Orcutt Rd Railroad District, SLO

NOTE: This neighborhood is NOT near the railroad station.

On Orcutt Road near the train tracks, there is a new area of industrial-themed buildings of maroon and rust brown, called Duncan Alley. 
Duncan Alley is a spot with some awesome places to hang out: it's lovely to sit outside at Ancient Owl Beer Garden under orange umbrellas on a weekday afternoon- even on a hot day of 82 degrees it is pleasant because there is a breeze. They play great music inside, and there are plenty of tables, plus big windows. On Friday nights there is live music 6:30-8:30pm and a food truck, and they also have Taco Tuesdays, Wednesday bingo, and Sunday trivia with a food truck. We were there on a friday night when Adrian Libertini was singing with a guitar and he did some great songs: Tennessee Whiskey, Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift, and Hotel California!
Next door to Ancient Owl is KBRG Coffee Lab, with a trendy vibe and comfortable seating. It has beautiful lighting and plants galore. You can buy coffee, tea (ginger is the best), pastries (overly chewy ones from Back Porch Bakery), and breakfast burritos. They also sell cute stuffed animal toys for kids. It's wonderful to sit in front of KBRG Coffee Lab in the morning in the shade of the tall sycamore trees and listen to their music through good speakers. It feels like you are in France! At 2pm, the building provides even more shade. Bring a jacket to sit indoors on cold days because the rolling door is open at all times. 
Shindig Cider has really delicious cider! Their Boat Drink cider with prickly pear and pineapple is good! The atmosphere during live music is memorable, with pale purple light, large round paper lantern lights, and disco ball light flickering on the walls. The seating is pleasant, with long wooden seats against the wall, and wooden chairs. It is indoors, but open to the air, so bring a puffer jacket. 
El Lugar Wines, and Croma Vera Wines are other places to try in Duncan Alley.
The Bunker SLO, a coffee shop run by Nautical Bean, is also in this neighborhood, with a brightly lit interior with skylights, plants, and colorful artwork. They have excellent lemon poppyseed muffins, and many choices for hot food such as eggs and bagels. The spinach feta croissant is not good. Their outdoor seating is a bit too noisy, beside the road. Sometimes they host art exhibition opening nights, with unique and interesting paintings and a DJ. 
You can walk the Railroad Bike Path after, but it isn't very nice. It will take you, via a back path, to Sinsheimer Park, a beautiful spot with tall trees and an amazing playground. It's a 17 minute walk from Duncan Alley to the park.
The industrial area nearby has two more cideries, Green Bottle (owned by High Street Deli owners) and SLO Cider Co, which has an outdoor seating area.
You can go for a long walk in the Righetti neighborhood, but you have to drive to get there since the walk to get there is not nice.
Another good spot, a three minute drive north on the main road Broad Street is Taste Craft Eatery, with decent food. They have attractive seating in front, under white umbrellas, with some road noise. Inside it's modern and beautiful too, with big windows and wicker lighting, though loud (they need some soundproofing). Come early before the crowds if you want to enjoy the indoor area. My Friend Mike's Pizza, nearby, sells pizza made with sourdough starter, which is much healthier than regular crust (low fodmap/fructans and low glycemic index). 
Across Broad Street and up the hill, relax at Stoneridge Park, with a basketball court with views and South Hills Hike, a short rocky hike to the top of Vulture Peak.

Directions

For Ancient Owl and KBRG Coffee Lab, you can park along the street on Duncan Road. 
Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 3197 Duncan Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
KBRG Coffee Lab, 3183 Duncan Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. The Bunker SLO has slanted parking spots in the driveway.

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