Perhaps you have read about Carmel’s Golden Rectangle and wondered “what the heck is that?”.
Courtney Jones of Carmel Realty informs us
“it is literally a rectangular area outlined by Ocean Avenue, Scenic Avenue along Carmel Beach, Santa Lucia and San Carlos Street.
What you’ll find in this highly desirable area is typically a 1,600 sf, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home on a 4,000 sf lot.
40-60% of these properties are vacation homes. The average price per square foot runs about $1,100 these days, down from about $1,500 in the hey day.”
We bought in this area many years ago so that we could walk to all that Carmel offers. Real Estate values tended to be more predictable here than in other areas and we needed that as second home owners.
Our bungalow is 900 sq ft with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.
Monte Verde 5 SW of 12th is a newer home in the Golden Rectangle. It was built in 2005.
The landscaping and the stained glass window always catch my eye.
Today a “For Sale” sign is up so I go to its website. It is listed by Mike Canning of Carmel Realty for $2,2500.00.
Courtesy of the web site, I slip in the gate and
admire the stone patio.
I love the open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, pecan floors and arched doorways.
The patio is built around this tree because trees “trump” floor plans in Carmel. I see many homes with this configuration.
The fireplace is welcoming. Carmel’s temperate climate encourages the use of patios and decks every day.
The kitchen has Viking appliances, granite counter tops, and a walk-in pantry.
The master bedroom and bath are on the main level.
The master has a fireplace.
Love that porthole window in the shower. That used to be a trademark sign of a Don McBride built home.
and the sink configuration.
There is one half- bath.
Upstairs two bedrooms
share a bath.
Such a pretty home. It was a treat to tour courtesy of Carmel Realty.
I collect books about Carmel. I find them at garage sales, on e-Bay, Amazon, Google Play, Biblio.com ,and even the Carmel Chamber of Commerce Store, Here is an alphabetical list of my favorites..
Two books from the Images of America Series :
“Carmel A History in Architecture” by Kent Seavey
A pictorial history of how Carmel’s architectural character was formed. Kent does the reviews on Carmel’s Historical properties.
“Carmel By-The -Sea” by Monica Hudson
Monica is a long – time resident of Carmel. I had the pleasure of taking her walking tour. We chatted about her extensive research for this book and her sense of responsibility to “get it right”.
“Carmel A Timeless Place” by Steve Shapiro
Photos and text by a Carmel Photographer
“Carmel~ By ~The~ Sea, The Early Years” (1903-1913)
by Alissandra Dramov is my latest discovery. It was published in December of 2013.
I have just started reading but already appreciate the scholarship behind this very readable book. The author is a native Californian , journalist, producer and writer.
She is currently writing “Carmel-by-the- Sea, The Growth Years” (1913-1943)
“Carmel’s Fairy Tale Cottages” by Mike Barton
He captures the essence of Carmel in hundreds of photographs and text.
All of the above books can be found easily in Carmel stores.
“Carmel Today And Yesterday” by Daisy Bostick
Daisy was a high school teacher who first came to Carmel in 1910. She was an early manager of the Pine Inn.
She is best remembered for her writing and publication of “Carmel at Work and Play”, w/ Dorthea Castelhun
in 1925. Carmelites owe her much, for she was either at the scene of or a part of much of what was going on, and took the time to make notes about it all.
“Cottages by the Sea- The Handmade Homes of Carmel,America’s First Artist Community” by Linda Leigh Paul.
This book will give you an exclusive look into 34 of Carmel’s private homes.
“Creating Carmel-The Enduring Vision by Harold and Ann Gilliam
My number one choice for a comprehensive view of how Carmel came to be and how Carmelites try to keep that spirit alive.
I love the inscription on my used copy.
Available on Amazon
“Curious Customs Of Carmel” by El Frieda Liese
Don’t miss this small paperback with its funny drawings and examination of many curious customs of Carmel.
“Mamita’s House – A True Tale of Tortilla Flat”
as told my Lois Robin
A fascinating story of life in Mamita’s House still at Monterey and 2nd in Carmel.
google earth
Kathyrn Gaultieri has written a murder mystery. “Murder In The Pines”, and if you have read “Carmel at Work and Play” you can easily imagine on whom her fictional characters are based
.http://www.carmel.com/app/redir.php?eventId=1321882&res=a4f46f11018809952dde942659aebdfe
“Of Una Jeffers- a Memoir”by Edith Greenan
Wonderfully readable. It not only portrays Una but also the Carmel of her time. Edith was a friend of Una.
