Ending our weekend getaway, we took a stroll down Main Street in Downtown Ventura to do a little shopping. On a Sunday most stores open at 11am. So, it's best to grab brunch or visit nearby sites like Serra Cross or the Ventura Pier before you shop. There are free parking lots in the area, but by the time we headed over around 11:30 am, all the free spots were taken, so we used the metered parking which was pretty reasonable. Mission San Buenaventura is located on Main Street and offers services. The church is beautiful and Sunday service was very well attended. You'll also find many thrift and antique stores with reasonable prices. I loved that Main Street included a variety of stores and restaurants without including the cheesy and touristy gift shops. We had an enjoyable lunch at Immigrant Son caffe, purchased some sodas at a really cool candy store called Rocket Fizz and visited Very Ventura, a gift shop with a nice collection of Ventura related gifts. I purchased some stickers for my Yeti and a hat. read more

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The weekend is a great time to visit DT Ventura. Main street is blocked off from Vehicle traffic letting pedestrians and pets stroll through the shops and pop up vendors carefree. There is a small stage in the center of downtown with live music. We had a great time exploring the area. There are a lot of thrift stores and even more places to eat lol. There are multiple free public parking lots so it might be a little hunt for a spot but it's free all day. Great place to spend a day or evening. read more

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Perfect day to be outside. Weather wise was great compared to LA. There was actually sun shining instead of gloom. This day happened to be the classic car show and cinco de Mayo celebration. Along Main Street with loads of classic cars on display. One after another, all different with their unique style and taste. If you're into classic, this was a must. We didn't know it was happening till we happened to see all the crowds. Not only downtown hosting different events, it's a place for a nice weekend outing. Stroll along Main Street with loads of restaurants and shops. If you're into vintage and thrifting, it's a mecca as there's loads of shops that cater to that. Loads of little boutiques for everyone's taste. Also it's walking distance to the pier and beach. Downtown, it has its own little vibe, a more relaxed beachy chill vibe. Grab a drink at one of the locals bars or beer garden. Wander and check out the beautiful architecture around. There's little cluster of parks throughout the area. A fun little afternoon outing. read more

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Really enjoyed it! Ok there is a place you can park all day for free. On the back side of the thrift store. My party and I walked all over down town. Super friendly people, ver beautiful restaurants and flowers all over. Hilarious old people aaaannnddd free parking. If you're in the area this is a must. Also be sure to wear comfy shoes read more

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I believe most places are modeled after Ventura's downtown. Conveniently located across the street from the beach! They do have garage parking and they will give you a ticket if you exceed the time limit (just move your car!) So many fantastic bars, restaurants, and shops to pop in! I love having happy hour and hitting up different spots along the way. I always bring friends that haven't ever been in the area, it's great for everyone. Bring the family, come for a date, etc! Always decorated during the holidays too! read more

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Downtown Ventura has it all! Cozy and unique boutiques and shops, thrift stores, coffee spots, dessert stops, wide array of restaurants and eateries, myriad bars, a park, a church, a garden, a museum, an arcade, a cinema... what doesn't this place have?! Ooooo lots of photo opps as well. Love bringing visitors here as there is something for everyone. You can easily spend hours here. And you will leave with a full bully and maybe a round of drinks! This is truly a gem in Ventura county. Never gets old! Come visit :) read more

Downtown Ventura is always a good idea! There's so many restaurant options, whatever you are in the mood for I'm sure you can find it somewhere in downtown. I love that we are able to walk around and enjoy that it's closed off to cars. That's especially nice for me, because my children love walking there and it feels safer for us that way. If you are looking for souvenirs you can also find them here. You can also find small clothing shops, furniture stores, toy stores and many more options to choose from! I love the beautiful Christmas tree next to the big red heart in the center of downtown right now. It's so beautiful! read more

