Retro Row is the name given to a stretch of East 4th Street between Junipero and Redondo avenues — about six blocks of vintage shops, independent cafés, and small restaurants that form the cultural heart of the Eastside neighbourhood. The name comes from the concentration of vintage and antique dealers, which gave the street its character in the 1990s before restaurants and coffee shops filled in around them.
The area has a strong mid-century aesthetic — both in the businesses and in the streetscape — and it draws a different crowd to the waterfront. The Prospector Theatre, a revival cinema that screens second-run films, is a neighbourhood anchor. Several of the vintage shops here have national reputations in their respective specialisms. On weekend mornings the café terraces are full, and the street is pedestrian-friendly enough to make extended browsing comfortable.