How many Main Streets can you find where folks stop to say hi?  How many Main Streets in California offer free parking near the beach?  While the City of Seal Beach is trying to ease out the free parking offerings, this tourist-friendly and locals-friendly city made for fun boutique shopping is still the kind of place we recommend that you go spend some time and money exploring.

When you drive along Seal Beach's Main Street, keep your eyes on the road because there are several crosswalks and they are amply used.  Pedestrians have the right of way so you definitely need to stop and let whatever type of traffic in the lanes make safe crossing.

The closest Main Street to Seal Beach is in Huntington Beach.  It includes a similar layout but offers more outdoor dining, more traffic, a narrower scope of shops and runs just about the same number of blocks, four or five. It does charge for parking, features more high-rise buildings and has several big projects online. Inch for inch, the place we go to unwind, to shop and kick back is Seal Beach.