Old Monterey District Blog

Youth Arts Collective invites you to visit our 2024 Pop-Up Valentine’s Show made with love by YACsters and mentors.

The exhibit is on display in the YAC gallery at 472 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey, 3pm-7pm weekdays and 12pm-4pm Saturdays, and online here. It’s a fun show and a perfect place to buy an original art piece at a reasonable price.

YAC is a nonprofit, after school art studio and mentorship program for high school and college artists. The mission is to inspire creativity, kindness, and confidence in youth through artistic expression and mutual respect. "Do art. Be kind."

Nacho Bizness fans! You know what time it is. Be prepared for The Big Game and order a party pack from Nacho Bizness. Just send us a message via Instagram or via Facebook.

Each pack includes our house made queso, your choice of carne asada or chicken, pico de gallo, jalapeños, lime crema, and Taco Works chips.

3 packages available:
First Down, 4-6 people: $48
Field Goal, 8-10 people: $95
Touchdown, 8-10 people plus guac & beans: $115

You can also add the following items to your order:
1 quart mac & cheese: $12
1 pint fresh guac: $10
1 quart jalapeno cheddar queso or pepper jack queso: $12

Nacho Bizness, home of legendarily delicious nachos, is located at 470 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill is now selling 16 oz. glass tumblers emblazoned with our golden bear logo! Stop by the restaurant at 426 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey and pick up yours.

For a limited time, Alta Bakery and Cafe is offering three chocolate truffles (raspberry, black and white, and vanilla caramel) in a keepsake heart-shaped box. They're the perfect gift for your chocolate-loving Valentine, and all handmade in-house. Visit Alta at 502 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Parker-Lusseau Pastries and Cafe at 539 Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey has delicious, heart-shaped chocolate boxes filled with assorted chocolate truffles.

Our chocolate hearts, all made in-house, are available in two sizes: small (3 truffles) and large (6 truffles). They're a beautiful, classic way to say, “Je t’aime."

Spa on the Plaza, located at 201 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is offering Valentine's Day specials throughout the month of February. To make an appointment, please phone us at 831-647-9000.

Valentine's Day Specials

Cupid's Couple Package
$320 for 80 minutes
Indulge in the ultimate Valentine's treat. Immerse yourself in a blissful couple's tub while sipping on chilled champagne. Then pamper yourself with a couple's 50-minute aromatherapy massage. It's the perfect way to celebrate love and relaxation together.

Bubbly Me Package
$175 for 90 minutes
Treat yourself to our exclusive solo spa package. Immerse yourself in a blissful tub and sip on champagne as you indulge in much-needed me time. Then pamper your skin with an invigorating bubbly Image Skincare oxygen facial.

Paris Bakery invites you to celebrate Valentine's Day with all your loved ones (young and old) with special seasonal treats! We have so many heart-shaped desserts to enjoy, including a variety of cakes (large and small), chocolate dipped strawberries, cupcakes, cake pops, and decorated cookies.

Visit us at 271 Bonifacio Place in Downtown Old Monterey. You can place an order in advance to avoid disappointment - stop by the bakery or call us at 831-646-1620.

The Geneo Glo2Facial Oxygen Facial is now available at the Haute Beauty Guide Spa, located at 71 Pearl Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Delivering immediate results, it will leave your skin glowing.

Customized based on your own skin type and concerns, the Glo2Facial includes a double cleanse, exfoliation and oxygenation of the skin, lite ultrasound, a hands-free lymphatic massage, LED treatment, and a custom mask with a signature Japanese pressure point scalp massage.

Book your appointment with esthetician Doran on Haute Beauty Guide's website. Sessions are $249 and last 75 minutes. Haute Beauty Guide is a small, woman-owned business.

Cha-ya Japanese Tea and Things is in the final days! We'll be closing our doors on January 31, 2024 and everything must go before then. Any reasonable offer will be accepted and we are offering deeper discounts on our already low prices.

Come by and get your piece of Cha-ya before we’re gone. Of course, we’d love to see you before we close, too, so please feel free to stop by and say goodbye at 118 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Mythic Monterey is holding a sale through the month of January...or as long as the sale items last...at 561 Tyler Street in Downtown Old Monterey. There are tables full of deals to be had as well as additional items around the store marked at 25% off.

Highlights include, but are not limited to: a number of board games, Games Workshop miniatures, Games Workshop books, Dungeons & Dragons alt cover books, Battletech terrain, fantasy paint sets, all things Star Wars: Shatterpoint, and all things Yu-Gi-Oh, Digimon, and Dragon Ball Z.