Downtown Ventura - Local Flavor Near Me - Ventura, California

What a mess!! My family and friends used to love coming here, but sadly, the last few times have been worse and worse. First of all, why is Main Street still not open-? It looks likes an afterthought, and it's difficult to drive around because there are other drivers from out of town that get confused on where to go, and it causes congestion where they try to turn around, etc. Also, I went up Poli and I found many drivers driving there way too fast, it was too much. -There are teenagers zooming around on electric bikes all over the place, which would be alright, except they do it where people are supposed to be walking-? -Parking is also a problem, where it wasn't before. With almost all of the spaces on Main Street unavailable to park in, you have to circle and circle around for a long time, hoping that a space pops up. And even then, there are many parking lots where there are some spaces where it's unclear if you can park there, or not. The whole point of downtown Ventura was that it wasn't LA, in that it's easy to park and just forget about it. -It's just disappointing, it used to be so nice to pull up to a business and just buy what you needed, even if it wasn't a bulky item like a dresser or table. -Thank goodness that there are still businesses worth going to. Many wonderful furniture boutiques and vintage shops, among the great food. -I've spoken to many shop owners in downtown, and most of them definitely feel that the closure hurts their business. I noticed that For Your Home is gone, and some other stores as well. Sad. So, to whomever is responsible for opening the street back up (Apparently it was supposed to happen last June), please reconsider. If the closure is going to be in place for longer, then please at least make it look nicer. Add tables and chairs that actually match, help the customers by making parking more clear and keeping it free, and at least do something about the faded street asphalt itself. I don't mean to be so negative, but I've spent a lot of time here, and these are all of the gripes that I've heard from many others as well. read more

GETTING HERE: Navigate towards Main Street in Ventura. I would recommend putting the address of the "Mission San Buenaventura" or even "Museum of Ventura County" and then park and head to Main Street from there. REVIEW: Oh how I love the history of DTV. I love the Mission and the Thrift Stores and The Historic Ventura Theater and the restaurants and the shopping and just the vibe of it all. Pre-c0vid it was a different world (literally) but I actually prefer Main Street being closed so you can walk around and enjoy the vibe and even dine al fresco. Keep your wits about you; be aware. Don't let anything detract you from enjoying your time in this historic part of Ventura. Things - they are a changing, but I hope we can do our part to keep this part of Ventura thriving to what it once was and what it gives to our city and county. PRO TIP: If you're visiting out this way, be sure to make the Mission San Buenaventura one of your stops. read more

I had a rough Wednesday at work and needed a happy hour. Downtown Ventura always offers so many options. Right now, I love seeing all the Christmas decor! So many restaurants are always decked out with the holiday spirit. Great for holiday dinners or a nice night out! I am happy that it's still closed off. Many restaurants have extended their restaurants with outdoor patios! Love the Euro vibes. That's part of what I had missed from my time aboard. I heard they're keeping it this way. Yay! It's kept clean. One of my favorite places for a night out or a date with my honey. read more

Downtown Ventura - Local Flavor Near Me - Ventura, California

Downtown Ventura reminded me of an old town. The shops were good, a lot of places to stop for eating, and, of course an ice cream place. Problem is, most of the stores were closed or closing as it was evening time during the week. I'd enjoying walking in to all of them just to see what they have. Another problem that night we visited, it was also the local fair night. Most people had gone to the fair for great fun. Unfortunately, we did not make it that night. read more

Used to be a wonderful place to visit, especially since I live so close by. Now I'd rather shop and dine in the business in the midtown area as downtown becomes less and less accessible and accommodating to locals and its businesses in that area. As much as I'm a huge fan of supporting my small businesses, seeing them go one by one because of the closure that's detouring a large portion of businesses from elderly, handicapped and so many others, I can't support what the city continues to do the area read more

I absolutely adore that Main Street is still a pedestrian-only street! I love being able to walk and browse the shops, back and forth, without worrying about cars coming through. The walkability of the downtown area is phenomenal. There is now a great culinary scene -- so many dining spots to pick from. Because of its walkability, it's probably one of my favorite downtown areas. (It's also even more lovely than usual with the holiday decorations up and the big tree.) Up until June of this year, I hadn't ever spent any time in in Ventura, but have been back several times since then -- namely due to the culinary scene and the downtown. Small town feel with ample amenities. 2022: 123/100 read more