“Secret History of Carmel” by John Thompson
John is a writer and artist who conducted interviews with older Carmelites to find out the “secret” knowledge. I bought it on Amazon and enjoyed it.
“Tales from the Taxicab and Other Stories from
Carmel-by-the-Sea” by Sam Colburn
Sam is a watercolorist, golfer, taxi driver, taxi dispatcher, and an Honorary Life Member of the Carmel Art Association. The book is a series of vignettes and sketches.
“The Fairy Tale Houses of Carmel” by Joanne Mathewson
Drawings and text about Hugh Comstock’s Cottages. Some of it true and some imagined by the author.
Stephanie Ager Kirz is the editor of the 2nd edition of her book. This book can be ordered on-line from the Carmel Heritage Society Shop.
http://www.carmelheritage.org/shoppinig.html
“The Seacoast of Bohemia” by Franklin Walker
Tells about the tradition and lore of the early days of Bohemian Carmel. My favorite time in Carmel’s history.
http://www.amazon.com/Seacoast-Bohemia-Franklin-Dickerson-Walker/dp/087905008X/ref=sr_1_1?&sr=1-1&keys=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391448927words=the+seacoast+of+bohemia
And then there are all the books that set in Carmel. I enjoy going to The Pilgrams Way book store in Carmel and buying the Elaine Flinn murder mysteries
or “The Bohemian Murders” by Dianne Day.
There is even a children’s book “It’s a King’s Life in Carmel-by-the-Sea” by Emily Randolph and Dan Merchant.
This excerpt gives you an idea of the tone of this happy little book with great illustrations.
“Follow your nose! Life is an adventure!” So says Sadie, the Cypress Inn’s doggie concierge to Happy and Lady (two Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Cavaliers) when they arrive in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Life-Carmel-Sea-Volume/dp/1480245895
For more novels set in Carmel see the Harrison Memorial Library List.
http://www.hm-lib.org/reference/carmelnovels.php
They also have a list of Carmel area Authors such as James Elroy, Jane Smiley, and Jack London to name a few.
http://www.hm-lib.org/reference/carmelauthors.php
I’m sure there are many I have missed. If you have found a good book about Carmel please add the Title and Author in your comment.
“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.”
― Jane Smiley, Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel
A livable city creates public places where people can gather for community social life.
The most obvious place in Carmel is the beach. Dog walkers greet the morning with their friends while the dogs play.
At sunset , the beach is a lovely place to be alone playing your guitar, meditating or drinking a glass of wine.
People gather for cook-outs,
weddings
and canine events
Have you ever wondered how Carmel Beach stays so pristine? Well yes, the City does have a lot to do with it.
However since 1991, when it was initiated by Clayton Anderson, the Carmel Residents Association has sponsored a monthly volunteer beach cleanup program, which has contributed significantly to maintaining Carmel beach.
The beach cleanup project has contributed over 13,000 hours of volunteer community service. The State Coastal Commission has given special recognition to the CRA in its Adopt-a-Beach program.
Photo by CRA
A city is made “livable” by its residents.
Another such public spot is Devendorf Park at the top of Ocean Ave.
The city has quite a few events all year long planned in the park. Check the Carmel Pine Cone (online or paper) and they will outline the schedule of events. There are Public restrooms and plenty of parking (except holiday weekends) nearby.
During Concours I see an elegant lunch being held for participants.
Each year on the Saturday before Easter, the Carmel Host Lions Club hosts Breakfast with the Bunny in Defendorf Park. The party is not an egg hunt, but a morning feast, games and other fun holiday-inspired activities for adults and children, alike. Visit the Easter Bunny, have your face painted and otherwise celebrate spring’s arrival in the city’s beautiful downtown park.
Photo by Kristina Doss- flickr
Enjoy the art festival, the annual Memorial Day Ceremony so nicely captured by Lynn Momboise
http://carmelbytheseaca.blogspot.com/2013/05/memorial-day-2013-all-gave-somesome.html
and the 4th of July with free hot dogs, cold drinks and ice cream courtesy of local clubs and groups.
Chamber of Commerce photo
Watch the Christmas Tree Lighting and meet Santa. Wow, that temperate climate really helps one enjoy these events.
Beautiful Ocean Ave. with its planted median and charming shops is also much used for community social life.
