Montecito Plaza is a San Rafael staple, a decent yet small strip mall. It is not fancy but useful. The collection of stores is unique and offers good resources, featuring a Trader Joe's grocery store, Petco, a Redwood Credit Union, a drug store, a UPS Store, and a post office. There are various restaurants and a few eateries, including a small Mexican place. The ambiance of the dock area is loved by some, who enjoy watching the kids and imagining the boats' journeys.
The plaza is always busy and can have traffic congestion, with some finding parking difficult and cutthroat. There are lots of wandering pedestrians. While the location is great and provides good resources, the area is impacted by speeding cars. Some feel the nearby creek is a treasure but ruined by a lack of proper public access, suggesting that development like apartments and a public boardwalk would be a boon to the shops and restaurants.
