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Castro Street, Mountain View

Best Fun Things To Do

Castro Street (see map), in the seven blocks between Alma Street and El Camino, is THE happening place in Mountain View.  The commercial rents are not nearly so expensive here  It’s not nearly so high end as  which makes Castro Street more diverse and interesting to us than other town main streets on the Peninsula such as University Ave in Palo Alto or Burlingame Ave in Burlingame (both of which are still worth visiting).  For example, this is the few remaining places to browse for books.

This is a good area to hang out on a weekend … to walk around & people watch, drink coffee, eat at a ethnic restaurant and browse some bookstores. There are plenty of restaurants, most of which have outdoor seating on the street, and other action. Click the links below for more details.

Listed below, in rough order as you walk down Castro Street from Alma Street towards El Camino, are some of the best restaurants, bookstores and other things to do. Several are also listed on our Castro Street Map.  These are just a start … you’ll also find several more on your short stroll.

  • Farmers Market, Cal Train Parking Lot, 600 W Evelyn/View St, Mountain View.
    Sundays, 9 am – 1 pm, about 3 blocks south of Castro St. One of the best Farmers markets in Silicon Valley.
  • Olympus Cafe & Bakery, 135 Castro St, Mountain View
    A popular cafe facing the Caltrain station at Castro St/Evelyn. Good for people watching and chatting. Spacious outdoor seating, free wifi, a broad menu including baklava and Turkish foods.
  • Pho To Chau, 853 Villa St, Mountain View
    Very tasty Vietnamese food including good pho.  But,  the decor is lousy.
  • Totoro Korean BBQ, 841 Villa St, Mountain View
    Good inexpensive Mom & Pop Korean BBQ.  No ambiance at all however.
  • Red Rock Coffee Shop, 201 Castro St, Mountain View
    Good coffee shop with excellent lattes.
  • St Stephens Green, 223 Castro St, Mountain View
    Irish pub with a good atmosphere.
  • Crepevine, 300 Castro St, Mountain View
    A popular crepe chain with plenty of dining on the street.
  • Taqueria Los Charros, 854 W Dana St, Mountain View
    A good place for basic Mexican food or an American breakfast. The locals love this place.
  • Books Inc, 301 Castro St, Mountain View
    Good selection of books for its size. Has a cute little coffee shop upstairs.
  • East West Bookshop, 324 Castro St, Mountain View
    If you are into metaphysical and yoga books this is the place to go.
  • The Posh Bagel, 444 Castro St, Mountain View
    Chain store selling good bagels and crepes, mainly to the weekday office crowd.
  • Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View
    A nice local venue for seeing live performances.
  • Cognition Cyclery, 903 Castro St, Mountain View
    The first New Generation Specialized Bikes Elite store in the World!
  • Clarke’s Charcoal Broiler, 615 W El Camino Real, Mountain View
    Classic hamburgers since 1945.

Notes:

  • Parking can be found in several City lots, usually in the middle of the block behind Castro St. buildings.
  • Castro Street is especially active on weekends since there is such concentration of restaurants, coffee shops and book stores.
  • The Ala Carte Art Fair in May and big Art & Win Festival in September are good events. See our Events page near those times for exact dates.

Get Directions
Castro Street, Mountain View

phone: 650-964-3395
links: downtown guide website, google

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