Amazing! As a bookstore and library lover, this was an absolute must during my weekend in Big Sur…read more It feels like a library, bookstore, and art exhibit all in one- such a unique place with so much character. They have a wonderful book selection and I had to pick up a book as a souvenir from my trip. We spent about an hour here exploring, browsing the shelves, and taking in all of the interesting art. The staff were very friendly and there was even a friendly cat. Definitely worth stopping by if you're exploring Big Sur!

The Henry Miller Memorial Library is named after THAT Henry Miller, famous American novelist and…read moreresident of Big Sur for an extended period of his life. Our family saw it as we were heading back to Carmel, and decided to stop in. We were too early (it opens at 11 am) so weren't able to go inside the library, but there are quite a few art pieces displayed around the property. The side southern gate vehicle entrance had been opened early, so workers could set-up and do sound checks for the outdoor stage; to be used as a concert venue later that evening (Belle and Sebastian). Took many pictures. When the sound check started to happen (initially blaring 'Happy' by P. Williams), we knew it was time to leave.

Was pleasantly surprised to find some designer gothic jewelry in Carmel by the sea! Tracy and her…read moreteam helped me out with deciding the perfect piece to add to my collection. So happy to find some King Baby jewelry while I was in town for the weekend, thank you all again.

My recent visit and experience at Augustina's with Susan and the team was fabulous! The team is…read morevery knowledgeable about their designers they carry and Susan was very versed in the fine jewelry brand, GURHAN and other designers. I will definitely be back!

I dropped a valuable bike part on Saturday and called 4 days later to see if anyone had turned it…read morein. A lady in the management office named Marilyn came to my rescue and searched high and low and texted some tenants and eventually found it with her landscaper or janitor. She mailed it to me without even waiting to get my Venmo for the postage. You just don't see people this considerate anymore. Maybe pre-Covid :-) Thank you Marilyn!

Great shopping area off the beaten downtown area. Amazing…read moremaze of stairs and walkways through shops. We find ourselves going to From Scratch restaurant.

Colorful and full of personality, Somewhere in Carmel's second location on Ocean Street has a…read moreslightly different vibe, focusing more on tourist-friendly finds and Carmel and surf-inspired clothing. This shop features design and coffee table books, hats, T-shirts, cards, candles, and design-friendly souvenirs and gifts. The service experience was hands-off at this location. We were not greeted or welcomed, despite being the only guests --a missed opportunity.

Cute shop very sweet owner. However her memory may be off. She was quite talkative and told us a…read morestory about her trip to Switzerland and the shoemaker was a little Rosie cheeks who made these lovely shoes and now she orders them dozens at a time. And they're all custom-made shoes. They were 190 but she sold us to them for 160. We saw the made in China sticker on the bottom of the sole and she said that was what the cobbler used. However they are exactly the shoes available for $50 online. Happy to support a small business but we did not appreciate her selling techniques or her fake story. She also was very adamant that we pay by cash or Zelle and asked that I pay her as a friend and not a business. Not quite sure about some of her ethics.

Updating my review as I've shopped here a few times now, and unfortunately, the proprietor has…read morebrought the vibe down for the shop for me. To reiterate, this place actually has really cute items and I have been back a couple of times to purchase them. Mind you I drive all the way from San Jose to come to her store. However, you must be aware of a couple of things if you're going to shop here: - Really only takes Zelle and cash for the "discount" - Will take credit--but gets really fussy about it - Straightens up and puts back items you are considering-- she'll tell you she likes her store to have a certain "look" for her customers even if you're the only customer in the store--huh? - prefers you to try things on over whatever you're wearing as in with her dusters and ponchos rather than go to her dressing room - Takes the hangers off the clothes before giving them to you in the dressing room - Insist that she's the one to handle the clothes back to the dressing room - When I was adding up my items and trying to get a ballpark in my head of how much they would cost she took them out of my hand and wrote down the cost before I was ready to decide if I was going to purchase them The couple of times I've gone in I have been looking for specific things and I have made big purchases yet today when I drove all the way from San Jose, she needed to close the store at 4 and I felt a little rushed on the way out. I noticed a cute purse that I was interested in it said $59 and she insisted it was actually $79 even though it was clearly marked as such. Really? Someone who's a returning customer and drove all the way from San Jose to shop in your store you're gonna be that picky? A little disappointing. Also, she made it clear several times that she hadn't eaten lunch and she had to move her car for ticketing... Again, I drove an hour and 10 minutes to shop in your store. Do I care? In addition, she's very involved in making suggestions. Sometimes you have to tell her that you just want to look in peace and you will let her know if you have any questions. I think her intentions are good and I think this might work for some people, but she needs to read her customers... Some people don't want to be bird dogged the whole time they're shopping . In the end, when and if I recommend this store to my friends, I definitely put a caveat in there to be aware of how the proprietor handles her customers. In addition, I will likely only go in there for specific things that I need from time to time versus pop in every time I hit Carmel, which is quite regularly. She has great ponchos and dusters... the biggest selection of both... Which draws me in.