Mythic Games Monterey is open Wed (1pm-6pm), Thu-Fri (1pm-9:30pm), Sat (12pm-9:30pm), and Sun (12pm-6pm).

The Pearl Works, located at 288 Pearl Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is seeking local artists to submit pieces for their next art show, Cycles. This show will be a juried exhibition of emerging artists from around Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties whose various forms of art address the theme of cycles: the complete and continuous processes that make up life.

This interdisciplinary selection of visual, two dimensional art will create a conversation about the patterns and sequences that dictate the rhythm of change.

Get more information and submit your art here by Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Franklin Street Collaborative is seeking a makeup artist to work with our salon, Stacia Nicole Beauty, and has a spa room available for an esthetician to rent at its location at 201 W. Franklin Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Makeup Artist
Stacia Nicole Beauty seeks a part-time makeup artist available primarily on weekends for events and weddings. Payment is commission-based. Candidates must have a passion for makeup, be reliable and eager to learn, have good communication skills, be adaptable, and able to interact with clients in a fun and respectful manner. An esthetician / cosmetology license is a plus. Please email your resume to Stacia Nicole Beauty.

Spa Room Available
Franklin Street Collaborative has an open room available for an esthetician. It's the perfect space to give your clients the ultimate spa experience. Please call 831-920-2611 or email Franklin Street Collaborative for more information.

Hudson James California is looking for a Fashion Sales Specialist! The Hudson James boutique is part of Franklin Street Collaborative, located at 201 W. Franklin Street in Downtown Old Monterey. If interested, please email us your resume.

As Fashion Sales Specialist, you'll be responsible for providing exceptional customer service, maintaining and organizing the store's inventory, assisting customers with purchases, and giving them styling advice. We're looking for someone to work Fridays - Sundays and offering $16-$22 per hour.

If you have a passion for fashion and enjoy working in a fun and creative environment, then this job is for you. The ideal candidate should have previous retail experience, excellent communication skills, and a positive attitude. Hudson James values diversity and inclusivity and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Alejandro's is pleased to announce new menu items! We invite you to visit us at 474 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey and try them. We're open Mon-Thur (5pm-10pm), Fri (5pm - closing), and Sat (4:30pm - closing).

Joining our Appetizers Menu is the brand new Mole Trio: mole conloradito, mole negro, and mole estofado, served with white rice and tortillas. On our Tacos Menu, we now have Coliflor al Pastor (pictured here): fire roasted cauliflower, al pastor, guacamole, salsa verde, and micro greens. Added to our Principales Menu is Tampiquena, which includes a delicious 5 oz skirt steak, salsa verde chicken enchiladas, queso fresco, a chile relleno, and Mexican-style corn on the cob.

The Coastal Roots Hospitality Group - including Montrio restaurant at 414 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey - has designated the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center the nonprofit recipient of its Pick It Up - Pay It Forward Program for January and February 2024.

What does this mean? When you order takeout food from Montrio, 10% of your order will automatically be donated to this nonprofit agency. (Please note: this offer does not apply to delivery orders.)

The mission of the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center is to provide ongoing advocacy, support, and healing for all victims and survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse and to prevent sexual violence in our community through education.

Fleet Feet invites you to drop off your old running shoes, used running bras, or used nutrition wrappers during our hours of operation at 472 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey so they can be recycled.

Recycling Sneakers
Got Sneakers evaluates each shoe that will either be donated or broken down into new materials for newer product.

Recycling Run Bras
Fleet Feet is a proud partner of The Bra Recyclers. They evaluate the bras, which will either be reused to make new product or be donated to women escaping domestic violence, human trafficking, or battling cancer.

Recycling Nutrition Wrappers
Terracycle is a program that allows you to recycle any of your old nutrition wrappers. These wrappers will be broken down into materials to make new product.

Cha-Ya Japanese Tea and Things is now offering everything in the store (except tea) for 30%, 50% and even more off the original price until our official closing date, which is yet to be determined. We want to thank everyone for helping make 2023 Cha-ya's best year ever! We've had wonderful sales and support throughout December, and we are on track to close, as planned, by the end of January.

We still have a lot of very nice items in the shop that are looking for a good home! We would love for you to come by and shop or even just say hi (and goodbye). Visit us at 118 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey. We're open Monday - Saturday, 11am-4pm.