What's to Love (& Not Love) About Living on the Monterey Peninsula

Firstly, I love supporting out-of-area clients! As a transplant who lived on the East Coast and the Midwest, it brings me joy to help you thoughtfully consider a life on the Monterey Peninsula. So here's the honest list - the parts that keep us locals in AWE, and the parts that make us say UGH. If you're thinking about a move to the Peninsula, I hope this helps you go in with eyes wide open. And I'm here to help with any questions you have about the transition!

What's to Love

The terrain. Ocean, redwood forest, and mountains, all within a short drive of each other. I genuinely think we have the best terrain in the country. You can be standing in the middle of a riparian redwood forest and then watching the sun dip into the ocean from a mountaintop within the same hour - regardless of your physical abilities.

Climate. With the mild Mediterranean climate, our windows are open nine months out of the year. The other three months, we're cozying up next to a fireplace or under a heat lamp (and still dining outdoors!).

Community & belonging. This is a friendly small-town place. I co-lead a weekly walking group where we walk every public street in Pacific Grove (join us!), and it's turned into one of the easiest ways to make friends and feel connected to the community. Between the walking group, book clubs, and seeing the same faces around town at events, it doesn't take long before people know you as a neighbor. It's the kind of belonging that's harder to come by in bigger cities.

Year-round wardrobe: Because of our mild climate, you can can go minimalist with a year-round wardrobe - no need to keep storage bins full of seasonal clothes. Since moving here, I shop less, buy less, and buy higher quality. And I love it.

Salad bowl of the world. We're surrounded by some of the freshest produce in the world. Salad greens, broccoli, mushrooms, strawberries, blueberries, you name it. When you visit loved ones in other parts of the country, you're going to taste the difference (i.e., everything is fresher here)! Plus, we have year-round farmers markets, with one happening nearby nearly every day of the week.

Outdoor activities. Hiking is my favorite (if you've read my blog before, you know how I feel about a good trail), but scuba diving, kayaking, running, mountain biking, and golf are all top notch here too. We host world class events for a lot of these sports.

The laidback demeanor. This isn't Beverly Hills or Silicon Valley. There's little pretense, and it's relaxed everywhere you go. Show up in a Patagonia fleece and you'll fit in just about everywhere.

Nature + wildlife. We live along a national marine sanctuary, and it shows: You can watch whales migrate nearly year-round, explore colorful creatures in the tide pools, and watch sea otters float by the coast every day. And of course, in Pacific Grove and areas of Monterey, the deer are everywhere!

Education. Whether you're 5 or 55 years old, we have lots of education options, including top-notch K-12 schools, a growing university campus of Cal State Monterey Bay, and lots of community education courses, from the Pacific Grove Adult School, Monterey Peninsula College, to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Free events. When I moved here from Washington, DC, I worried I'd get bored. I couldn't have been more wrong. In addition the outdoor activities mentioned above, there are cultural, sports, music, and other events every weekend, and a lot of them are free.

Creative scene. We've had a thriving creative community for generations, including the well-known beatniks and bohemians. With the Monterey Museum of Art and numerous galleries, pottery studios, knitting and quilting classes, writing workshops, woodworking, and more, it makes it easy to pick up something new. I make stained glass art at a studio in Pacific Grove.

Quality of life. Tied into everything above - living well isn't something you have to seek out, it's just the lifestyle. Time outdoors in the fresh air surrounded by nature, exercise and education classes, healthy eating, and a laidback mindset just become who you are and how you live here!

What's Not to Love

Primary care doctor shortage. The national doctor shortage is very much a local doctor shortage. A lot of primary care providers (PCP) have retired here in recent years, and not enough new ones have moved in to replace them. A client recently told me (Sept 2026) that the wait for a primary care doctor at Montage Health is now over a year! It's pretty quick to find specialty physicians, like a gynecologist, dentist, or optometrist while others, like a dermatologist, I have found to be more challenging. The good news is we have excellent walk-in clinics and a local hospital (Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula known as CHOMP) so if you have an emergency, you're in great hands. Additionally, with quick access to the Bay area, it's easy to get specialized care at places like Stanford. My advice: the moment you know you're moving here, get on a waitlist for a PCP and ask around for other physician recommendations.

The restaurant scene. Admittedly, it's improved A LOT since we moved here, so give it a few more years, and just maybe I omit this section. However, a lot of restaurants here are built for tourists, not locals, and the prices reflect that without always delivering on quality. We have a handful of places we absolutely love (including no shortage of incredible pastry shops), but only a few we frequent regularly. The silver lining: we cook at home far more than we ever did before, and we eat healthier for it, with plenty of local organic produce and seafood. (And if you need restaurant suggestions, please reach out!)

Home renovation permits & water. You want to buy a fixer-upper? I love it! But first you should familiarize yourself with the permitting process required by the city (or the county, if in an unincorporated area) by contacting the planning department. Some things, like minor plumbing work, you can usually get a same-day, over-the-counter permit. Other things, like electrical, may require a floor plan drawing, indicating where/what type of electrical changes, and obtaining a permit could take a week. For whole home projects, I don't want you to be surprised if permitting takes several weeks (even months)! And if the home is historic and/or in the coastal zone, you can expect an even lengthier permitting process. Just know that if you team up with a good contractor (I have recommendations!), they'll handle all the permitting for you. Lastly, I have to mention water credits: Water is limited on the Monterey Peninsula. Right now, every fixture (such as a faucet or a washer) has an associated fixture credit(s). If you want to add a fixture, you'll not only need a permit, but you may need to buy a fixture credit - if the jurisdiction has water credits for sale. (Water is an ever-evolving issue that varies by jurisdiction, and I'd be happy to discuss it with you.)

The cost of living. If you've gotten this far, you probably already know this: Housing, utilities, groceries... most everything is more expensive here. You're paying for a high-quality life, which is another reason to lean into the free activities. :)

The Monterey Peninsula is the most magical place to call home. If you're considering a move here, please reach out. I'm always happy to listen about what's important to you and talk through what life is really like day-to-day beyond a vacation visit. Moving here was the best decision I've ever made - and it might be yours, too!

Thanks for reading!

Ashley