8 Towns in Southern California With Thriving Local Businesses

As the home of Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, and dozens of other big, bustling cities, Southern California is thriving. However, even SoCal's smallest communities, though lacking residents, are thriving thanks to amazing independent businesses that keep locals nourished and tourists Instagramming. They range from an outdoor bookstore to a U-pick apple orchard to a Danish chocolate shop to a gift shop with souvenirs for a dog mayor. Here are eight SoCal settlements where you can visit those and many other commercial wonders.

Ojai

Ojai is both far enough and close enough to the sprawl of Los Angeles. It is far enough to be a rural retreat but close enough to absorb the commerce and culture of Greater LA. Among its unique and vibrant businesses are the Yume Japanese Burger Cafe, whose wagyu hamburgers are bow-worthy; Revel Kombucha Bar, where patrons revel in award-winning jun kombuchas; and Bart's Books, which is considered the world's largest outdoor bookstore. Perhaps the best example of Ojai's rustic-chic aesthetic is the Ojai Certified Farmers Market, which sells not just fruit and vegetables but organic chicken and gourmet desserts. It runs "every Sunday, rain or shine" from 9 AM to 1 PM.

Julian

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, Julian is the healthiest place in America. This 1,800-ish-person community is famous for apple pie, which is sold at eateries such as the Julian Pie Company, Julian Cafe & Bakery, and Moms Pie House. But pies are not the only apple-based treats available in Julian. Apple cider is brewed at the Julian Cider Mill, while apple soda is served at the Julian Beer Company. You can go right to the source at the Julian Farm and Orchard, which allows customers to pick their own apples in September. That is also when residents and tourists celebrate Julian's status as a high-elevation, high-quantity, and high-quality apple producer. Julian Apple Days comprise everything from apple sampling to wine tasting to hiking in the Volcan Mountains.

Solvang

Instead of apple pie, Solvang celebrates Danishes—among all other things from Denmark. In the 1940s, residents of Solvang, many of whom had Danish heritage, decided to remodel their SoCal town as a traditional Danish village. Their Denmakeover made Solvang one of the most unique and picturesque places in California. Among the places to patronize in "The Danish Capital of America" are Ingeborg's Danish Chocolates, RUSACK Vineyards, and the Solvang Shoe Store with its sculpture of a giant red clog. All three of those businesses were visited by the then-prince of Denmark, Henrik, during Solvang's Centennial in 2011.

Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake is a community on a body of water of the same name, which is one of Southern California's largest recreation lakes. After swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking, jet skiing, and/or paddleboarding in Big Bear, you can relax at the other Big Bear in its array of commercial haunts. Sit and enjoy a coffee at the Grizzly Manor Cafe, a beer at the Big Bear Mountain Brewery, and a slice of homemade pie at the Teddy Bear Restaurant. Then, you can watch real bears eat at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. In addition to bruins, the zoo has a variety of other animals that get displayed, rehabilitated, and, if successful, re-released into the wild.

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel-by-the-Sea is the northernmost community on this list. Still, it sits south of California's geographic center, which means that SoCal residents can claim this sweet coastal retreat as their own. Tourists can claim it for a weekend, and that can increase to a week or even a month as they pick through Carmel's large selection of shops and eateries. These include Toro Sushi, The Cheese Shop, Pilgrim's Way Community Bookstore, and Xocolatl Garden, the last of which is a chocolate shop as delectable as it is hard to pronounce. Make a picnic out of sushi, cheese, books, and chocolates at marvelous Carmel Beach.

Baywood-Los Osos

Like Carmel-by-the-Sea, Baywood-Los Osos is a coastal California community. Unlike Carmel-by-the-Sea, Baywood-Los Osos is unincorporated and thus a true hidden gem of the SoCal coast. Among the sites to discover in this aggregate of census-designated places, which include Baywood (or Baywood Park) and Los Osos, are The Olde Alehouse, Celia's Garden Cafe, Noi's 2nd Street Cafe, Beerwood, Nardonne's La Famiglia Pizzeria, Sylvester's Burgers, La Casita Los Osos, and Kuma. The last of those (its name is stylized with a lowercase "k" and a period) is yet another highly-rated seaside sushi spot. You can eat kuma fish or fish that you catch in Morro Bay.

Avalon

Taking "coastal" to another level is Avalon, which is on an island just off the Los Angeles coast. Home to about 3,500 people, Avalon is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island and one of the only places in California where full-sized vehicles are, for the most part, banned. Only businesses and select residents are allowed such transportation, which means that you will need to visit Avalon's attractions by autoette (a tiny automobile), golf cart, taxi, or foot. That is not much of a problem considering that the "city" is under three square miles in size. Whatever mode of transport you choose, make sure to stop for pancakes at The Pancake Cottage, surf and turf at Steve's Steakhouse and Seafood, and booze/views at Luau Larry's, which overlooks the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Idyllwild-Pine Cove

Idyllwild-Pine Cove is a census-designated place with roughly 4,200 residents. It comprises the unincorporated communities of Pine Cove, Fern Valley, and Idyllwild, the last of which is famous for having a dog as a mayor. Being unincorporated, Idyllwild's mayorship is an unofficial position that is officially adorable. After giving treats to Mayor Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller III at various community events, chow down at human-oriented haunts like Tommy's Kitchen, Waffleton, Mamma Mia Crepes & Desserts, and the Mile High Cafe. You can buy souvenirs of Idyllwild's pawitician at the Idyllwild Gift Shop.

Explore SoCal's Hidden Gems

Southern California is such a vibrant region that even its smallest communities are thriving. Many of them thrive thanks to unique, attractive, and highly rated businesses, such as the outdoor bookstore in Ojai, apple pie bakeries in Julian, Danish stores in Solvang, big bear-themed eateries in Big Bear Lake, sushi spots in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Baywood-Los Osos, walkable haunts in Avalon, and dog-mayor-approved shops in Idyllwild-Pine Cove. Which place will you pick first for a commercial safari in SoCal?