For a day at the beach, followed with a fine meal, a bowl of smoked salmon chowder or a sandwich, the right wine, or ice cream and treats, this is the place. For unique gift shopping, the right accent for home or office, art produced by local artists, all in walking distance, Nye Beach is a place to spend some time and come back to again.
Nye Beach in Newport, on the Oregon Coast
As visitors pass under the arch at the head of Beach Street, they first notice that the cobbled brick roadway fits the character of Nye Beach. It’s a narrow one-way street that looks more at home conveying pedestrians than vehicles. I can sense the walk-friendly atmosphere when I’m on foot in the Nye Beach area.
Here is a taste of what visitors will find in Nye Beach.
Where to go Shopping in Nye Beach
Dapper Frog - A lifestyle gallery, whose tag line is, “Our treasures make you smile.” Visitors find unique, high-quality, artistic home decor, gifts, collectibles and office accents. Dapper Frog offers a wide selection of beautifully designed art collectibles. They feature unique pieces by many known and unnamed artists from around the world.
Illingworth’s - The store’s manager describes Illingworth’s as, “The premier gift shop by the sea focusing on unique seasonal gifts.” On the wall above the kitchen collection is color-chalked, “Cooking, like love, should be entered into with abandon, or not at all.” Just around the corner, tea towels carry pithy sayings like, “I understand the concepts of cooking and cleaning, just not how they apply to me,” and “Help, my husband just retired without a hobby.” Visitors to Illingworth’s know they have come to a place both eclectic and funky. A customer in the shop from Portland, Oregon, described Illingworth’s as, “The place with something for everyone.”
Peerless Puffin - Anne Breedlove, the shop’s manager, described it as, “Gifts for women filled with inspiration and encouragement.” The Peerless Puffin has the distinction of not only whimsical and aromatic gifts, but the best ocean views of any shop in Nye Beach. The bright airy shop is filled with artful displays of soaps, lotions, and specialty items that reveal the touch of a woman’s hand behind the items.
Yaquina Art Gallery and Gifts - Around 1914, a civic group built a structure to provide restrooms, showers, and a place for beach visitors to rest. Today that structure houses the Yaquina Art Gallery and Gifts. The gallery is run and maintained by an association of 120 local artist volunteers. One modestly anonymous artist described the gallery sales philosophy: “To make expenses and have fun.” The gallery houses only the works of the nonprofit Yaquina Arts association members and offers originals and reproductions for sale. Visitors can purchase original artwork, by local artists, from the gallery for about the same price as they can buy reproductions from overseas elsewhere.
Nye Beach Books - When owner Ulrike Bremer bought Nye Beach Books, eight years ago, the books in the shop dealt exclusively with beach themes. Since then, she has expanded the selection. She describes the shop as, “The little store that has small sections of everything.” Looking through the shelves, I found books on topics from deep sea exploration to astronomy, from poetry to science fiction, and from tales of local history to books on how to care for dogs, cats, and children. Nye Beach Books provides a quiet setting, with chairs for browsers to use while they peruse books, and a sign that warns, “Don’t sit on the dog.”
Art and Wine - A full service wine shop, that stocks wine from all over the world, at every price point. The owner, Zachary Wall, offers his customers personalized recommendations of wine for any occasion or meal, “Service you can’t get at a supermarket or Trader Joe’s.” When I asked him if he calls himself a sommelier, he said, “I call myself a shopkeeper, titles like that are for people who didn’t get enough attention as children.” Wine, with attitude.
Nye Beach Visual Arts Center - The Visual Arts Center displays a variety of art in a wide range of media. Visitors looking for inspiration on a project may find what they need here. The eight feet tall wood sculpture at the center’s back door showcases the skill of Center artists for passers by.
Oregon Coast Properties - If you fall in love with the area, and decide you want a home, or a vacation home, on the Oregon coast, Steve Salisbury’s office is right in Nye Beach. Oregon Coast Properties is a full service realty office. Their agents will help coast lovers find the right area, neighborhood, and home to meet their needs, dreams, and budget.
Where to Eat in Nye Beach
Café Stephanie - Open 7:30-3:00 every day, all year long, for breakfast and lunch. Café Stephanie’s house specialty is smoked salmon chowder, a deliciously different treat on a coast of clam chowder houses. Breakfast treats include vanilla cinnamon french toast, potato tornado, crepes and quiches. For lunch, try the grilled pesto chicken sandwich, or the specialty fish tacos with mango/papaya salsa. They bake their own pastries and breads, and they love what they do.
Nye Beach Sweets - Owner Dave Teem says Nye Beach Sweets is, “A fun happy place to have ice cream and chocolate. We brought ice cream back to Nye Beach.” The shop features sumptuous ice cream creations, fudge and brownies. Nye Beach Sweets is the home of decidedly decadent delights.
Nye Beach Market - The specialty of the house is gluten free clam chowder and sandwiches. A specialty market with a deli, or the other way around, either way, the largest selection gluten free meal choices and an intriguing belt operated ceiling fan system that is worth stopping in to see.
Savory Café and Pizzeria - Hand made slow rise pizza crust and wildly natural toppings make this a pizza lover’s haven. I’ve tried many of Savory’s pizza and each is a unrivaled taste treat, and always palate pleasing. A relaxed atmosphere, where the slow pace, and friendly staff, make you feel at home.
Nana’s Irish Pub - Fine Irish fare, and beer of all styles and gravity, as a good Irish pub should offer. Nana’s decor, music and staff make you feel like you are in, well, an Irish pub. Excellent pub grub, whether a Reuben sandwich, a plate of corned beef and boiled potatoes, or any of their Emerald Isle inspired dishes.
To find Nye Beach from Highway 101, turn west on 3rd Street travel two blocks to Coast Street. Turn right on Coast one block to Beach Street.
Getting to Nye Beach Once You're on the Oregon Coast
Visitors can access Nye Beach three ways:
- Walk onto the beach from another area and stroll the sand to Nye Beach.
- Park on 3rd Street, and walk west to Cliff Street at the end of the block, and then down the cascading concrete stairs that lead from the end of Cliff Street next to the Sylvia Beach Hotel, past the Nye Beach Visual Arts Center, and arrive next to the parking area on the west end of Beach Street.
- Drive west on 3rd Street to Coast Street, then right to Beach Street, and park either on the street, in the small parking lot by Illingworth’s, or park in the large parking area at the bottom of Beach Street, just a few steps from the beach.
Jon Thompson - Jon Thompson - freelance article and commercial writer with background in education, business, advertising, sales and emergency ...
Join the Conversation