Old Town Historic District walk, SLO
It's pleasant to stroll past the Victorian and Craftsman homes in the Old Town Historic District. Start at 700 Buchon Street, where you can park along the road for free. Broad, Garden, and Chorro Streets go east-west rather than north-south, and they have little Victorian homes and lovely gardens. In autumn, it's nice to walk along, admiring the yellow, orange, and red trees. Buchon Street, which runs north-south, has stunning architecture around the 600-800 blocks. Some of the houses are little cottages and some are large Victorian mansions. It is on top of the hill, so you get great views of the morros/mountains: Cerro San Luis (the one with an M on it) and Bishop Peak. Around the 500 block, peek over at Pismo Street, which runs parallel, to see another large mansion at 559 Pismo Street with a wraparound balcony and midnight blue stained glass. Here you can also see Emerson Park, with its community garden full of sunflowers, playground for little kids, and workout stations, plus views of the mountains. Saint Stephens Episcopal Church is an adorable church here.
It becomes more rundown as you go south of the 500 block of the north-south streets. In this industrial area you can find some good cafes. Nautical Bean Coffee has an edgy dark interior, and lots of students studying back in its cavernous rooms. Bread Bike Bakery has an adorable interior with hanging plants and afternoon sun, plus a few chairs outside too. Everything is whole grain unfortunately, but almost all items are sourdough which is good. Joebella Coffee SLO, in an old gas station, has big windows and wooden decor. They have good matcha lattes. House of Bread (Marsh Street) has delicious muffins made with real butter rather than vegetable oil. There isn't much seating at all. High Street Deli, a very popular cafe, is nearby (opens 11am, long wait of 30-45 minutes for your food guaranteed)- it has shady (cold and windy in winter) outdoor seating in a narrow side area.
It becomes a bit sketchy as you approach the high crime area around Mitchell Park, which used to be an adorable park for kids but is now more like an open-air homeless shelter. You can walk one of the eastern streets, like Islay Street or Leff Street, to avoid Mitchell Park, and then explore the far north end of the grid, the 1200 blocks of Buchon Street and Pismo Street. On the way you will see that Leff Street has tall pine trees- you feel like you're in Northern California! Islay Street has some colorful Victorian houses that I love, around the 600-800 blocks, with freesias and daffodils in early spring. The 1200 blocks of Buchon Street and Pismo Street have a great variety of flowers and trees to behold! The houses are unique and lovely, with cute fences and decorations.
The area around the railroad station is a bit sketchy at times, though very popular on Saturday mornings when people eat long breakfasts at three tiny cafes: Bon Temps, Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe (counter service), and Del Monte Cafe. Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe is particularly sweet, with huge windows, mint green walls with wooden shelves, and a large painting on the brick wall. You just want to stay a while, even though it's quite loud inside. Since it is counter service, it's an easy and pleasant place to grab a meal. It's especially nice on weekdays at lunchtime when many cool people stop by to eat lunch. San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is open on Saturday mornings only, but it is musty inside. It is fun to look at the old railcars outside the museum, which you can do any day of the week. If you like garden nurseries, drive one minute to Miner's Ace Hardware, which has an inspiring garden section with many fountains.
Walk a few blocks west of Old Town Historic District and you will come to the main downtown area of SLO. Here you can hang out with a cup of coffee at Scout Coffee, a popular coffee shop with a brick interior and hanging plants, or Linnaea's Cafe, both on Garden Street. Linnaea's has wonderful live music nights, full of college students (check their instagram page). Homeless people walk into these cafes in a crazed frenzy though.
Ornate house on Buchon Street, with mountain behind.
Plump red tomatoes hanging from a wooden fence.
Flowers bursting over a fence.
House with Cerro San Luis mountain behind.
Victorian house and Cerro San Luis behind, on Buchon Street at the top of the hill.
I love these castle-like stone stairs.
Morning glory and sunflowers, outside a bay window.
Pinks flowers on a white picket fence, pink shingles, and Cerro San Luis mountain!
Round mixed-color shingles on a house gable.
Multi-colored round shingles on a house gable. I love these!
Vine on an arch.
Violet flowers.
Green fence and flowers!
Desert plants.
Home with blue stained glass windows at 559 Pismo Street.
A sweet, green house.
Yellow flowers and orange nasturtiums.
Purple flowers and a cute house in the distance.
Peachy flowers and a white picket fence.
The creek, looking lovely.
Creek, eucalyptus, and mountain.
Blue house.
Poppies and purple flowers by the creek.
Diagonal stripes on a eucalyptus tree by the creek.
Purple flowers by a white fence.
African flowers in a delicate garden.
Fence and sweet peas.
Flowers in May.
Church with pretty windows.
White flowers and pink flowers in abudance.
Lemon blossoms and lemons.
Trumpet flowers.
Roses and a stone fence.
High Street Deli, an extremely popular spot on High Street.
Purple and yellow flowers covering a wall.
Grace Central Coast Church is in a beautiful building with a bell tower and arched windows.
Puffy flowers on a street corner.
Blue sage catching the light.
Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church has a sweet bell tower, near Emerson Park.
A green house on Buchon Street, with an adorable turret.
Canary palm and Victorian houses on Buchon Street at the top of the hill.
Pink house with squared bay window on Buchon and Broad Streets.
Marigolds in a garden.
Silver Dust plant and agave, in a garden.
Morning glory on a white fence.
Cute gable and lantern.
Sunflowers outside a yellow house.
