132 Forest Avenue

Between 16th Street and 17th Street
3 beds, 2.5 baths, 2316 SF on 2385 SF lot
Built, 1989
Last sold, 2020

This Victorian Revival home offers the best of both worlds: a modern home hidden behind a Victorian facade in the neighborhood with the greatest architectural fit.

Its Victorian character comes through in the three-story form, wood-frame construction, shingle roof, balcony, and overall effort to echo the proportions and style of older Retreat homes, built with modern materials and construction methods: modern framing and foundations, newer roofing systems and a more controlled interpretation of Victorian forms.

That balance of historic visual fidelity outside and modern convenience inside is likely why the Pacific Grove Heritage Society recognized this home’s design: it captures enough of the Victorian visual language to fit on of PG’s most core streets but the building is still more structurally modern than the authentic homes it references.

Three Things I Love About the Home

1. The Facade: The exterior honors and blends in with this original neighborhood’s many older homes and gets the details right.

2. The Balconies: other addresses on this street feature front porches but this home has multiple front-facing perches overlooking the entire street. Enjoy unique ocean views from different heights and angles.

3. Modern Construction: No matter how much the home appears, the bones of this home are much newer and stronger than a 19th century build.

109 14th Street

Between Ocean View Boulevard and Central Avenue
2 beds, 2 baths, 1,871 SF on a 1,905 SF lot
Built, 1963
Last sold, 1997

Part of downtown’s midcentury infill, this Craftsman-inspired bungalow took on its current form through a 2004 remodel and second-story addition.

That addition stacked a full second story with a projecting balcony and expanded upper windows over the original entry and garage.

It wraps the brick chimney in new framing and adds shingled gable ends matching the green palette.

With narrow Retreat lots limiting outward expansion, building up was the clearest way to add living space, (indoors and out) while enjoying the lot’s key features: coastal access, downtown walkability, and neighborhood charm.

Three Things I Love About the Home

1. The Chimney: It gives the front elevation a strong vertical anchor.

2. The Balcony: Built around the chimney, it adds depth to the front and creates an upstairs outdoor element:

3. The Color Palette: The pastel green and yellow suit the home’s Craftsman character, and makes the contrasting brick pop:

157 Carmel Avenue

Between Lighthouse Avenue and Doc Ricketts Row
3 beds, 2.5 baths, 2,139 SF on 3,527 SF lot
Built, 1960
Last sold, 1965

This storybook cottage has unique curb appeal, thanks to a whimsical, dramatic entrance that stands out even among downtown’s most distinctive homes.

The house splits between two asymmetric wings showcasing ornament alongside utility: a fairy-tale entrance and a more livable residence that allows you to age in place.

While the latter makes the home a true retreat, the Folk Victorian Revival details stand out from the street: the dense shrubs, the red brick staircase, and colorful front door framed by lantern-style sconces under a lancet arch.

Off the market for over 60 years, this is one of PG’s longest ownership tenures and it’s easy to see why.

Three Things I Love About the Home

1. The Revival blend: old aesthetics with modern construction.

2. The Lancet arch: maybe the most distinctive feature, the arch draws your eyes straight to the door.

3. The color scheme: the white siding and red trim offer a nice contrast and make the rust-colored stairs pop.

215 Lobos Avenue

Between Lighthouse Avenue and Short Street
2 beds, 1 bath, 947 SF on a 4,200 SF lot
Built, 1908
Last sold, 2024

This cozy Folk Victorian cottage sits on the western edge of the Lighthouse District, tucked into a deep, green lot where much of the day-to-day living spills outdoors.

Beneath a mature oak and surrounded by shrubs, flowers, and a layered garden, the home settles naturally into its setting, while the long front porch provides an outdoor room to enjoy the view.

The historic home features a steep front gable, decorative verge board and well-crafted trim that define its character.

Wood siding, tall narrow windows and a simple overall form keep it restrained, while the asymmetrical front and decorative porch details add Victorian-era interest.

