Cannery Row

Monterey’s Cannery Row has gone down the TOILET.
It is all about the almighty DOLLAR. The shops and stores are now nothing about imported crap of flea market quality. T-​shirts so thin, they make rice paper look like a canvas tarp.
The selection and quality of restaurants has become terrible and the portions microscopic.
Cannery Row used to be full of unique shops and handcrafted works of art. Now it is nothing but OVER PRICED ice cream, candy, sandwich and coffee shops and stores pawning imported touristy schitz.
The City of Monterey is entirely to blame for it’s decline. The upscale clothing and fashion stores, jewelry shops, art galleries and antique stores are gone.
Top that off with METER MAIDS that are so ruthless that they would cite their own mothers, eat their young and tow a disabled Veteran’s handicapped van and you have a tourist hell hole.
Soon the famous aquarium will even replace it’s collection of fish and mammals with plastic replicas imported from Asia.

A reminder of Monterey’s once-​bustling canning economy, Cannery Row is now one of the city’s top tourist attractions. Sure, the shops are definitely geared toward tourists, but the area is still a lovely area to walk through to see the formerly industrial side of Monterey Bay! Besides, this is where the world-​famous Monterey Bay Aquarium is, which is a must-​go, so you may as well check this place out anyway.
That being said, if you are not planning to go the aquarium and are short on time, you aren’t missing out much if you miss Cannery Row over Fisherman’s Wharf or 17-​Mile Drive, so I would not list this as a must-​go area. Food is better and cheaper in other parts of the city so you shouldn’t come here just to eat either.
Bottom line: Check out Cannery Row only if you are planning to go to the Aquarium. Otherwise, there are better places to see.
Parking: Street parking is metered and can be expensive. The cheapest solution is the Cannery Row Garage which has cheap weekday all-​day rate.

Love to visit Cannery Row especially during Laguna Secas World Super Bike race weekend! It’s a great place to spend the weekend decompressing but don’t forget to visit Carmel and Pebble Beach while you are here

This place is tourist central. It’s the kind of place that is neat to experience at least once, or maybe at the max once every year or two, but there are definitely way better things to do in the area than hang out here.
I’ve been here twice within two months and I definitely think it’s not cool enough to return to for someone who just went recently. The shops are full of generic, touristy t-​shirts and other stuff that doesn’t appear to be a good value or unique.
When I went during the day recently, it was nice to look out over the water, but was crowded with tourists. When I went in the evening, it was still crowded, but this time there was a Christmas tree set up and santa hats put on figures in this statue for the holidays. There was some carolers singing outside one of the windows on a balcony, and that was kind of fun, but it still felt way too touristy and crowded for me.
I would say come check it out if you have never seen it before, but don’t plan to spend more than a few hours here because that is really all you need. I feel no need to go back here for at least another year, if not longer.

I have always had a great time coming here and visiting and taking walks along be Marina and features. It’s a very scenic place a very comfortable place to visit. I would recommend coming here with family friends coworkers and just spend a couple of hours here on Cannery Row. There is something for everyone here. There are tours shuttle buses and a rolling cable car which is free that you can take to get around the town areas get a good look around make sure that you stop by the great Nestle Tollhouse for amazing hot chocolate. There is also its sugar a wonderful sugar confections store. I can go on and on including the Monterey Bay Aquarium Bubba Gumps restaurant and El Torito all on the waterfront with wonderful views and great service.

I used to love Cannery Row, back in the days where every store made it’s own clam chowder and offered samples on the sidewalk. I used to love having lunch just by walking from end to end and filling up on chowder shots.
Cannery Row, however, has lost the appeal that it had even 10 years ago and has become just another wharf for tourists. The shopping center is filled with kitschy shops that offer nothing unique to Monterey. Instead of restaurants, there are lazer tag and indoor mini golf spots. Yes, there is the spectacular aquarium, but it’s really the only good thing about Cannery Row. The rest of it feels like a bad «Fun House» at the circus.

Great time out to walk the row, plenty of shopping and restaurants to choose from. It’s got that home style feel with the friendly locals to go around. The beach is within walking distance from the shops with a backdrop to view for miles. They have your typical mainstream stores along with a mix of your mom and pop stores to buy souvenirs. To top it off you can spend a day at the popular aquarium for the kiddos. Several of the old canneries have been converted to shopping stores so each individual building has its own spin for particular stores. It’s a great time out and you can get swept away with all the different areas to occupy your time in cannery row.

«Interesting historic location with lots of shops and attractions»
Monterey was once the capital of California under the Spanish and Mexican governments. Cannery Row is at the heart of Monterey and offers a wide selection of dining, shopping and attractions. Wonderful place to stroll and soak in the ambience.

My first time here with my wife the other day and it was interesting.
Cannery Row remind me of Reno strip. Some of the shops and resturants looks cool and I love the scenery.

Crowded tourist area. Hard to find the history buried in all the chain stores and souvenir shops. There are much better places to spend your time in the beautiful Monterey area.