We watch the Prom King and Queen in their parade down Ocean.
Our little granddaughter parades in her kitty costume in the Halloween Parade and afterward enjoys hot dogs at the Sunset Theater.
During Car Week, we walk up to see the Concours on the Avenue,
The Pebble Beach Concours Tour D’Elegance.
Strolling up the Ave,
we meet friends and neighbors, stop for a chat, or sit on a bench
and people watch.
Harrison Memorial Library gets me out and about often and not just to check out books, movies etc. They sponsor many free local history lectures which I love and have just started a Book Club in the Local History Room.
The Children’s Library has story time and craft projects.
A “livable” city cares about those who can no longer get out and about. Volunteers and staff bring library material to homebound people in Carmel-by-the Sea.
The lower level of Carmel Plaza has also become a popular public space.
When I stop by in the morning, the dog walkers from the beach are meeting for coffee.
Carmel Plaza sponsors art exhibits, and a wonderful music series, I see neighbors holding seats for friends,
sipping wine and dancing.
The local Farmers Market is the latest of my favorite public spaces. Great produce, friendly vendors and another chance to meet and greet.
The American Institute of Architecture says that if a village is “livable” , “its residents have a sense that life is meaningful, that they are of value to others and that there is much to discovered in the human and physical world around them”.
I believe Carmel is such a place. Carmelites put much effort into preserving the beauty of its natural setting, its unique architecture and its welcoming public spaces. They are wonderful stewards of this village.
I published this article several days ago and then removed it when a reader said I sounded like the Chamber of Commerce. He suggested that I should also address Carmel’s problems.
That is really not my purpose in writing this blog. I began writing so that I could discover this little town and learn more about the history of all I see. This I have done and shared with you. Of course Carmel is not perfect and faces problems. I will let others address those issues. My purpose is to share the joyful things I see and experience. I hope they bring pleasure to you too.
Another criteria of livability is mixed use development. Places to live, work, shop, play and learn are within easy reach of one another even for those who do not travel by car.
This was more common before urban sprawl.
I can easily walk from my cottage to shopping,
dining,
and the library for books or a local history lecture. This town of 1 square mile boasts two libraries.
I can walk on the beach,
dance in Carmel Plaza,
take my yoga class,
pick up my mail,
my prescriptions,
my groceries
and then get my hair cut
without needing a car. Such are the joys of this small town.
On Sunday ,I attend the Church of the Wayfarer- two blocks away.
I can walk out my door and within three minutes, see Garrison Keillor perform live
watch a Shakespeare play,
listen to a Bach concert
or a rockin’ tribute to Frank Zappa.
I can experience John Lithgow’s one-man show, slip on my jacket and walk home with my neighbors.
I suspect many of these cultural advantages exist because Frank Devendorf, Carmel’s developer, determined the character of this village early on by encouraging professors and artists to come enjoy nature and build their summer retreats.
If we need extra lodging for guests, we direct them to the many bed and breakfasts integrated into the neighborhood. Once they were private homes, now lodging
Getting around like this requires the pedestrian paths and side walks which connect Carmel and encourage face-to-face interaction. It also requires a “smaller is better” mindset.
My abilities to walk in Carmel change as I age. At night,the lack of streetlights while charming, means I carry a flashlight and walk slowly.
Streets accommodate trees and drainage by sloping to gutters and bumping over tree roots. Once easy to negotiate, it can now be tricky.
I finally understand the need to keep the public right of way clear of plantings.
These are really Carmel’s sidewalks and when home owners plant them , they are beautiful but no longer serve as places I can walk.
If however you travel by car, you may not find Carmel as “user friendly”. Public parking and restrooms do exist but are in short supply for the crowd of summer tourists.
Marjory Lloyd ( now deceased), a Carmelite since 1932 and one-time editor of the local newspaper, The Carmel Pine Cone, noted “The ironical thing is that the citizens have fought for years to preserve the beauty and character of this community, and it’s reaped the results of people wanting to see it.”
Carmel is always struggling with balancing residential and commercial needs.
One more livability post next week.
The longer we are in Carmel, the more I compare its “livability” with that of my Kansas City suburb a product of urban sprawl.
It is a beautiful neighborhood – treed lots, large homes, and a “gated community”. There are planned neighborhood functions, but often I can go a whole day and only see the movement of mail, Fed-Ex, and UPS trucks from my office window. What a sad commentary.
