As a kid, Cody Magana would stop in at 722 3rd Street for a grilled cheese and a donut while a family member worked there. That was Glen's, the bakery and breakfast spot that has been dark since 2009, according to the Del Norte Triplicate. Now Magana is general manager of The Rising Tide Restaurant and Bakery, which is set to open in that same space. In the Triplicate's October story, he said the goal is to "bring life back to downtown."
The timing fits. This November and December, a lot of downtown has shifted onto Third Street. The waterfront end of Front Street is a construction zone, and the bus transfer hub has moved to 3rd and K. The Christmas parade and tree lighting are anchored a few blocks away on Third. If you're planning a downtown errand, dinner or holiday evening this season, Third Street is where to start.
The old Glen's address gets a second act
The Triplicate's October 9, 2026 story reported that owners Jim and Margarita Murdock planned to open The Rising Tide before Thanksgiving. Magana is also executive chef at Hiouchi Café. The team has spent months rebuilding the space, including new fire suppression systems and a new layout. They kept the format longtime Glen's customers will remember.
The restaurant is set up as two rooms with two different jobs:
- The bakery line: a walk-through counter on one side, with bread, pastries, cookies, cakes, pies and muffins.
- The dining room: full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner on the other side. Breakfast includes biscuits and gravy, French toast, pancakes, and new takes on Eggs Benedict and avocado toast.
- Grab-and-go: a case of soups, sandwiches and pasta salads for people who aren't staying.
Lunch and dinner lean toward coastal classics: fish and chips, calamari, steamed clams, shrimp po' boys, clam chowder, linguine and charbroiled burgers, plus house steak and seafood dinners. The kitchen also plans to buy close to home, with Rumiano butter, Alexandre Valley Dairy eggs and Taylor's sausage. Catering, specialty cakes and special-event dinners are planned for later.
For current hours and opening news, the restaurant's Facebook page is the place to check before you head over.
Front Street's last two blocks are torn up into 2027
The bakery's return is one sign of a downtown that's changing. The more noticeable one is at the bottom of town. The city is rebuilding Front Street in phases, and the final piece is now under construction.
The first two phases are done:
- Phase 1, B Street to G Street: substantially complete on January 26, 2021.
- Phase 2, G Street to Play Street: Notice of Completion filed February 3, 2025.
The current project, Front Street Gateway Improvements Phase 1C, covers the rest. It includes rebuilding Front Street from Play Street to L Street and K Street from Front Street to Second Street. It also includes the next stage of Beachfront Park, the start of the Tolowa Cultural Trail, accessibility upgrades at the Cultural Center, and a new gateway entrance to Front Street and the park. Tidewater Contractors Inc. is the contractor, according to the city's August 17, 2026 council agenda report.
At the July 20 council meeting, City Manager Eric Wier said the plan was to close the last block of Front Street, from Highway 101 to Play Street, along with K Street from Front to Second, so construction could begin. The August project schedule put completion of the CDBG-funded work at May 18, 2027 and the Clean California-funded work at September 30, 2027. On that schedule, construction at the Highway 101 end of Front Street lasts through this holiday season and well into 2027.
The Cultural Center is closed for the work too. Visitor services haven't stopped. The Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau moved to a temporary space, and the city council approved rent reimbursement for it through December 2026.
The bus hub now sits at 3rd and K
Front Street's closure also moved downtown's transit hub up to Third Street. Redwood Coast Transit Authority closed its transfer stop on Front Street at the Cultural Center on Sunday, June 14, 2026. Starting Monday, June 15, buses began transferring at the existing stop on 3rd and K, in front of Grocery Outlet. RCTA's project page says the 3rd and K stop will serve as the hub "for the next couple years."
If you ride the bus to downtown errands or holiday events, your transfer now happens on Third Street. Plan to meet anyone arriving by bus at 3rd and K rather than at the old Cultural Center stop.
The long-term plan brings the hub back toward the water. RCTA and the city chose the city-owned parking lot at Front Street and K Street, about half a block from the old station. They secured $4,401,000 in 2024 to design and build a staffed transit center with ticket sales, restrooms, a waiting area, outdoor space and real-time bus tracking. RCTA's timeline has a design consultant starting in fall 2026 and construction beginning in fall 2027. Until then, buses come and go from 3rd and K.
December's downtown calendar starts on Third
With the waterfront end of Front Street closed, the season's main downtown evening takes place inland. Here are the dates from the Triplicate's community calendar and the paper's concert announcement, in order:
Wednesday, Dec. 2 and Thursday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m.: Pacific Music Guild holiday concerts. The North Coast Chorale, Redwood Chamber Singers and North Coast Youth Choir perform at the Crescent Elk Middle School Auditorium, 994 G Street. The Triplicate announced both nights in October.
Friday, Dec. 4, 6:30 to 9 p.m.: Christmas Light Parade and Tree Lighting. The calendar lists the event at 873 3rd Street. The parade lineup starts at 7th Street in front of the police station and wraps around G Street. The tree lighting follows right after the parade in the downtown Plaza, along with performances, food vendors, merchants and photos with Santa. The parade happens on the first Friday of December every year.
Saturday, Dec. 12, 5 to 9 p.m.: Harbor of Lights. This event happens away from downtown, at the Crescent City Harbor District, 101 Citizens Dock Road. Dozens of lit-up boats are on display, and visitors vote for their favorites. Vendors offer food and drinks, and admission is free.
If you're planning around the construction, the parade and the harbor event both work out. The parade lineup and tree lighting are listed on 7th, G and 3rd, north of the closed Front Street blocks. Harbor of Lights is at Citizens Dock Road at the harbor, south of downtown. For a weeknight out of town, the calendar also lists Thursday night pop-up dinners at Patrick Creek Lodge in Gasquet every week through December 31, with a rotating menu and live music.
What the city has sketched for Third Street next
Third Street could get its own makeover later. The city's Phase 1 downtown plan summary from December 2025 names a Retail Streetscape on Third Street between L and G Streets as one of three catalyst projects. Design options include underground utilities, greenery, improved crossings and pedestrian-scale lighting. The same document proposes a façade improvement program, with grants for property owners and businesses. Both are still plans. The report leaves design refinement, return-on-investment analysis, architectural guidelines and funding strategies for Phase 2. The same report expects the Transit Center, the K Street improvements and the final Front Street reconstruction to be finished by 2028.
That puts this winter in an in-between stretch. The city's schedule doesn't finish Front Street's new waterfront blocks and the Tolowa Cultural Trail entrance until May to September 2027, and construction on the new transit center isn't set to start until fall 2027. Meanwhile, Third Street has the buses, the parade lineup, the tree lighting and a bakery returning to a familiar address.
Whether you're timing a coffee run around the construction fences or wondering how the Front Street work might affect a property near downtown, the team at Investment Realty Homes follows these projects as closely as you do. Stop by 1495 Parkway Drive or give us a call. We're happy to talk through what the changes downtown mean for your corner of Crescent City.
