Atascadero is a San Luis Obispo County city located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on U.S. Highway 101. The community is close to San Luis Obispo and within a short drive of the coast. Atascadero was founded in 1913 as a utopian planned community — and the grand Italian Renaissance-style Atascadero City Hall was designed to be the city’s centerpiece. The adjacent Sunken Gardens offer great views of this beautiful building.
Westside Atascadero has stunning homes with views of oak-studded hillsides and the rolling Central Coast countryside.
What to Love
- Stunning Westside homes
- Attractive downtown area
- Parks and greenspace
- City Hall and Sunken Gardens
People & Lifestyle
Atascadero has plenty of businesses and amenities to offer in an idyllic community surrounded by gorgeous Central Coast scenery. The attractive downtown area is full of unique restaurants, cafes, and brewpubs. Atascadero also offers lots of parks and greenspace along with attractions such as Charles Paddock Zoo.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Downtown Atascadero surrounds the historic City Hall and Sunken Gardens and features a great choice of local businesses.
Galaxy Theatres is a downtown landmark with VIP seating and in-theater drinks to enjoy while you’re taking in all the latest releases. The family-run
Hush-Harbor Artisan Bakery sells delicious fresh bread and tempting desserts alongside café eats and local wines.
Kochi Korean BBQ & Shabu Shabu uses USDA-grade meats in its high-quality Korean fusion cuisine. The menu also includes shared platters, hot pots, and a seafood tower featuring Maine lobster and other delights.
Tent City Beer,
Wild Fields Brewing, and
Street Side Ale House all offer fantastic craft beer alongside tasty gastropub eats. Join the
Brews and Burgers Trail tour to sample some of Atascadero’s best eats and drinks. You can also sample fine bourbon whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka at Forager Spirits’
Central Coast Distillery.
Bru Coffeehouse proudly serves some of the Central Coast’s finest coffee and espresso blends. For the artistically inclined,
The ARTery and
Glasshead Studio each offer various art supplies, classes, and demonstrations.
Away from Atascadero’s main downtown district, many more restaurants and retailers line El Camino Real. Highlights include the homey breakfast spot
Country Touch Café, homestyle country eatery
Cowgirl Café, and the
Santa Maria Brewing Company Brewpub & Distillery.
Just to name a few, there are many more great places to eat and drink that are not mentioned. For more information about entertainment in Atascadero, please visit
Atascadero.
Things to Do in Atascadero
Atascadero City Hall is a gorgeous domed Italian Renaissance-style structure that was completed between 1914 and 1918 and is flanked by four ornate fountains. The Atascadero Historical Society maintains a museum inside the City Hall, and guided tours of the building’s interior are also available.
The Sunken Gardens beside City Hall are a great place to enjoy a picnic on sunny afternoons or to take in the beauty of the illuminated City Hall at night.
Atascadero Lake Park is a scenic greenspace with trails surrounding a beautiful lake, and
Charles Paddock Zoo at Atascadero Lake Park features hundreds of animal species. Popular exhibits include Malayan tigers, red pandas, Caribbean flamingos, black-handed spider monkeys, and ring-tailed lemurs.
Colony Park,
Heilmann Park, and
Paloma Creek Park offer more relaxing greenspace. Amenities at these parks include an all-inclusive playground at Colony Park, tennis courts and disc golf at 102-acre Heilmann Park, and two multi-purpose sports fields at Paloma Creek Park.
Stadium Park has miles of oak-tree flanked hiking trails close to downtown.
Chalk Mountain Golf Course features a challenging Robert Muir Graves championship course flanked by ancient oak groves. Other recreational facilities in Atascadero include
the Atown indoor skate park.
Schools
Atascadero is served by the Atascadero Unified School District.
- Monterey Road Elementary, Public, K-5.
- San Benito Elementary, Public, K-5.
- San Gabriel Elementary, Public, K-5.
- Fine Arts Academy, Public, 4-8.
- Atascadero Middle, Public, 6-8.
- Atascadero High, Public, 9-12.
For more information on Atascadero real estate, contact Hertha Wolff-Arend today!
