Curiously, the one thing visitors to this very special corner of California’s magnificent Central Coast should be made aware of before they set out from home is the absence of a modern convenience almost every American takes for granted.
No, not McDonald’s, Wal-Mart or even Starbucks–although tourists won’t find such otherwise ubiquitous establishments on the tree-lined boulevards and cozy alleyways of this 85-year-old city either. Nor is it easy to find a lighted sign after dark on the main drag, or sidewalks in the residential district.
Only those folks hunting for a specific hotel, shop or restaurant–or on a busman’s holiday from their jobs at the post office–might immediately notice that Carmel has neglected to supply its homes and businesses with addresses.
Anyone who thinks this odd omission might inconvenience mail carriers, UPS drivers and residents in equal measure would be missing a significant point about life here on the Monterey Peninsula. Residents have managed to survive without home mail delivery for as long as anyone can remember, and hardly anyone here is in any great hurry to rectify the situation.
This summer, residents of this one-square-mile community 120 miles south of San Francisco were polled on the possibility of trading their 5,100 post-office boxes for street addresses and home delivery. The survey overwhelmingly demonstrated that quaintness was favored over efficiency, and the numbers prompted the Village Board to table a proposal from local modernists.
“Carmel has never had street numbers,” points out Mayor Pro Tem Paula Hazdovac over lunch in a local Italian bistro. “We all go to the post office, and a lot of people use it as a meeting place. The Postal Service wants to come in and renovate, make it more like a Mailboxes Etc. type of place, with automated machines.”
Tourists, fearing they’ll be turned away at the gates to paradise, need not worry. Indeed, outlanders are quite welcome to visit, if not stay–especially if they schedule their stays in off-peak periods and don’t confuse Pebble Beach with Daytona Beach as a haven for party animals.
Although it’s hard to believe that any destination as scenic and captivating as this would need to advertise, intense competition along the Central Coast seems to have forced the hand of the Carmel Business Association. Even Tiffany’s has to advertise its sales, after all.
“We need the midweek, off-season business,” said Mike Gibson, president of the CBA. “I’ll bet you can get rooms in this town for $70. We want people to stay overnight, shop and eat dinner.
“You still have all luxury. You still have the ocean and beautiful sunsets. And, you’re not spending a lot of money.”
During summer, the temperate climate draws plenty of well-heeled visitors from southern California, Arizona, Texas and other sweaty locales. The same pleasant temperatures–as well as the city’s proximity to Big Sur, Monterey’s Cannery Row and Laguna Seca racetrack–keep people in all income brackets coming back year after year.
“The winter storms are wonderful, because you’re not shoveling snow,” Hazdovac adds, when the subject of road closures on scenic California Highway 1 is brought up. “They come, they go…and leave behind high seas. It’s really not too bad.”
While Carmel-by-the-Sea has been able to remain relatively isolated as an exclusive residential community, it may be feeling a threat from the north.
San Jose’s expansive Silicon Valley is a short drive from the Monterey Peninsula. Because money is no object, newly minted cyber-billionaires have begun to stake their claims in Carmel, plush Carmel Valley and in Pebble Beach.
Cash-only real-estate transactions, into the tens of millions of dollars, already have raised eyebrows along the famous 17-Mile Drive. Now, some Carmelites are concerned that their “elegant bohemian” haven could turn into a nerd nirvana overnight.
“Carmel is very restrictive about what we allow,” stressed Hazdovac.
There are guidelines defining what architectural designs will be allowed for new or renovated dwellings, as well as stiff fines for damaging trees during construction.
It would take an armed invasion of Bill Gates clones to transform this city of 4,400 contented souls (and 847 dogs, according to the 1990 census) into a place where gaudy palaces took over the skyline and boutique coffeehouse chains mushroomed on Ocean Avenue. In fact, the city even requires franchise restaurants–like El Fornaio–to offer a substantially different menu in Carmel than in other locations
There are about 990 rooms available in Carmel, scattered among 50 hostelries, and they range from uninspired (renovated garages) to elegant (Casa Palmero, Bernardus Lodge). Most, however, fall into the warm-and-cozy category.
Even absent the fast-food joints that line our nation’s interstates, no one need leave Carmel hungry. There are more than 60 innovative restaurants, bistros, pubs, bakeries and pubs to satisfy the appetite, and local chefs benefit greatly from Carmel’s proximity to Salinas Valley produce, seafood from Monterey Bay and wine from neighboring vineyards.
So, besides home delivery, what constitutes a controversy in Carmel-by-the-Sea?
“Raccoons–they dig holes in roofs and tip over garbage cans,” advises Hazdovac. “That’s really one of the major issues here right now, and it has almost taken precedence over everything else. We have the animal activists on one hand who don’t want to do anything to the `cute little bandits,’ and other people who want to euthanize them as destructive rodents.
“We have a high percentage of retired people here, and they get very involved because they have a lot of spare time. It’s almost always the same 8 to 10 people, but that’s starting to change.”
Varmints and mailboxes, fast-food restaurants and wounded trees? If Jesse Jackson and Ralph Nader ever decide to retire, Carmel could use their help.
IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE
Carmel-by-the-Sea is located on California Highway 1, 120 miles south of San Francisco, and 350 north of Los Angeles.
The closest airport is in Monterey, although San Jose offers more options. Amtrak and Greyhound bus stations also are nearby.
Motorists are encouraged to arrive via such wonderfully scenic routes as California 1, through Big Sur, or along Carmel Valley Road, which winds through the mountains between unincorporated Carmel and Greenfield, which is on U.S. Highway 101. Be advised, however, that rain storms and coastal fog can make traveling on these routes treacherous.
CLIMATE
The climate along the coast is temperate all year round–verging on chilly at night–although temperatures rise quickly east of California 1. Winter rain storms can be fierce.
INFORMATION
For more information, call the Carmel California Visitor & Information Center at 831-624-2522 or try www.carmelcalifornia.org.
— G.D.
