Many of my clients are from out-of-the-area, and they often ask me to describe the differences between the various communities of the Central Coast. This blog entry is to address the communities called the Five Cities.
The Five Cities
The "five cities" are made up of Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Oceano. While these towns are lumped together in to the catch-phrase, they are actually all really unique areas in and of themselves.
Shell Beach is also divided into two sections: old Shell Beach (west side of the freeway) and new Shell Beach (east side). The culture of each of these areas is very different. Old Shell Beach is made up of mostly beach bungalows and cottages, with a few newer homes interspersed. It is an ecclectic community, and people that are drawn to it are usually looking to be close to the bluffs, and close to shops, restaurants, and cafes. The beach near Old Shell Beach is a rocky beach as opposed to a walking beach. Very few of the homes in Old Shell Beach have ocean views. Again, people in this part of town are wanting the proximity to the ocean. The majority of the homes with true ocean views are either ocean front homes or are in the high 300 blocks of the streets. New Shell Beach consists of homes that are up on the hills above the freeway. People that are attracted to this area are looking for big ocean views. The homes are all newer, and are in planned communities with HOAs and CC&Rs. This means the neighborhoods are fairly uniform and tidy.
Pismo Beach has three differently subcommunities as well. You have the ecclectic beach bungalows and condos of the downtown (where again, the proximity to the beach is the draw), the ecclectic neighborhood of Pismo Heights (where all the streets are named after towns in the Central Valley), and the newer areas on the east side of the freeway that are regulated by HOAs and CC&Rs. The draw for the latter two areas is the ocean views. In Pismo Heights the views are expansive coastline views; in the newer areas they are mostly "horizon" views. Both areas have pros and cons depending on your interests and desires. One thing I like about Pismo Heights is that you can walk/drive directly to the beach, even though it is on the east side of the freeway. There is an underpass that allows you to do that.
Arroyo Grande is also subdivided into two areas: East and West/the Mesa. Arroyo Grande sort of winds its way from inland to along the coast. The Mesa and East AG (as the locals call it) have very different terrains and weather. East AG has lots of oak trees, rolling hills, vineyards, and warm sunny weather. The Mesa has majestic eucalyptus, flatter land, and a cooler climate. Both areas have plenty of properties with acreage, which is its big appeal. There is also "old town" AG which consists of smaller homes that are craftsman style or victorians and are within walking distance of "the village" where there are lots of shops, restaurants, and cafes.
Grover Beach is a beachy community with condos, small homes, large homes, and everything in between. Some homes are in walking distance to the part of the beach that you can drive onto (off of Grand Ave). Grand Ave divides Grover Beach into "north" Grover and "south" Grover. There is a little bit more renovation of homes going on in North Grover than in South Grover, but South Grover is a little more affordable.
Oceano is south of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach. It is mostly older homes that have not yet been renovated. Again, this is a great area to get a starter home in the Five Cities, as it is the most affordable area. There is also a subsection of Oceano called The Strand which has homes on the beach. It is truly the only part of the Five Cities where you can walk out your door and put your feet in the sand (without climbing down a cliff or walking to stairs). This area is south of Pier Ave right on the beach.
In terms of prices, I've listed these areas in order of highest price per square foot to lowest price per square foot.
If you have more questions about the area, please call me!
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