Lanterns by a little wooden window.
Glory Bush lighting up a garden.
Old stone structure, with mountain behind, in the morning light.
Palm tree and trumpet vine, giving a tropical feel.
Pointy gable with stained glass windows, and a pine tree behind.
Sky Flower bursting over a fence.
Cosmos flowers along the sidewalk.
Propeller plant making a vibrant red show.
Bishop Peak makes an amazing backdrop.
House with bay window, and mountain behind.
I love all the pinks!
Orange roses by a white picket fence.
Victorian house with ornate gables.
Glory Bush vine creeping over a fence and up a tree!
Blue fence and Glory Bush flowers.
A delightful house.
Small house on High Street.
Pine trees on Leff Street.
Leff Street has tall trees.
It feels like you're in Northern California when you're on Leff Street.
Morning glory vine.
A green house with dormers.
Tall trees by the creek, if you walk up Leff Street to the railroad area.
Flowers under an old tree, in a private garden.
There are many tall, old trees on Leff Street.
Cute house.
Morning glory bush and flowering tree.
Bougainvillea bursting with color, and a bay window.
Flowers falling over a fence.
Flowers await you at every turn.
Rose with lychee scent.
Violet colored flowers on a tree.
Orange roses and a white picket fence.
Tall pine tree and bougainvillea.
Shaded garden.
Christmas lights at 1902 Chorro Street- a delight!
1946 Chorro Street, at Christmastime.
I love the changing lights at 1902 Chorro Street!
Starburst decoration on a home, and yellow tree in December.
Old Town Historic District sign, and a yellow tree in December.
Yellow house on the corner of Chorro and Islay.
The wonderful decoration on the Victorian home at Islay and Chorro.
1902 Chorro Street is all decked out for Christmas!
Another sweet house. I love these houses. All new houses should be built in this style!
Dark pink bougainvillea over an archway.
Cerro San Luis mountain is a wonderful backdrop to the town.
Sweet Victorian home, with Cerro San Luis behind.
Autumn Gold Maidenhair Tree.
Golden gate on Broad Street. Impressive!
A lovely home on Broad Street, with a turret.
I love this house on Broad Street, with rounded features.
Red house with autumn tree, on Broad Street.
Starburst design on a blue house.
A green house, of the most perfect hue.
Pretty colors of a townhouse on Broad Street.
Yellow houses are always cute.
Ornate house on Buchon Street.
Red plant.
Leff Street has a cute white house under a huge tree. It feels like North California!
Cactus garden with lemon tree.
The white house on Leff Street, under a pine tree.
Winter blossoms.
Daffodils in January.
Blue house with cute trim.
What a sweet sight! A blue house with yellow flowers overflowing its yard.
A stately house on Buchon Street.
Garden Street Inn adds color to downtown.
Camellias at Garden Street Inn.
Garden Street Inn is so wonderful! It even has matching lemons in front!
Camellias outside Garden Street Inn.
Cerro San Luis looks beautiful behind historic houses.
Lemon trees outside Garden Street Inn.
Colorful townhouses on Leff Street and Broad Street.
The sweet scent of flowers as you walk along.
High Street Deli side patio on a Monday morning. I have no idea why it's not crowded like usual!
Daisies.
The train passing by the station, with Terrace Hill behind.
Adorable white picket fence near High Street Deli.
Strange buildings at the train station.
I like this people-watching table at High Street Deli.
A dark pink house!
Lemon trees outside a yellow house.
I love this house that sits diagonal to Chorro Street.
Yellow house with arched entry patio.
Dark pink camellias outside a blue house.
Flowers in February.
Lemon tree and yellow house.
Daffodils in February!
Daffodils under a redwood tree.
Banana tree and green house.
Yellow door and cute wooden beads at the top of the balcony.
Freesias in February! These were in our yard in Australia in spring!
The top of the hill on Buchon Street is where the loveliest views are found.
Gorgeous house on the corner of Broad Street and Islay Street.
White picket fence.
Spanish-style house and tropical garden.
Poppies in two colors!
Orange and cream poppies, in March.
Bird house in a garden on Broad Street.
White daisies.
Yellow rose.
Rose and daisies.
Daisies, roses, and orange tree.
Purple blossoms in March, on Leff Street.
I love the pine trees on Leff Street.
Iris flowers.
Red delicate flowers on Leff Street.
Fairy house in a garden, on Leff Street.
Daisies in abundance.
Lilac flowers at Buchon Street and Garden Street.
Tulips! At Buchon Street and Garden Street, in late March.
Flowering archway.
Cute illustration on Old Town Historic District sign, and yellow flowering tree.
Lovely house at Buchon Street and Garden Street.
House with tall redwood tree.
Knobby tree.
The nicest area is the top of the hill, at Buchon Street and Garden Street.
Green craftsman house.
Yellow house on Islay Street and Broad Street.
Mansion with Canary palm and profusion of flowering plants, on Broad Street and Islay Street.
Camellia flower.
Orange star wall shrub, a profusion of color.
Fountain of a Chinese goddess, Kwan Yin, in Miner's Ave Hardware nursery, which is one minute's drive from the railroad area.
Inside Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, in the railroad area.
Paintings of California poppies, in Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, with its mint green walls.
You can sit by the big windows in Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, by the railroad station.
Nice spots to sit at Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe, near the railroad station.
The most glorious section of Old Town Historic District is around 700 Buchon Street, where you can park for free along the road.
Last Updated: Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:50:18 GMT
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