Orcutt

Once a thriving oil town in the early 1900s, Old Town Orcutt has become the town of Orcutt's main shopping and dining corridor. Located on California’s Central Coast, 7 miles south of Santa Maria, streets in Old Town are lined with local restaurants and DIY shops with storefronts that look like they were taken straight out of an old western movie. “They’ve worked hard to make it very walker-friendly,” says Debi Tucker, co-owner of a local DIY shop, Victorian Stained Glass Works. “I always see ladies walking back and forth from the quilt shop. There’s a lady that teaches painting in our building, too; it makes you want to try new things.” Most residents are able to walk to the nearby shops from their early 20th-century Craftsman bungalows. Locals tend to be active in their community, participating in organizations like the Old Orcutt Merchants’ Association, the local Little League program, which meets at May Grisham Park, or religious institutions like the Revival Tabernacle Church, which has been active in Old Town since 1961. Many of these organizations come together to host events like the annual Chalk Festival, which features art by local kids and professionals. Along Clark Avenue, residents will find restaurants, boutiques and craft stores housed in buildings that date to the early 1900s. The area's historic feel is enhanced by locally owned DIY stores, like the Old Town Quilt Shop and Old Orcutt Yarnery, that host events and classes where locals can learn how to handcraft different products the old-fashioned way. These classes tend to be packed with hobbyists, both new and experienced, who live nearby. “We sell little pre-made gifts, and someone might see them and want to sign up for a class. The waiting list is always very long,” says Tucker. “They pick an individual project and work on it from start to finish. A lot of people want to keep going, and they can continue at home and buy the supplies from us or sign up for another class.” Aside from craft stores, Old Town Orcutt offers antique dealers, furniture stores and gift shops. Recognizable by its pink storefront, Kay’s Orcutt Country Kitchen is a community staple known for diner-style breakfasts. In the evenings, locals can head to Far Western Tavern for Santa Maria-style barbeque, a local specialty made by slow-cooking tender beef cuts over red oak coals on an iron grill, or try one of 10 house-made beers at Blast 825 Brewery. For groceries, residents can head to Old Town Market or the nearby Albertsons. Old Town Orcutt residents often come together to plan events like the Old Town Orcutt Christmas Parade, which features floats, marching bands and a special guest, Santa Claus. The annual Chalk Festival, organized by local nonprofits every October, allows residents to leave their mark on the community by purchasing a square portion of pavement for them and their friends and families to decorate. Most homes in Old Town Orcutt are early 20th-century Craftsman bungalows set close together on small lots, featuring simple exteriors and attached garages. Throughout the neighborhood, landscaping is minimal, and small, square front yards are often bordered by white picket fences and shaded by palm or pine trees. Two-bedroom homes can sell for as little as $400,000, though recently renovated or more recently built three- or four-bedroom homes can sell for more than $600,000. On the neighborhood’s west side, two-bedroom manufactured homes with covered carports sell for around $200,000. Inventory here remains low, so when houses do hit the market, they sell within an average of three days, compared to a national average of 43 days. Students here can start their education at Orcutt Union District schools like Patterson Road Elementary, rated B-plus by Niche, or the A-minus-rated Orcutt Junior High. They'll then continue to the B-plus-rated Ernest Righetti High in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, where they can participate in athletic programs like water polo, tennis and volleyball. The 10-acre May Grisham Park is home to Orcutt National Little League, which is open to local kids between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. On the corner of South First Street and Soares Avenue, Orcutt Park is a compact community green space where locals can picnic on a table or the grassy fields while young kids play on the small playground. State Route 1 runs north-south just west of Old Town Orcutt, connecting residents to nearby beaches like Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, 16 miles away. Downtown Santa Maria is about 7 miles north on State Route 135, and Santa Maria Regional Transit’s Route 6 bus stops in Old Town Orcutt before heading to Crossroads Shopping Center in Santa Maria. Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center is about 9 miles away. Nearby airports include Santa Maria Airport, 4 miles away, and Los Angeles International Airport, 155 miles away.