historic downtown lake elsinore

Lake Elsinore's old downtown is sad, with too many vacant storefronts and run-down buildings, closed restaurants, etc.

Downtown is a disgrace. You have illegals hanging out. You have bums asking for money. Store parking lots a filled most days with illegals looking for work or wanting to sell you something or asking for money. You may as well go to mexico, the city never does anything about all of the illegals hanging around.

Symptomatic of the urban world, the inner city dies as the city expands with new businesses and home out to the suburbs or new communities. Learned that in Urban Sociology 50 years ago.In spite of this, we still love to look in the windows (if closed) old businesses that used to call downtown home. We looked in 4 or 5 antique shops at our last visit and that was fun. We ate at the greatest Mexican restaurant on the corner in old town, and had the key shop been open, would have gotten some new keys made. They always get them perfect.Sorry to see the Italian Rest. has closed. Obviously not enough folks coming to Old Town. We will still keep coming there however. It is about 2 blocks long and walking both sides of the street is enough (and the remaining open businesses) before heading into our favorite Lake Elsinore Mexican Rest.

The only highlight of Downtown Lake Elsinore is Gina's cafe, you know it's good when you see cops having breakfast or lunch there. Staff is super friendly and anything on the menu is good, but you better bring your hungry-mode since portions are big!

Hopefully things will turn around, but as of now three restaurants have closed and are for rent and one of the few remaining antique shops have closed. There's an excellent Italian restaurant and a Mexican one, and a few odds and ends shops that remain. I'll repost in a few months if things have changed.