CALIFORNIA DREAMING
Condé Nast Traveler US|December 2024
Young creatives are bringing a new kind of cool to the historic Central Coast town of Carmel-by-the-Sea
LIZBETH SCORDO
CALIFORNIA DREAMING

BEFORE CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA became known for its wealthy retirees, tony golf courses, and upscale resorts, it was a bohemian hot spot. More than a century ago, poets, artists, and writersincluding Jack London, Salvador Dalí, and Mary Hunter Austin-decamped to the charming hamlet, today beloved for its cottage-lined cobblestone streets and picturesque stretch of coastline. Some were fleeing San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, while others just wanted to commune with like-minded freethinkers. A bit of that creative spirit has blown back into the one-square-mile town these past few years, driven by an influx of 30- and 40-somethings who have arrived to start businesses-drawn, like their predecessors, by the beauty of nature and the quality of life here. The result: a host of fresh restaurants and boutique hotels that are making Carmel more dynamic than it's been in years.

This story is from the December 2024 edition of Condé Nast Traveler US.

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This story is from the December 2024 edition of Condé Nast Traveler US.

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