2nd St, Occidental

Let's be fair: Occidental is not exactly known for its bustling nightlife. In fact, none of Western Sonoma County is really regarded as party central. However, 2nd Street is just about as close as you will get in the sleepy little town of Occidental, where you are more likely to find summer camps than summer concerts. 2nd Street intersects the Bohemian Highway, and is home to Barley and Hops Tavern, probably the single best place for nightlife in the town. The tap is extensive, the beer list is diverse, and the live music is solid (as long as you avoid the heinous Tuesday night D.J., who plays for tips and beer).

Further up the street (and by further up, I mean one block), you will find the Inn at Occidental and the Occidental Community Church. It may seem counterintuitive to have the town bar and the town church adjacent to one another, but in a town this small, it only makes sense that everything remain this close together.

All of my ratings are relative to the rest of the town, and are not necessarily reflective of how this town sizes up compared to some of its larger neighbors down south.