Cal Poly neighborhood walk and O'Neill Green, SLO

The hilly streets around Cal Poly (south of campus) are full of plain 1940s houses rented by students, and it's fun to walk around absorbing the atmosphere. There are beautiful trees, flowers, and views of mountain peaks and green hills (yellow in fall). Kentucky Street has pretty views of Bishop Peak and eucalyptus trees, plus lots of flowers. 

Parking is blocked to non-residents on the streets, but you can park along California Blvd for free (use the address 234 California Blvd in your GPS), or the 400 or 500 block of Kentucky Street. This is very easy in summer, and less possible during the school year. 
There is a bike path under rows of one hundred majestic canary palms, along the railway track, on a short section of California Blvd. If you continue toward campus, you will pass flowering trees, and bright ornamental grasses catching the sunlight. You reach O'Neill Green, a pretty part of the Cal Poly Campus with redwood trees, eucalyptus trees, a widowmaker tree, a cork tree, a Norfolk pine, a lush lawn, a cactus garden with big barrel cacti and Dr. Suess-like skinny tall cacti, and a koi pond with koi, turtles, and little fish. It is green here and I always feel like I'm in Santa Barbara when I walk it. 
Deltina Coffee Roasters, on Kentucky St and Taft St is a nice place to hang out in the afternoon. There are lots of students meeting there, and fresh air coming in the big doors. On Fri and Sat, they get deliveries of delicious pastries from Bread Bike- the chocolate croissants are as good as in France! On Mon, they get a delivery of pastries from Bridge Cafe. The room is quite well soundproofed, making for good conversations. 
After, walk the hilly Cal Poly campus and have a coffee at Scout Coffee (the campus location, not to be confused with the Foothill location) near the Cal Poly Welcome Center.
You can also drive to University Square Shopping Center, where all the students go to study at the Foothill branch of Scout Coffee and shop at Lassens Market.

Directions

Park your car for free along the road at 234 California Blvd, and walk up the hilly side streets to explore. Occasionally you can find a parking spot around 1239 Foothill Blvd. You are more likely to find parking during academic breaks.

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