This store is world renowned per the lady saleswoman inside. My wife took many photos inside &…read moreinitially outside as she visited it & Yelp pointer had it located in the wrong place! That's not the first time Yelp was wrong. Finally she googled it for the correct address. Live & learn! The selection looked limitless but bc we had other errands to run she didn't stay to shop. Maybe that was a good thing for me bc shopping is a sport for her! LOL If your favorite hobby is collecting fountain pens then this store is for you! You would definitely appreciate it! This store visit was made for our special & cherished friends Klaus & Karen in Germany. We have been to Carmel many times before but it was our first time here in this store & probably not our last. My wife does like to journal since she was a child and is always looking for a new journal book to write in! It appears they do have notecards too but she didn't have time to shop. I'm sure she will find that perfect item the next time! The photos posted here were for Klaus. Enjoy! Even for us driving to Carmel takes us 3.5 to 4 hours bc we hit traffic this Memorial Day 2025 weekend! But we had a special family wedding to attend in Monterey & chose to stay in Carmel trying a new hotel. So we accomplished several things in this visit! It was all good! Life is worth living & travel to those far corners like this hidden gem can be very special. It was certainly our pleasure! Thanks Klaus for keeping my wife aware of these retail businesses. Live. Learn. Love. Life. You get only one chance at life bc you may be here yet the next minute you're gone tomorrow. If you are in Carmel come visit but google those directions as Yelp pointer is incorrect! Just a small reminder!

Great selection of pens, I've been in a few times and the staff is always welcoming, friendly, and…read morehelpful. I bought my favorite pen here!

Overall great store with lovely items, my only complaint would be that they do not refund debit…read morecards. I came in wanting to return an item for another one I had bought that day and it was a huge mess. Their system apparently does not refund debit cards and it is not displayed on their notices on their checkout stands. I stated to the employee the shop needs to advertise they do not refund debit cards to avoid situations like mine in future events.

The gentleman who was running the store was so kind and welcoming. They have a bunch of very…read morewonderful gifts and home products - I wanted to buy so many things!! The gentleman offered to wrap each of the items that I bought and told me to come back in November and December because the store is completely transformed. Such a great store!!

This gallery is right next to First Awakenings' patio. When we had brunch Wednesday I looked at…read morethe pottery and glass in the window but it's currently open Friday to Sunday from 10-4. We stopped by today after brunch and I wandered through the gallery admiring the ceramics, glass, soaps and other wares. Everything is locally made, much of it by Bay Area artisans. Lovely music played overhead, classical guitar by a local musician. I chatted w/ the gallery owner, Karen Reynolds, who told me a bit about where the work came from. One of the most impressive pieces was a stunning Chanukah menorah made of stainless steel and copper. She told me it took the artist 130 hours to create! He's making the next one of bronze, which will take less time because of the respective properties of the various metals. I didn't even ask how much it cost. This one is made to hold candles, the next one oil. Alan came in heard the overhead music and asked about it. We mentioned the loss of both the classical and jazz radio stations here and how we've been stuck w/ a garbage station in the car. Karen mentioned that KRML was Clint Eastwood's station. It pleased me that he bought and brought it back to life. Alan bought a CD, but I know KRML's place on the dial, so I knew we could find it. We did and unfortunately it's not what it was. We listened to the CD in the car and it will be a lovely addition to our music collection. We'll probably return tomorrow before we head home so I can look at some of the pieces that have been calling to me. The gallery has been open in this location for 10 months. As of April 1 it will be moving to Carmel-by-the-Sea where it will be located on San Carlos between Ocean and 7th. I'm sure it will be right at home in its new location and wish Karen well. I look forward to visiting the next time we're in the area.