I am close to shopping, dining, movie theaters, and a bike path, so my suburb is more “livable” than many. But it is a car culture.
Although Carmel is our second home and we are not there for long periods of time, I have far more face to face interactions in this village and find daily life more pleasurable.
Curious as to what makes a town “livable”, I read an article published by The American Institute of Architects called “Livability 101”. Livability 101 – American Institute of Architects. I was fascinated.
This is not an article on “Standard of Living”. Livability is “directly correlated with happiness or with a sense that life is meaningful …..and that there is much to celebrate in the human and physical world around us.”
What makes Carmel-by-the Sea so special?
The Institute found that a
Sense of Place
Mixed use development
Pedestrian Scale
and Public Gathering places
all had an important role. Over the next month I will see how Carmel stacks up on these criteria.
A Sense of Place
We all have mental pictures of towns. When I say San Francisco and Los Angeles, I suspect we see entirely different mental pictures.
Try Denver, or New York City. Each has its own sense of place.
Carmel is keenly aware of its distinct character defined in part by its rich topography and in part by its architecture.
“Every city is an extension of the natural landscape upon which it is sited.” AIA
The Santa Lucia Mountains,
Carmel Valley, Carmel river, the Pacific Ocean,
the temperate climate
and unique flora
and fauna
have attracted a variety of peoples..
There are white sand beaches
and the incredible coastline of Big Sur.
The hills forested with pine, cypress, redwood and live oak.
Carmel was once isolated and quiet. It was a retreat from city life with its hustle and bustle. It sits on a hillside that slopes to the Pacific Ocean. When the first tents,then cabins and homes were built,they clambered down the hill and tucked into the trees.
There are few other spots that combine these topographical features and temperate climate It has a distinct sense of place.
Historic preservation has proven to be one of the best tool to preserve a village’s sense of place.
Carmel is blessed with unique architecture and people who are willing to preserve it.
Enid Sales
Barbara Livingston
Early architects such as Lee Gottfried,
Hugh Comstock
Greene and Greene,
and Michael J. Murphy left a rich legacy.
Next week I will take a look at mixed use development.
Bill and I have a collection of children’s shoes that are left at our cottage.
On this visit, we find that Danica’s shoes are joined by a pair of baby slippers.
We put them together on the dining room table and encourage them to play. Then off we go for a walk.
The shoes color.
Then Danica’s shoes share their favorite book.
When they finish, Winston’s shoes look for something a little less “pink” to do.
They lift weights but soon tire of that and ask Danica’s shoes how to have an adventure.
Her shoes show them a map. “Go into the garden, follow the path to the gate, and turn right”,they say.
Winston’s shoes are quickly on their way.
They read a sign that says they are in Carmel-By the Sea and remember Mommy and Daddy talking about it. They look for the house on the sign.
and knock on the door. It must be a second home. No one is there.
They look at some flowers ( more pink)
and then follow a tweeting noise to a small golden bird
who points them down the path.
They slip under the garden gate.
Oh! The feeling of sand beneath their soles feels so good, although they do miss Winston’s warm little toes.
They go uphill until they find a toy store. A bunny family
directs them back to the Thomas The Train table.
This is more like it! The children at the table are surprised to see a pair of shoes with no owner, but make room for them to play. One little boy reluctantly hands over the train. After a little girl grabs the train back, they decide to move on.
Spotting a dog in a shop window ,they begin to miss their dog at home and decide to get her a gift.
A salesmen in a necktie is very helpful
By now they are hungry right down to their toes and stop at Andre’s Bouchee for onion soup. Yum.
Feeling more confident about walking ,they try a little skip. The grownups on Ocean Ave. smile at them.
When they do their first hop, two beautiful silver shoes in a store clap for them. Wow!
They shop in a gallery. They have never seen blue dogs before. Carmel is a magical place.
and ride on a red Vespa.
And then ask a grownup in Cole Haan where to go next.
He shows them a map and points them down hill to the beach.
Everyone is very helpful.
Finally they see THE BEACH!!
But when they go to the top of the beach stairs……
So steep, so many and they have not learned to climb stairs yet!!
So they sit on a bench and decide to wait until Daddy comes out again. He can do stairs easily.
Climbing a tree they take
One last look and start back.
At a fairytale cottage,
a troll points the way.
A spider is also helpful.
The more they walk, the more tricks they try and are soon balancing on gates.
climbing stone walls,
and peeking into front gardens.
