Abode Non-Transformed Pacific Grove In a strict sense the town of Pacific Grove doesn’t belong in any column about transformations because historic preservation is the main theme in the Pacific Grove culture.

by Donald Huntington

Residents and municipal organizations work together to maintain the atmosphere of Pacific Grove as unchanged as possible. Restoration efforts are continually under way to preserve the 1,250 Pacific Grove structures that were built before 1926.

The area embraces family values. No bars or nightclubs are to be found. You can’t buy a Big Mac, a Starbucks, or a bucket of KFC in the downtown area.

On the other hand, the town has no fewer than 60 restaurants offering fine dining of almost every description. Plus, the community encompasses the largest collection of bed and breakfast inns between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Eleven of these are family owned and operated.

The emphasis in Pacific Grove is upon maintaining the area’s small town environment. Some of the residents like to say that Carmel may be “By-the-Sea” but Pacific Grove is “By God.”

The light-hearted comment actually resonates with the history of the place because Methodists first settled Pacific Grove in the late 1800s, developing it as a retreat center. They pitched tents before erecting any permanent buildings. Those first residents created a get-away-from-it-all atmosphere that has been preserved over the years.

Moe Ammar, President of the local Chamber of Commerce for the past 14 years, maintains that Pacific Grove is the quiet and peaceful side of the peninsula. Because of its relatively serene atmosphere, AAA recently designated the community as the Best Seaside Sanctuary.

Pacific Grove is also remarkable for its scenic beauty. Its shoreline is notable because of the absence of the hotels, resorts, and industrial buildings that often line up along municipal waterfronts. Over the years the Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District and the Town of Pacific Grove worked together to buy up each shoreline property as it became available.

From October through February the monarch butterflies gather in astonishing numbers, clumping together on the branches of trees in the Monarch Grove Sanctuary like great bunches of yellow fruit, literally weighing the branches down by their accumulated weight.

The sanctuary attracts more humans than butterflies. Even though the grove is in an out-of-the-way back-street location with no signs or billboards to give directions, sanctuary docents estimate visitors at 60,000 people each season.

The Pacific Grove year is marked by seasonal celebrations. The Feast of Lanterns celebrates the culture of the Chinese fishermen who used to live along the water’s edge. Residents will also celebrate the annual Good Old Days next month for the fiftieth time. On the first Saturday of October students will get together for the 67th annual Butterfly Parade. Children from pre- and elementary-schools dress up to march down the streets in colorful butterfly costumes.

Moe refers to Pacific Grove by the words, “It’s a Small-town Thing.” He himself moved here 20 years ago. After graduating with a Hospitality degree from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Moe honeymooned at Pacific Grove’s Bid-a-Wee Motel. The contrast between Pacific Grove and Las Vegas captured Moe’s heart. He couldn’t wait to get back. He returned in 1986 with the intention of never leaving.

“We’re about the same as we were 50 years ago,” Moe says. “And we’re going to be the same 50 years from now, if we can help it.”

“We’re keeping something alive that shouldn’t vanish forever from our world,” Moe says. Pacific Grove is filled with residents who would agree with him.