Home to the oldest continuously-operating lighthouse on the West Coast, Pacific Grove shares in a lot of the same rich artistic history of its northern neighbor, Monterey. Pacific Grove, in much the same fashion it has since its 19th-century beginnings, provides a quiet retreat from the bustle that can characterize the rest of the Monterey Peninsula.
“Butterfly Town”, as it’s colloquially known, is a historically conservative community. In fact, Pacific Grove was the last dry town in California, not serving alcohol again until 1969. To this day, the city prohibits stand-alone bars and, more recently, short-term vacation rentals outside the coastal zone. These laws have earned Pacific Grove a reputation as a community that likes to preserve its natural beauty and historically-peaceful ambiance. Differences between communities like Pacific Grove and Monterey are vastly important: they provide the region with residential opportunities for every type of person, from the show-and-tell artist to the philosophical hermit.