Home again, they jump to the top of the gate and ring the bell to let Danica know they are home.
Then drop down to the patio.
and climb the steps. Winston will be so proud of them. Deep in their soles they know he will quickly outgrow them.
Still, they hope he will keep them on a shelf in his room and every once in a while remember the good times they had together.
I am starting this post with a quote I read on Yelp because it is so well written.
“A rebirth of an older store that was in the same courtyard years ago. It is no longer a “rabbit hole” in the wall. Its upstairs nearly tripling its older size from nearly three years ago. If you remember the old store and whether or not you’re a carmel local this place is going to be something worth checking out. Everything is handmade from local artists. SUPPORT LOCAL ART!
If you want backwards clocks and drink me potions this is your place. Or if you want clothing with Alice definitely check this place out. There is no other store like it.” …Philip R
It is in The Court of The Golden Bough.
In the building commissioned by Novelist Harry Leon Wilson built by Lee Gottfried to house his third wife’a flower shop.
Artists Dan Herron and Marlin Bosco and owner Querida King have transformed it. Walk past the White Rabbit and up the steep staircase.
From the Queen of Heart’s Throne, this is the view.
“The shop seemed to be full of all manner of curious things — but the oddest part of it all was, that whenever she looked hard at any shelf, to make out exactly what it had on it, that particular shelf was always quite empty: though the others round it were crowded as full as they could hold.
`Things flow about so here!’ she said at last in a plaintive tone, after she had spent a minute or so in vainly pursuing a large bright thing, that looked sometimes like a doll and sometimes like a work-box, and was always in the shelf next above the one she was looking at. `And this one is the most provoking of all — but I’ll tell you what — ‘ she added, as a sudden thought struck her, `I’ll follow it up to the very top shelf of all. It’ll puzzle it to go through the ceiling, I expect!’” …..Lewis Carroll
A crescent moon hangs from the rafters.
“The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done —
“It’s very rude of him,” she said. “
Lewis Carroll
Alice’s Alphabet is a work of art as well as a learning tool.
Alice and
The White Rabbit survey the shop.
One can almost hear The Queen of Hearts
” Who’s been painting my roses red? WHO’S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED? /Who dares to taint / With vulgar paint / The royal flower bed? / For painting my roses red / Someone will lose his head.―”
Lewis Carroll
There is evidence of the Mad Hatter and his Tea Party.
“Well that was the silliest tea party I ever went to! I am never going back there again!”
“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
“Nobody asked your opinion,” said Alice.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
There are bags
and sweatshirts.
But it is the Backward Clocks that seem to fascinate everyone.
“Ah! that accounts for it,’ said the Hatter. ‘He won’t stand beating. Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he’d do almost anything you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o’clock in the morning, just time to begin lessons: you’d only have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one, time for dinner!”
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Bill and I admire them all.
They can be purchased on the shops website :
http://www.thewhiterabbit.net/
There are Alice Playing Cards
Signs of Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee
And even an Alice In Wonderland Chess set.
As the Yelp reviewers say: “Magical, cute, a gem and charming”.
The owner Querida King is helpful and friendly. Don’t miss seeing this shop in its newest transformation.
Dan Herron and Marlin Basco are constantly creating new wonders with his talents.
When I first start writing this blog, it is Carmel’s architecture that I find fascinating. But Carmel gives us even more by recording and saving folders on each home in its one square mile. This makes it possible to glimpse the life that went on in that house. What an extraordinary gift.
I first find this out when I research my own little bungalow. What – a newspaper illegally run from my garage? Wow!
Then when the Register of Historic Homes is started, Enid Sales and then Kent Seavey meticulously research each home. Mr. Seavey’s reports make for fascinating reading whether you are an architect or historian.,
It is his writing that serves up the “skinny” that helps me imagine the people who lived and loved here.
The Mary Orrick home has 2 names- as do many Carmel Homes.
The first name honors the woman who designs the house. She buys the land in 1926 and models the design after her 12 -bedroom Tudor home on the 12th green at Pebble Beach. She scales it down to 4 bedrooms and makes it a rental property .
I walk by the two-story house and can not resist.
Up the drive.
Up the steps.
This exuberant lady greets me.
I walk to the bench in the front lawn to look back on the house.
Kent describes the architecture as both Tudor Revival and Post Medieval. “Google” and I toss these terms around for a while and I decide to move on.
