Cunha Store
Red while standing still
Redder even as it burns down
But represents always
A distinctively iconic structure in Half Moon Bay is the pink-red Cunha store. It stands boldly right in the middle of Main Street, turreted and red without any apologies for itself. It seems to owe little to the vernacular architecture of Victorians and Edwardian buildings around it. It forces us to accept it as it is.
As you drive down the street, it is the landmark that helps me divide the town into two to orient myself – am I North of Cunha store or South. For the longest time it has hosted the standard general store that every small town seemed to have. The store has changed hands, but it has always felt quirky and old-fashioned.
It also became iconic as an example of the civic feeling of Half Moon Bay. It burned down a few years ago, and the citizens of Half Moon Bay threw a party to raise money to fix it up and turn it back to the owner. So many reasons to love Half Moon Bay.
A distinctively iconic structure in Half Moon Bay is the pink-red Cunha store. It stands boldly right in the middle of Main Street, turreted and red without any apologies for itself. It seems to owe little to the vernacular architecture of Victorians and Edwardian buildings around it. It forces us to accept it as it is.
As you drive down the street, it is the landmark that helps me divide the town into two to orient myself – am I North of Cunha store or South. For the longest time it has hosted the standard general store that every small town seemed to have. The store has changed hands, but it has always felt quirky and old-fashioned.
It also became iconic as an example of the civic feeling of Half Moon Bay. It burned down a few years ago, and the citizens of Half Moon Bay threw a party to raise money to fix it up and turn it back to the owner. So many reasons to love Half Moon Bay.