For decades we have visited downtown Ventura... It's kind of a fun go-to all the time Kind of place... Typically in the past I just dropped five stars... But I have to remove one star because this covid/ post COVID result has really hurt foot traffic. My pictures from yesterday show that between 4 and 6:00 it was seriously dead. Tough to say we had more than a dozen people walking around visible. If this sustained then this entire community of businesses are going to roll over and close down the entire street. It'll be gone. As such, I wandered around and as usual spend a little money. Mostly because I find things I want... And a part of me nudges forward to spend money and support local businesses. Oh well, I encourage you to get out and visit. If you can then be a customer. If you don't practice being a customer, you'll wake up one day and have nowhere nice to go around here. read more

Downtown Ventura - Local Flavor Near Me - Ventura, California

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Downtown Ventura is the absolute best. There are many different food and drink options for whatever type of food you're feeling. Yes downtown is still closed to traffic and is walkable. Good places to park are at the parking garage, behind the library (between Fir and Chestnut), behind the movie theater (between Chestnut and California). My favorite places to park are the parking lots off Santa Clara st between Oak, Palm, and the clocktower inn on figueroa st. Come and enjoy the beauty Ventura has to offer in Downtown - all the way from the Mission to Ventiki. Take a stroll and enjoy the thrift stores on the weekend. read more

I love downtown Ventura and have been here so many times since moving to Ventura earlier this year. While the weekends can get pretty busy, it's still isn't as busy as downtown in bigger cities. Part of the charm of Ventura is that it's a slower paced, sleepy town. So I guess how busy it gets is all relative to where we are located. There are a lot of different shops including restaurants, cafés, thrift stores, specialty stores, etc. Everything is prwttt reasonable priced as well. This isn't a high priced pretentious area at all. There are a lot of different types of food as well so no matter what you're in the mood for there is definitely that type of food on this stretch of downtown Ventura. There's a movie theatre, too. Right now they have it decorated for the holidays and the strong lights and wreaths look really pretty. It's also equally as fun over summer time, oh and of course there's Ben & Jerry's (yay that they have vegan options!). It's a nice place to stroll around and shop. :) read more

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Downtown Ventura is wonderful. Great restaurants, shopping, breweries and more. I highly recommend it during this crazy time in California. They have main street closed for all the restaurants to be outside. It's all outside seating as of now but you're next to the beach, so the weather is nice. read more

Downtown Ventura - Local Flavor Near Me - Ventura, California

We had a nice little family stroll. Touristy shops and restaurants. We are dorky tourists so it was a good fit.

I was surprised to discover that there wasn't a listing for Downtown Ventura here in Yelp, so I created one. Downtown has definitely undergone a renaissance in the last 10 years. Anchored by the Old Mission on the most historic part of Main Street, there are many blocks of boutiques, restaurants, specialty shops, and yes, a number of thrift shops remain, along with places to hunt for antiques. Happily, many of the highly styled historic building facades are in a restored state and ready for admiration. Hidden courtyards beckon discovery. A multiplex in the middle of the shopping district adds another element for entertainment. Metered parking on Main Street gets a hand from free lots on the back side of the buildings. Closer to us than Santa Barbara, and more appealing lately, we've been on several visits to Ventura over this summer. Nice times! read more

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Ventura downtown Main St. is always a great time .Weather always nice. Wonderful choice to eat .,walk to the Beach.

This was my first visit to the downtown area. My daughter was attending a concert at the Majestic Ventura Theatre, so I had time to explore. By day, the city is adorable. The architecture, shops, restaurants, people, and local landmarks make for a great day. At night, it grows a little shady. While every community these days suffers from homelessness, the lack of quality lighting in the area, amount of people who seem to be dealing with mental illness or hard times, and the danger of pedestrians crossing outside of crosswalks, etc...made me not prefer to hang out there when the sun goes down. I admit I was also reading a vampire novel in my car. I had the privilege of viewing and reading about the old Banyan tree and taking in the beauty of City Hall. Both photos I took, were from my mobile and on the panorama setting. They came out nice. I also dined at the Irish pub in town, and have a separate review for that. read more

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I really love this place. Not too crowded and there is a really good vibe here. People are very chill and we love the stores on the strip. The beach is a couple blocks away and it's beautiful. We love visiting regularly when the weather is right. Love it all! read more