Best Schools in the Monterey Bay Area

We are very fortunate here on the Monterey Peninsula to have a variety of excellent public schools regularly rated 9 and above out of 10.

The Carmel School District has consistently remained among the top in all of Monterey County for many years. Carmel River Elementary School, Carmel Middle School, and Carmel High School have received scores of 10/10 year in and year out, so purchasing a home in the Carmel area is typically a good investment in your child's education and an overall savings all the way through the High School years.

Pacific Grove is another area with 9 and above out of 10 school ratings. Robert Down Elementary is rated 10/10 while Forest Grove Elementary, PG Middle School and PG High School are rated 9/10. Pacific Grove has a small town atmosphere with parades, festivals and is generally very family-oriented. Pacific Grove also has an incredible Adult School which offers mommy and me classes for newborns and toddlers.

In South Salinas along Highway 68 is the Washington Union Elementary District with Washington Union Elementary, Toro Park Elementary and San Benancio Middle all rated 9 out of 10. However, there are no Salinas public high schools rated higher than 6, so private high schools are an option well worth considering if you are planning on moving to the Salinas area during your child's high school years.

We also have several wonderful private schools here on the Monterey Peninsula. Stevenson School, for example, has a stellar Theater Department that takes their students on a tour of Europe every 3 years stopping at various locations to perform along the way. My daughter went to Santa Catalina for Elementary School up until 8th grade and then switched to Stevenson School for high school because she was really interested in their Music and Theater programs. She was able to go to Italy and England on one of these European Tours and thought it was a trip of a lifetime!

I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula (a graduate of Pacific Grove High School!) and have been a Real Estate Agent in the area since 2004. If you're new or moving to the area and have any questions for a Monterey Peninsula veteran, please feel free to give me a call or drop me a quick email.

Lucie Campos
(831)596-6118
mamalu369@aol.com

Best Elementary Schools in Monterey County

School	District	Rating
Carmel River Elementary School	Carmel	10
Robert Down Elementary School	Pacific Grove	10
Forest Grove Elementary School	Pacific Grove	9
Washington Union Elementary School	Salinas	9
Toro Park Elementary School	Salinas	9

Best Middle Schools in Monterey County

School	District	Rating
Carmel Middle School	Carmel	10
Pacific Grove Middle School	Pacific Grove	9
San Benancio Middle School	Salinas	9

Best High Schools in Monterey County

School	District	Rating
Carmel High School	Carmel	10
Pacific Grove High School	Pacific Grove	9

Concours time!

One of the greatest events of the year on the Peninsula is the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It's really a must-attend for anyone who is even remotely in to cars. But to tell you the truth, you really don't even have to be that excited about the cars, the parties are incredible too!

The actual main event is the Concours on Sunday on the 18th hole of Pebble Beach. This event is incredible but let me fill you in on a few more just in case you can't make it on Sunday.

Ferrari Section at Quail Lodge, Fri Aug 19- If you like Ferrari's, and who doesn't, this is the place to be. Plus, this event is in Carmel Valley where the weather is, on average a little better than Pebble. This show is also a great place to learn about the history of these incredible autos.

Pebble Beach Car Auction, Sat Aug 20- In this event you can really get an idea of what some of these beauties are worth. Some of the rarest cars on the planet will be auctioned off at this event. Great opportunity for you to get a close-up look.

McCall Motorworks Revival, Weds August 17- The great thing about this party is it's pretty exclusive. There will be a good deal of car companies debuting new models and it's catered. This is really an event for everyone, not only do they have cars, they have helicopters and jets as well. In addition some of Monterey's great wineries come out for the event.

See Monterey Mobile App

I just recently found a mobile app that is very helpful for people coming to visit. Its the seemonterey.com mobile app. It works for Android phones and IPhones. The app comes complete with nine different sections: Dining, Accommodations, Events, Outdoor Activities, Scenic Drives, Services, Shopping, things to do and of course Wine. They also have a really cool feature called "what is near me." This, as you might have guessed, will help you out if, let's say, you can't find a place to eat within walking distance. I even like it for locals because of the calendar feature. It reminds me of great events coming up. Here is the link seemonterey.com/mobile-app!

Just 42 steps from the beach

One look inside this remodeled cottage and you'll be captivated with its charm!  Ocean views, a block from the beach and within walking distance to downtown Pacific Grove for under $500K - what a deal!  The perfect weekend retreat or starter home in "America's Last Hometown."

New Listing: 30 Del Robles

3 bedroom 2 bath and just block from the beach for under $375,000. Believe it.

See Otter Classic!!

For those of you exercise fanatics Sea Otter Classic is coming up April 14th. For those that aren't familiar the Sea Otter Classic is the largest cycling festival in North America. Even for people that don't ride, its pretty cool. http://www.seaotterclassic.com/

AT&T Proam: Really good people watching.

I am not totally into golf, but the people watching at the AT&T is second to none as is evidenced here in this picture. I took a look at the Pebble Beach website and the rates aren't as bad as prior years. Plus you get two free tickets when you make a reservation for the AT&T weekend (Feb. 8-10). Just an insider tip,  Bill Murray likes to hang out at Jack London's in Carmel. Pebble Beach AT&T Lodging.