The real value of the location is not just convenience but the way this area preserves residential quiet just two flat, walkable blocks from the storefronts.

With outdoor spaces that add real living area beyond the walls, this charming cottage fits exactly where it is, and lets the setting do the rest.

Three Things I Love About the Home

1. The outdoor rooms: the porch, yard and patio turn the landscape into living space.

2. The neighborhood calm: despite its proximity to town, this block is quiet and peaceful

3. The fit: the land and the architecture are well-matched.

144 14th Street

Corner of 14th Street and Doc Ricketts Row
2 beds, 1 bath, 828 SF on a 1,810 SF lot
Built, 1906
Last sold, 2001

This compact corner cottage was built during the town’s early 20th Century expansion, when builders favored simple frame‑and‑shingle cottages sized to fit narrow lots.

Rather than raw square footage, these are homes that attract owners seeking prime location, age, and walkability.

Architecturally, the home is modest and low‑rise, with simple massing, a gentle roof pitch and an understated façade.

The straightforward form reads as a practical, neighborhood‑scale house that quietly anchors the block and fits comfortably into it.

Despite the small footprint, buyers pay a premium for older homes downtown. The draw is location and historic charm, and that premium has only increased in recent years.

The scale also creates more options for smaller families and single occupants to live in PG’s most walkable neighborhood, while adding visual variety to the block.

3 Things I Love About the Home:

1. The Brick Stairwell: The earthy reds compliment the red house and creates a great contrast with the yard.

2. The Hood Windows:  The hood creates a graceful, finished shape to the window that contrasts with the overall boxy design.

3. The Greenery: even with limited space, there are several showcases, including hedges, a perfectly sized-tree and a flower garden.

123 12th Street

Between Central Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard
3 beds, 1.5–2 baths, 1,127 SF on a 2,900 SF lot
Built, 1925
Last sold, 2021

Developers responded to PG’s growth by building middle‑class homes offering Old World charm scaled down for modest lots and budgets. This created a layer of 1920s revival houses that still feel like a cozy, settled‑in neighborhood rather than a pure showcase.

Tudor Revival in particular leaned on steeply pitched roofs, half‑timbered upper bands, stucco‑like walls, mock‑stone accents, and Tudor‑arch entries, but on a cottage‑scale footprint.

Across the 1920s, these revivals—Spanish, Tudor, Colonial, Craftsman—formed a new residential layer in PG, offering narrative‑rich and picturesque homes that were practical and affordable for middle‑class families to own.

Notable details include its steeply pitched, off‑center front gable that breaks the skyline, its asymmetrical façade with clustered windows and a framed entrance, and its combination of smooth‑or‑stucco‑like lower walls with a textured upper band.

While borrowing from English‑style motifs, the house reads as a coastal cottage  a small gabled entry, modest chimney stack, and a play of cross gables and rooflines that feel hand‑arranged:

It’s Tudor adapted to Pacific Grove—simplified, reduced, and quietly romantic, not a stone‑castle fantasy.

3 Things I Love About the Home:

1. England by the Pacific: Soft historic charm that comes from layered, modest Tudor‑style cues rather than a single‑flash detail.

2. The roof silhouette: it reads as a storybook page: simple, slightly exaggerated, and instantly charming.

3. The color-friendly facade: the arrangement of window frames, trim, and wall planes creates a perfect canvas for colorful, cheerful exterior paint.

352 Central Avenue

Corner of Central Avenue and 9th Street
3 beds, 3 baths, 2,060 SF on a 3,600 SF lot
Built, 1885
Last sold, 2007

Another downtown home that predates the town’s incorporation, this Eclectic Victorian is notable for its asymmetric form and unusual mix of design elements.

The home’s most distinctive feature is its corner turret, which breaks the roofline vertically like a watchtower.

The entry is a deep shaded veranda that provides shelter, while shrubs frames the porch as a semi-outdoor room, like a small garden pavilion.