Mary’s husband, William Orrick, is a successful San Francisco Attorney. He loves to golf- so the vacation home at Pebble Beach which is still in the family.
He is also a founding member of the Cypress Point Golf Club.
Google Images
And the law firm he built is now world-wide.
As I approach the front door to knock, I see the second name, La Casa del Obispo.
This name is given by a later owner, the Episcopal Bishop os the Diocese of California, Bishop Karl Morgan Black.
Google Images
He broke ground for Carmel’s All Saints Church. A beautiful church several blocks from my house.
Google Images
But now all I know is I love the front door with its cheerful basket of geraniums. I knock on the door and then tuck my card in the basket and make my way around the house.
“Welcome to the Sea” a sign proclaims.
What an exquisite leaded glass window.
“Sleepy” is dozing under a large tree.
An arbor beckons
And leads into a u shaped courtyard.
A tiny garden sits under the leaded glass windows
A pig sniffles about
A rose climbs the wall
And an otter swings from a window box.
The leaded glass back door is flanked by
A scowling rabbit.
He sends me back through the arbor
Where Sleepy still dozes.
I am down the path and back to the street.
I read that the current residents “have made a concentrated effort to keep up the historic character of the building”- Kent Seavey
“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”
― L.M. Montgomery, The Story Girl
Harlan Ware (1902-1967) (whose full name was William Harlan Ware) was born in Lakota, North Dakota, and educated in the public schools of Winnetka, Illinois. He was a police reporter for the City News Bureau in Chicago. He wrote novels, plays, and radio scripts. His best-known scripts are for the radio programs “The Bartons,” written from 1939 to 1941, and “One Man’s Family,” written from 1944 to 1959 for Carlton E. Morse.
He also lived in Carmel for a time and his daughter Ciji grew up here. She remembers this quote from one of her Dad’s books.
“….when Pinkie and I wandered into that blessed charming, quiet, tree-green village of Carmel-by-the-Sea I said to Pinkie – what is the charm of this place? Other towns have water, trees, low brick buildings
– what is it that tourists come to see – and then it dawned on me – no signs
– yes sir – tourists leave their own sign- bespattered towns to travel miles and miles to enjoy the good taste and beauty.”
Portrait of Harlan Ware courtesy of his daughter, Ciji Ware.
About Ciji : Ciji Ware
Signage is closely regulated in Carmel. And if you wonder why, look at these examples of sign-bespattered towns courtesy of Google Earth.
Municipal Codes require that “…business signs create a unique village character, which encourages exploration and discovery,”
such as this sign at the entrance to a Courtyard.
Did you know that Carmel’s code allows only four types of signs in the business community? —
Monument
hanging,
The Serena Court sign was presented several times
wall,
and interior.
Signs are kept at a minimum to avoid visual clutter and must be approved in advance by the Planning Commission.
Hmm…
They must be simple in graphic or pictorial design
and made of natural materials.
Only one sign per business is allowed, unless it has more than one entrance.
Neon signs are not allowed.
Balloons, streamers, moving displays and other attention-getting devices are discouraged.
When I sit in City Hall researching, I hear shopkeepers ask about signs constantly. The owners of the Edgemere Cottages
finally get it right.
And when we ask about a sign for our cottage, we are giving acceptable materials and size.
I am grateful that Municipal Codes attend to these small details and keep the “human scale” of Carmel.
I find this 
so much more inviting than this
google earth
I am more likely to go into these antiques stores
Than this one
google earth
I prefer the look of this invitation to Mexican food
To this one
google earth
Shopping for toys look like more fun here
Than here
google earth
The scale of these shops and their signs feel more personal and friendly.
And this smaller, more human-sized scale, is one of Carmel’s most charming aspects. Right Harlan?
I am wandering around the area where Hugh Comstock built several of his Post Adobe ranches when I turn and see this.
This has to be a Comstock. I approach the red gate as a neighbor walks by.
I ask if she knows anything about the cottage. Nope.
She watches me for a while and I slink away.
Some time later, I see a listing in the Pine Cone. The little cottage is for sale.
And it is a Comstock.
The listing shows a living room
Bedroom
And bath
The little guest house out back appears to have a living room
Kitchenette
And bath
The next time I am in Carmel, I make another visit. The For-Sale sign is in the front yard so I again approach the gate,
Walk up the front walk
Once upon a time..Tales from Carmel by the Sea 