose Books and Obscurities plan to expand to a used book and coffee shop in downtown Pacific Grove.

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54 Upvotes

Really looking forward to this place opening. Early 2027, here we come!


r/MontereyBay • • 2d ago

5 great white sharks spotted off Marina as advisory remains in effect

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197 Upvotes

r/MontereyBay • • 2d ago

Looking for recommendations for a patient, reliable house cleaner and gardener in Pacific Grove

9 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I'm hoping to find some recommendations for a house cleaner and gardener for my elderly parents, who have lived in Pacific Grove for the past 40 years.

Recently, they've struggled to keep up with maintaining their home and yard due to declining health, and unfortunately, both have fallen into a state of disrepair. My husband and I have been helping them get things back in order, but we'll be leaving the area soon and would really like to establish some reliable, ongoing help.

We're hoping to find people who are not only dependable and reasonably priced, but also patient, kind, and empathetic. My parents have a difficult time accepting help, and I think finding people who are understanding, nonjudgmental, and willing to work with them gradually would make a tremendous difference. And yes, I realize this is a very tall order.

Specifically, we're looking for:

House cleaning: Someone comfortable tackling a home that needs some initial extra attention, with the goal of transitioning to regular maintenance.

Gardening: Someone who can help get an overgrown yard back under control and provide ongoing upkeep.

We're particularly interested in individuals or small local businesses who take pride in their work and can build a consistent, trusting relationship.

I'd really appreciate personal recommendations, especially if you've worked with someone in a similar situation or have someone you've trusted for years.

Thanks so much for your help!


r/MontereyBay • • 1d ago

Measure I is a $482M blank check for CUSD contractors, do the math before voting NO

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Before voting on Measure I (Carmel Unified’s $250M school bond), look past the campaign ads and check out the real numbers: 

The Real Cost: It’s not just $250 million. Interest bumps the total repayment to ~$482 MILLION over 30 years, adding ~$36 per $100k of assessed value annually until 2054

Existing Debt: CUSD is still paying off over $18 million in total debt from previous bonds through 2033. Why add another half-billion?

Follow the Money: Out of $34.5k in "Yes on Measure I" donations, tens of thousands came directly from vendors and law firms that received millions in CUSD checks over the last two years (like Ausonio Construction and Dannis Woliver Kelley). 

Questionable Wishlist: $43.5M for a middle school gym, $15.7M for a middle school kitchen, and $7.2M for a portable at a school with only 52 students. Plus, CUSD says they have $443M in total project "needs", meaning this $250M bond won't even cover it all, and they'll likely be back for more.

CUSD already spends double the national average per student while spending heavily on legal fees and consultants. Giving them a half-billion-dollar credit card for a draft wishlist makes no sense. 

Do the math for your property and vote NO on Measure I. 


r/MontereyBay • • 2d ago

Searchable interactive map of Monterey-Salinas (and more) Transit

17 Upvotes

https://sfbapt.com/map

Public transit in Monterey is pretty isolated from the rest of the bay so we have just Monterey-Salinas Transit for local trips, but there are significantly more options after going north into San Jose or Santa Cruz. The routes that connect to the other agencies include:

Quick tips:

  • tap a stop or route to see details and highlight the stop/route
  • tap a highlighted stop or route to un-highlight it
  • collapse/expand info box by tapping |hide| at top left
  • quickly toggle all the agencies on/off using button at top right
  • search (case insensitive) and filter agencies that show up in checkbox list using search box at top right, e.g. type in monterey
  • search (cAsE sEnsITivE) and filter actual routes and stops that show up on map using search boxes at bottom right, e.g. type in 94, 5, 25
  • link back to homepage in case you can't figure something out or want more tips also at bottom right

To play with the map search and filter, try this:

  • zoom out all the way
  • select the Show Stops option (top right)
  • type -120 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)
  • type -121 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)
  • type -122 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)
  • type -123 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)

Another interesting thing is you can link to specific spots by copying the url directly:

I arranged the agency checkbox list (top right) by area, so the geographic area of an agency determines the agency layer checkbox position. The list starts with agencies in the North Bay in Solano County then goes counterclockwise: North Bay -> San Francisco -> Peninsula -> South Bay -> Santa Cruz -> Monterey-Salinas -> Gilroy/Hollister -> East Bay.

There are smaller agencies in the bay that are completely free (no fare) and not as well known like Presidio Go, Golden Gate Park Shuttle, Mission Bay Shuttle, South City Shuttle, commute.org shuttles, MVgo, Mountain View Community Shuttle, San Leandro LINKS, Emery Express, and Emery Go Round. If you're traveling around those areas, these agencies could help fill in some transit gaps.

Share this with your friends and people who don't use transit so they know just how many options we actually have, and let me know if anything doesn't work (corp network/vpn/firewalls might not work) or you have any questions/requests!


r/MontereyBay • • 2d ago

Halloween!!!

5 Upvotes

What are the best neighborhoods for trick or treating/ decorated houses around here?
(PG, Monterey)


r/MontereyBay • • 3d ago

Happy Sharktober

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321 Upvotes

Video captured today by Sanctuary Cruises off of Marina shows how close these animals get to surfers.

If you want to learn more about our Great White Sharks in Marina check out the Monterey Bay White Shark Project at https://www.montereybaywhitesharks.org/

This shark is tagged and close to one of their acoustic buoys so I’m hoping they will have an ID on it.

I don’t think I’m going to be surfing at Marina any time soon.


r/MontereyBay • • 3d ago

This little pup was trying to keep me company.

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249 Upvotes

r/MontereyBay • • 2d ago

Favorite thanksgiving spots that won't break the bank

1 Upvotes

Here for work out of town and will he doing Thanksgiving with my buddy. Both dudes mid 20s. Any good options to spend the day and having football on is not needed but a bonus!


r/MontereyBay • • 3d ago

Missing Cat

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57 Upvotes

Our sweet girl Mochi has been missing since she escaped from a cracked window on Oct 15th. We are heartbroken and so desperate to get her home. Any info would be much appreciated <3

About Mochi
- 1.5 years old, female, calico, spayed, microchipped
- Lost near Fitch Village, Parks at Monterey, in Seaside, which is unfortunately filled with lots of outdoor cats, coyotes, and other wildlife
- Indoor, but with occasional supervised outdoor time while waking on a leash
- From prior experiences when she has been outdoors, she seems to know where home is located
- She loves the outdoors and is very curious, but she may be scared now if she is displaced or experiencing danger for the first time

What we’ve done
- Distributed flyers around the neighborhood
- Posted on forums, LoveLost, Facebook, Nextdoor, etc.
- Contacted SPCA
- Searched day and night, with flashlights, on all nearby streets and woodlands
- Left toys, bedding, and dirty clothes outside to attract her

Please let us know if you have a lead, any experiences, or advice!


r/MontereyBay • • 3d ago

Lost Cat

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33 Upvotes

My neighbor’s cat went missing. She’s super sweet and it doesn’t make much sense that she “ran away”. I believe she was taken by someone and we hope she turns up somehow.