Increasingly popular “parklets” are popping up in urban parking spaces to provide mini sanctuaries for trees, grass and benches—and added tables, verve and income for businesses and commerce districts.
I wrote about how sidewalk seating has helped downtown Monterey's general buzz and visitor-friendliness last year.
Now local food and sustainability pioneer Happy Girl Kitchen (373-4475) on Central Avenue in P.G. had its own mini park approved by City Council.
A look at the parklet sketches appears upper right.
The wider Parklet Pilot Project was given to go-ahead last month, and includes four parklets. The other three are in downtown P.G. on Lighthouse Avenue.
Pacific Grove will only fund decorative planters and traffic barriers up to a total of $15,000, so each business is on the hook to fund most of the respective projects, as was the case in Monterey.
Happy Girl is putting together a raucous video to raise Kickstarter cash to plush it out.
"We need some voluntary funds from the public for this public space," is the way HGK co-owner Todd Champagne puts it.
More quick bites, with an emphasis on birthdays:
➔ Happy birthday: Corral Market & Deli (676-3806) has a live DJ, wine tasting, food vendors, barbecue smoking away and more 11am-4pm Saturday, April 19, to toast a year in business.
➔ Birthday number two: Crema on Lighthouse in P.G. (324-0347) has a new dinner menu and 4-6pm Thursday-Sunday happy hour to celebrate turning 2 Wednesday, April 16.
➔ Second birthday, number two: Olive oil-wine tasting hub Trio Carmel (250-7714)—exclusive home to superb small-plot local wineries Pelerin, Mesa Del Sol and Ian Brand & Family—toasts its #2 with a fat party ($35-$45) 6-8pm Friday, April 25, with the best from Brand and Chef Brandon Miller of Mundaka. RSVP.
➔ When I attempted to dispel rumors of Nob Hill’s demise and New Leaf’s rise in Pacific Grove—I repeat: New Leaf isn’t coming—I made a booboo: I made it unclear that Nob Hill is still there and, as one employee writes in, “a very fabulous place to work with kind and caring employees and customers.”
➔ Point Pinos Grill (648-5774) at P.G. muni golf course flows its pairing dinner series on with Ozaka Blues Brewery and four indulgent courses like three-cheese monte cristo Saturday, April 26 ($60).
➔ April 24’s Taste It Thursday at Wharf Marketplace features Heller Estate ($12 is a deal for sips and snacks) and happens 4:30-6:30pm.