For owners who like downtown convenience but prefer the side streets, this lot offers the perfect balance: a quick, straight drive anywhere down Central but a half dozen blocks northeast of the shopping district, and just a quick stroll to the coast.

Three Things I Love About the Home

1. The eclectic build creates the kind of vibrant exciting shapes I associated more with contemporary architects like Frank Gehry.

2. Both front and back porches are covered, offering a softer transition into and out of the home.

3. The soft shade of yellow is gorgeous, and works perfectly with the brighter royal blue trim.

137 16th Street

Between Union Street and Central Avenue
2 beds, 2 baths, 950 SF on a 2,500 SF lot
Built, 1883
Last sold, 2017

This Victorian cottage evolved from one of the Retreat’s surviving tent houses to become one of the young town’s most visible homes, notable for its Carpenter Gothic details and a broad front porch that functions as an outdoor living room.

During the Retreat era, “tent lots” were laid out within a grid leading down to the shore, where families set up canvas tents for the summer. Over time, frequent visitors built small, permanent cottages like this one.

The home’s trademark features include its steeply pitched roof, Lancet windows and projecting stick work guarding the eaves.

The home is a popular vacation rental and it’s easy to see why: it offers a quaint, cozy resting spot at a historic home in a central walkable location close to the coast, with not a square foot wasted.

Three Things I Love About the Home

1. Living History: as one of the original test houses of the Pacific Grove retreat, this home is a historic artifact that predates the town’s incorporation.

2. The open porch: overlooks a neighborly Victorian streetscape, this an ideal place for outdoor relaxation and people-watching

3. The fit: this is a perfect size, location and style for a vacation cottage. Best of all, the home feels out of time, but never out of place.

#1: Trimmer Hill, 230 6th Street
#2: The Gosby House Inn, 643 Lighthouse Avenue
#3: 605 Pine Avenue
#4: The Butterfly House, 309 9th Street
#5: Margaret Lawrey 1887, 592 Central Avenue
#6: Captain’s Castle, 106 7th Street
#7: 178 Central Avenue
#8: Dr. Andrew J. Hart 1894, 649 Lighthouse Avenue
#9: Frank Clark 1887, 231 Central Avenue
#10: Toad Hall, 150 19th Street

#11: The Seven Gables Inn, 555 Ocean View Boulevard
#12: 365 Ocean View Boulevard
#13: Dr. C.L. Roe 1886, 123 Forest Avenue
#14: Mrs. Mary Nichols, 131 7th Street
#15: Mary McCormick 1893, 226 Willow Street
#16: 138 10th Street
#17: Mrs. K.E. Sanderson, 1904, 108 13th Street
#18: Catherine Brown, 1903, 410 Lighthouse Avenue
#19: The Boulders, 289 Lighthouse Avenue
#20: L.A. Rogers 1887, 134 Grand Avenue

134 Grand Ave, Pacific Grove

Between Park Place and Ocean View Boulevard
4 beds, 2 baths, 2,462 SF on a 3,765 SF lot
Built, 1951
Last sold, 1997

This postwar multi-family home was built during PG’s midcentury infill, when new housing had to fit into a more fully built-out town. Alongside historic Victorians and Craftsman-style homes, this home stands out for being practical and compact while maximizing a downtown-sized lot.

The two residential wings wrap around a park-like courtyard, with a paved path leading to the rear unit beside a beautifully manicured lawn.

This creates an inviting, resort-style oasis and adds visual variety to PG’s most traditional neighborhood.

That location remains the prized asset. Half a block from the Bay, this home enjoys all the perks of coastal living without the challenging of maintaining a 19th Century home.

The historic marker also suggests that this was not the first home at this address, as the marker notes the settlement of the lot, not the construction of the house.

Three Things I Love About the Home

1. The courtyard: simple and elegant outdoor space that feels like your own private park.

2. Neighborhood variety: contrasting home styles can be really stunning and the boxy white massing blends seamlessly into the neighborhood alongside much older builds.

3. The multi-family format: the layout and separate entrances create a shared space where each family feels completely (and privately) at home.