Quirks of Carmel
Carmel’s first residents were artists who fled the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906.
The first homes were very simple and often self-built. There was a strong sense of community.
The residents often met at the post office in the morning to gather their mail and chat.
So when the Post Office offered to deliver mail to homes with street numbers, the residents decided to decline.
Homes were given names and later geographical addresses to identify them. Thus our address is SW corner of 8th and Lincoln St. Trying to decipher this system is tricky.
The format used for geographical addressing lists the street, cross street, and the number of houses from the intersection.Some enterprising soul has now developed an interactive map of named Carmel Homes. Here is the link. google.com/maps/d/viewer
As one can see there is no ownership of a name so there may be several Acorn Cottages, Aloha, Hideaway, Lanikai, Rose Cottage
and 4 Sans Souci
Certain words pop up frequently such as “Beach”,
”Ocean”,
”Cypress”,
“Sea”,
There are a multitude of “Casa”
Chez
Cottage
House
Maison
and Villa
Other rely on creativity and imagination
Despite all this, UPS and Fed Ex and still find us. Amazing
Lovely! Dreamy! Fabulous!
What a charming piece. Thank you.
Years ago, you featured our garden. Any chance of seeing it now?
Love the little historical tid bits you provide on the charming community of Carmel.
Thank you Linda. I didn’t know the story behind why we don’t get our mail delivered. Also, fun to find our house on the list! Winona Stewart
I was beguiled, charmed, & enchanted by Carmel-By-The-Sea on my lone visit there in 2000, and your delightful photos & interesting posts have much the same effect. (I had to read this one aloud to my husband, a retired UPS man).😊
I was beguiled, charmed, & enchanted by Carmel-By-The-Sea on my lone visit there in 2000, and your delightful photos & interesting posts have much the same effect. (I had to read this one aloud to my husband, a retired UPS man).😊
I’m so glad you are blogging again! Do new residents usually change the name of their house when they move in?
Hi Linda,
Do I have your permission to post your latest email on house names on our CRA Facebook and website? Thanks, Barbara
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Thank you for your blog.
WE SHOULD VISIT CARMEL AND SEE THESE HOUSES…I LOVE ALL THESE QUAINT SCENES…PT
This is where I need to be forever. HOw beautiful. Keep sending these hopeful dreamers because they bring me smiles. Thanks, Karen Elizabeth Endsley Landwehr
Thank you for sharing your insights about Carmel. Five years ago we visited and now each year return- in the Spring to see the beautiful flowers and breathe the fresh Pacific air. ..and paint, of course. Thanks again,
Jacalyn Beam
One of my favourite gardens or addresses has to be 0 Carmelo 2 NE of 8th St. We tried to find this garden on our last trip, but this address/location had us beat. GPS was no help either! We must have been right there, but did not see it and gave up annoying the residents by driving up and down for half an hour. I think I did hear the landscaping had changed. The garden I refer to is in one of your blogs “Promises Kept”. I refer back to that photo time and time again for gardening inspiration. I continue to model my garden (ahem) from it.
The cottage has a different name now. It is called Lavanda, if I remember correctly.The landscaping did change too. I only recognized the cottage because of the same beautiful painting on its side.
Thank you so much Gretta. I will have a look for it next time I’m there.