Date: 8÷11÷2015 70° Sunny
I thought I was through doing all my reviews of the venues that my husband and I visited in the Monterey area. Cannery Row popped up on my profile page on the the Unilocal website on my ‘puter, all on account I pulled it up on my mobile phone to see what was close to the aquarium. Is there a Starbucks close by? What else is there on this road? I was also reading reviews by other Unilocalers as to where they have dined while visiting the area.
We did not have much time to browse and venture to some of the retail businesses and restaurants along the way. However, I managed to take several photos of the surroundings.
Cannery Row has plenty of restaurants, souvenir shops, a wine tasting room and other small retail businesses to the delight of tourists walking up and down this road. One of the areas to sit, relax and enjoy the scenery is Steinbeck Plaza. Cop a squat on one of the benches with a frappuccino and pastry in hands and just people watch.
My husband and I might return to visit Cannery Row in the future. The only drawbacks? A long three hour drive from Alameda, parking can be a problem and beaucoup tourists on crowded street.

***************************** 1382 **************************
A popular spot for tourists, perfect car show during Monterey Car Week 2015, you can see just about any luxury car you can imagine.
Right by 1 of the best aquariums in the world, Monterey Bay Aquarium, perfect for kids and adults alike.
Plenty of restaurants, wine bars, and shops for families on this row.

It’s touristy but you have to do it. The history is more interesting than the tourist shops nearby but there are several cool restaurants, bars, and the aquarium nearby.
Bring a jacket because it is often cool, overcast and breezy. Seafood a few blocks off the main drag is excellent and better priced.

Definitely one of the highlights of Monterey, aside from the Aquarium. It’s old and has a lot of history and I hope they continue to preserve some of the original signs and architecture. You’ll find plenty of shopping and dining here as well as the Monterey Bay Aquarium at the end of the road. We stayed in Monterey two nights and walked through Cannery Row several times for our dining needs. You’ll find a variety of food establishments, from Cooper’s Pub, El Torito, Johnny Rockets, Bubba Gump Shrimp & Co., to Ghiradelli, Nestle Tollhouse and Starbucks.
We stuck to the restaurants as most of the stores here are souvenir and expensive novelty shops, really meant for window shopping.

Preface: I don’t know who John Steinbeck is and until reading reviews here I had no idea there was a relation. So I probably don’t get the history and/​or importance.
The one thing I liked about Cannery Row was the unique walkways above the road. It made a for a good photo op. Beyond that it seemed like any other tourist destination with the same old shops.
The aquarium at the end is quite good, but that is another review.
Overall, it was a nice walk. But beyond that it was just a walk that I took to the aquarium.

The area was made famous by John Stienbeck in his novels, but what it truly is today is simply a shopping district about a mile from the Fisherman’s Wharf, and just down the street from the Aquarium.
There are a myriad of distinct little shops, more than one chain restaurant, lots of sweeping views of the Pacific ocean and of course, lots and lots of people.
There are derelict buildings, there are comorants that dive into the water trying to scoop up today’s dinner and there are very few public bathrooms, the one I did find was in a small three story building, it had one stall, and was previously a men’s room, and the urinal had been covered over. I was not impressed.
Parking is a fun challenge, there are plenty of parking lots if you want to walk, there are covered garages if you want to pay $ 10. Free parking is limited if any at all.

I will preface this review by saying it had been 25 years since our last visit to Cannery Row. While it was touristy then, it also was quaint and had charm. Fast forward to April 2015 and it certainly has changed. More crowded and prices now fully reflect where you are at.
On the upside, the area is clean and kept up, there are many restaurants to choose from and a variety of shops selling just about everything. OK place to stop when down in Monterey just don’t expect that charm that was once there :)

It was our first visit to Monterey. We were told to visit Cannery Row. It is a tourist destination full of restaurants, shopping, hotels and sights. Since it is a popular tourist stop, the prices do reflect this. I’m always a sucker for stopping into random shops when on vacation so this place was right up my alley. If you’re there to visit The Monterey Aquarium, it sits at the end of the row and very hard to miss.
Of course there is the beautiful view of the water. I don’t have the ocean view everyday so I was enjoying every minute.

This is THE touristy spot in town. It never fails, I always end up here whenever I come visit… and so does every other tourist…
I like all the different stores from touristy-​souvenir to candy to olive spreads. I don’t usually buy anything since I don’t have uses for them… but I love just looking around.
There are a nice variety of restaurants from Mexican, Italian to all-​American. My favorite restaurant to eat at is the Fish Hopper but! only for the view. Then wander down the pier to Ghiradhelli for dessert!
I do like that it’s right on the water. You can find a nice spot and just gaze out to the ocean if you wanted to.
Then of course there is the Bay Aquarium. I become a clapping retard seal when I go in. I usually have to make a stop in this place. Gotta work off the carbs somehow! Form of exercise fighting off children so you can pet the stingray!
Cannery Row is a nice to-​do when you’re in town. It has something for everyone… if not, at least there’s ice cream!