8 Small Towns in California with the Best Downtowns

California is home to a plethora of stunning downtowns, be it due to their cultural heritage or spectacular natural surroundings. Some downtowns are shaped by their history, like the unique Firehouse No. 1 Museum in Nevada City. Solvang's downtown has a unique Danish heritage that is celebrated through local businesses such as Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery on Mission Drive. Each of the eight towns on this list has its own sense of place, making them some of the most distinguished downtowns in California.

Healdsburg

Downtown Healdsburg is anchored around Healdsburg Plaza, first and foremost a park for walking and family picnics, but also a hub lined with Healdsburg’s most popular local establishments. Visitors can easily participate in wine tastings at Marine Layer Wines, which utilizes the cool climate of the Sonoma Coast to produce high-quality pinot noir and chardonnay. Dining options on the plaza include Goodnights Prime Steaks + Spirits, a western-style steakhouse with an expansive selection of bourbon and wines to pair with their quality cuts of meat.

Head off the square along Matheson Street until you reach the Healdsburg Museum, housed inside a former Carnegie Library. Its permanent exhibits include a collection on local Native Americans and one that pertains to the history of Healdsburg since 1857. Additionally, it has a digital library containing over 19,000 photographs as well as a research center.

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel-by-the-Sea’s downtown is centralized on Ocean Avenue, which leads straight to Carmel Beach, a long, white, sandy beach that is seldom crowded despite bordering downtown. Carmel-by-the-Sea’s oldest running retail business is found further up Ocean Avenue from the beach. Carmel Bakery and Coffee House was established in 1899 and remains in operation today, serving breakfast and lunch to people in the center of town.

Carmel Plaza is on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Mission Street. It is considered one of the best shopping and dining destinations on the Monterey Peninsula, home to over 35 fine stores, boutiques, and restaurants. The Cheese Shop is one of the most popular establishments in the plaza among locals and visitors alike, containing a collection of wines, champagnes, and over 200 cheeses from around the world.

Solvang

Solvang’s Danish heritage shines through the strongest in the downtown area, especially in its many authentic bakeries like Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery on Mission Drive, which opened in 1970. Today, it still utilizes family recipes to bake Danish pastries, breads, cookies, and cakes. The California Nature Art Museum is next door to the bakery, paying homage to the tri-county area. It showcases permanent exhibits, including a wall mural detailing local oak habitats, as well as rotating art shows from school groups, senior residence facilities, and fellow art organizations.

Continue along Mission Drive and turn left up Atterdag Road to reach Hans Christian Andersen Park, filled with live oaks and accessible through a castle arch. It is equipped with facilities that appeal to all ages, including playground equipment, a skate park, and picnic areas.

Nevada City

Nevada City is shaped by the town’s beginnings as a gold rush town and is dotted with historic buildings like the Nevada Theatre on Broad Street. It is the oldest, continually operated theatre on the West Coast of the United States that continues to host live performances, music, and film. Over on Main Street, visitors will find Firehouse No. 1, the most photographed building in Nevada City. This Victorian firehouse operates as a museum, with exhibits covering local history from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

But there is more to Nevada City than historical structures. Three Forks Bakery and Brewing Co on Commercial Street is a brewery, bakery, and restaurant rolled into one, where visitors can sample everything in between wood-fired pizzas, craft beer, and baked goods.

Three Rivers

Three Rivers is a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Its downtown is stretched out along Sierra Drive, where visitors will find sites like the Three Rivers Historical Museum, which contains collections of Native American and early Three Rivers artifacts. The River View Grill and Bar is across the road from the museum. Other than an outdoor shaded patio overlooking the river, highlights of its menu include a signature 3R burger and Spicy Bloody Mary.

Kaweah Arts is down the road from the grill and bar. The gallery showcases works of art from over 40 local artists. The gallery also hosts the annual Redbud Festival, which features handcrafted items from local artisans.

Mendocino

Three sides of downtown Mendocino are surrounded by Mendocino Headlands State Park. The park allows for recreational opportunities of various fitness levels, from gentle walking trails along the coastline and beaches to canoeing and kayaking on the Big River Estuary.

Over on Main Street, the Ford House Museum doubles as a museum and visitor center. Permanent exhibits include a scale model of Mendocino from 1890 and a collection of historic photographs. Whereas seasonal exhibits cover local flora and fauna found in the area. Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle’s, one of the oldest independent bookstores in the nation, is further down from the museum on the corner of Main and Kasten Streets. Other than a wide selection of books, there are also quiet spaces with comfortable seating to read while taking in views of the ocean from outside the window.

Cambria

Downtown Cambria blends Main Street with the coastal landscape of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, 437 acres of protected forest, riparian habitat, and grasslands laced with trails suitable for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. With eight different entrances to the preserve, it is easily accessible from downtown.

Main Street is dotted with many galleries, such as Artifacts Gallery, which showcases fine art in mediums ranging from sculpture to paintings produced by some of the nation’s leading artists. The Main Street Grill is down from Artifacts Gallery, known for its classic barbecue items on the menu as well as seafood dishes.

The Cambria Historical Museum is on Center Street, which is just off Main Street. It is contained inside one of Cambria’s oldest homes, the Guthrie-Bianchini House, built in 1870. Its exhibits and displays narrate the stories of early settlers, the development of the town, and the local industries that shaped it.

Avalon

Downtown Avalon rises above the waterfront and is reminiscent of Italy’s Amalfi Coast more than it is a typical California town. Catalina Casino is the town’s most recognizable landmark, home to the world's largest circular ballroom and to a theatre that shows films on Fridays and Saturdays. Exhibits at the Catalina Museum for Art and History on Metropole Avenue narrate over 7,000 years of the history of the island, including who discovered the island and what early life was like.

Down by the water on Crescent Avenue, Bluewater Grill pairs seafood items with waterfront views of the beach, harbor, and casino from both its indoor dining room and outdoor patio. The grill is adjacent to Middle Beach, a public beach that directly fronts Crescent Avenue, which overlooks the harbor and is within close proximity to many hotels, shops, and restaurants.

Diverse Downtowns Across California

Across California, these small towns show that the most memorable downtowns are not defined by size, but by how they reflect and incorporate their surroundings and history. From downtowns like Solvang, which is filled with Danish heritage, to Avalon’s downtown island setting, each town on this list is characterized by its own visual style. Walkable layouts, local businesses, and recognizable landmarks are all important features that help shape a town’s personality. In these California towns, the downtown is not just a central district, but the feature that gives the town its overall character.