Things to Do

If you're new in town or just looking for ideas of places of interest nearby, here's a quick guide of some of the different attractions Palo Alto has to offer.

Restaurants

Palo Alto has many fine restaurants for every taste and occasion. You won’t go hungry here! If you have time for a walking tour of the downtown, you can scout out various dinning spots and get a feel for their ambiance.

A word of warning! For some restaurants reservations are a must so it is best to plan accordingly. Friday nights are especially busy. Here are some of the restaurants that we like:

Nola’s - 535 Ramona St.       (650) 328-2722 Empire Grill - 651 Emerson St.       (650) 321-3030 Gordon Birsch - 640 Emerson St.       (650) 323-7723 Mandarin Gourmet - 420 Ramona St.       (650) 328-8898 Evvia - 420 Emerson St.       (650) 326-0983 Il Fornaio - 520 Cowper St.       (650) 853-3888 St. Michael’s Alley - 805 Emerson St.       (650) 326-2530 Tamarine - 346 University Ave.       (650) 325-8500 Three Seasons - 518 Bryant St.       (650) 838-0353

Shopping

Downtown Palo Alto has many lovely clothing and specialty shops. You are sure to find the perfect gifts for someone back home or just that special something to indulge yourself! There are several bookstores downtown, each with a slightly different focus. For example, Ave and Bell’s on Emerson St. sells new, used and rare books.

Stanford shopping Center is located north on El Camino near the Stanford Campus, just before the city of Menlo Park. The Center is home to Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus, and many specialty stores and restaurants.

Museums and Galleries

Palo Alto has a variety of museums and galleries. Among the many possibilities for you to visit are:

Pacific Art League - 668 Ramona St.       (650) 321-3891 Museum of American Heritage - 351 Homer Ave.       (650) 321-1004 Palo Alto Art Center - 1313 Newell Rd.       (650) 329-2366 Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo - 1451 Middlefield Rd.       (650) 329-2111 Cantor Art Center - Lomita Drive and Museum Way, Stanford, CA 94305-5060       (650) 723-4177 Chelsea Art Gallery - 440 Kipling St.       (650) 324-4450

Farmer's market

From May to December, Palo Alto hosts a weekly farmers’ market. Each Saturday morning from 8:00 am until noon, farmers from the Bay Area sell their freshest fruits, vegetables and flowers. The market is located behind the Post Office on Hamilton and Waverley and is lovely excursion on a Saturday morning.

Movies

Downtown Palo Alto has two theatres: The Stanford, a restored 1920s movie house, complete with organ, located at 221 University Ave. (phone: 650 324 3700); and The Aquarius, a Landmark Theatre, located at 430 Emerson St. (phone: 650 327 3240).
	There are also movie theatres in nearby Menlo Park and multiplex in Mountain View. Listings for these can be found on the Internet and newspapers.