Fun Facts About Pacific Grove, CA

If you know me, you know that I love Pacific Grove. We locals called it “PG” for short. When my husband and I first moved to the area, we felt such overwhelming awe over the combination of the rocky coastline, ocean waves, and wildlife paired with the charming Victorian homes and Craftsman cottages. Coming from the East Coast, the architecture in PG was familiar and comforting. For you Gilmore Girls fans, I sometimes refer to PG as “Stars Hallow West.” Some days, I’m just waiting to see Lorelei walk out of one of the bed and breakfasts in town (my money is on the Gosby House), or catch Rory reading on the steps of the Jewell Park gazebo.

Fast forward to today, I now work, exercise, volunteer, and shop in PG – but still live ten minutes down the road in Monterey. (I love Monterey, too – that’s a future conversation.) But why I love PG beyond its charm and beauty is its walkability and sense of community.

I’ve walked every block in PG nearly five times now. That’s right, I enjoy being in PG so much that I keep walking the same streets – often with the walking group I created Walk Every Street PG (you should join us, by the way!).

Here are some of my favorite PG fun facts:

1. People who reside in Pacific Grove are affectionately called Pagrovians.

2. It’s known as Butterfly Town USA given the Monarch Butterfly population that visits every winter. Unfortunately, their population has been greatly declining, but we’re all hopeful that we can aid in their recovery by not using pesticides in our yards, planting seasonal native nectar plants, and wind-sheltering trees.

3. Pacific Grove (as we know it today) was modeled after Ocean Grove, New Jersey by the Christian Methodist community who settled in PG in the summers and then year-round. Small 60x30 lots that once housed seasonal canvas tents became board and batten folk Victorian homes along the Bay.

4. Given the Methodist population, the town was dry (from alcohol) until 1969. The grocery store located on David Ave (currently Andronico’s) is split on the property line of Monterey and Pacific Grove. In order to buy alcohol at the store, previously, you had to visit the cashiers on the Monterey side!

5. The main and first buildings of the Asilomar Conference Grounds were built by the famed Julia Morgan – California’s first licensed female architect. Asilomar offers a Friday morning Asilomar History & Architecture tour that highlights Julia Morgan and the amazing groups of people who have visited.

6. Our beloved Lovers Point Beach is one of the few places on the West Coast where you can watch the sun rise over ocean waters.

7. PG is home to Point Pinos Lighthouse, which is the oldest continuously operated lighthouse on the West Coast. It beams up to 17 miles offshore as a guide and warning to shipping off our rocky coast. Point Pinos means Point of the Pines – because Pacific Grove is a granite headland that was covered in large pine forest before all the development we see today.

8. The popular Rec Trail we all use and appreciate today was once a railroad line – with trains for both passengers (until 1971) and freight (until 1979).

9. Per the current Housing Element, the population of PG is approximately 15,000 people, and there are 8,559 housing units. The average resident is 48 years old.

10. In 1995, Pacific Grove adopted a ban on 'formula fast food' restaurants. This has helped preserve the town's unique character and protected our local, independent restaurants. A few chains were grandfathered in before the ban (like Subway and Domino's), and when McDonald's closed in 2016, Starbucks was able to move into that same grandfathered location at Country Club Gate Center. Despite occasional pressure to relax the ordinance, Pagrovians overwhelmingly support keeping our town chain-free.

I hope you enjoyed learning these fun facts as much as I did! If you’re looking to learn more, I suggest the following two books that you can find at our local bookshop Bookworks:

Pacific Grove At Your Feet by Joyce Krieg

My Life in Pacific Grove by Wilford Rensselaer Holman

And if I can help you find your home in Pacific Grove, please reach out. It’d be an honor to welcome you to this community!

With gratitude,

Ashley