Having been born and raised in the Bay Area, I come to appreciate the vast amount of unique cities…read morethat are offered. In this case, we take a look at the "City of Pleasant Hill". Nestled in Contra Costa County and located south of Martinez, west of Concord, and north of Walnut Creek, this city has been incorporated dating back to 1961. Here you will find the open space City Hall where there is a walkway arch and natural shrub surrounding it (which is where I captured a couple of pictures on a beautiful, warm spring afternoon). There is also Downtown Pleasant Hill (on Crescent Dr) which offers lots of great shopping, dining, and a nearby movie theater. And finally, there is the Pleasant Hill Park (off of Gregory Ln) which has a big play area for the kids, a bocce ball court, and lots of shaded areas on those warm summer days. What I particularly like about this area is that it has always felt "safe" to me yet it is not quite as diverse as other cities such as Berkeley, Oakland, and Richmond. They have a great school system, decent roads, and an overall above average community. Finally, many of the exits are right off the 680 freeway. With that said and done, I am giving the "City of Pleasant Hill" an above average four-star rating.

I love this area other than the fact that it's not always too clean in some areas…read more There's quite a bit of traffic overall but not as bad as over the bridge. There's so many stores and things to visit including hiking areas. Many trails , I love trails! It's not too cold so that's a bonus! Definitely check this town out!

The city sure has changed. When I worked out here in the early 80s. The only reason for me to go…read moredowntown was for the comic shop. Now they have plenty of restaurants and shops. I'm sure this is due to the massive amount of new houses. I left this area because the traffic. I'm sure it's absolutely ridiculous nowadays. But I'm glad to see that it's no longer a sleepy suburb town

Quality/Quantity - My wife and daughter come here for the…read moreoutlets. I come here for the wineries. Also available: Farmers markets. Historic tours and museums. Restaurants. Events. See city websites. I actually like the city so much, I tried to get my daughter to move here, so I can rejoin all my wineries... Atmosphere - Approximately 26.5 square miles. Approximately 88k population. Main employer - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Service - Good. Price - Slowly getting more and more upscale, but still affordable. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1876.

I grew up in Alameda, I was here when Alameda NAS was an active duty base. It's been closed for…read morenearly 30 years, and now it's called Alameda Point. Area wise, Alameda Point covers about 1/3 of the island, so there's alot of land to develop. The peaceful Alameda of today, is not the same as when the base was open. Navy jets would do laps over the island daily. The jet engine tests would make the ground shake and the roar would wake you from a light nap. In the early 1970's a jet from the Central Valley crashed into an apartment building. My Dad and I ran outside just in time to see a fireball rise over the houses. But the base was a great source of revenue for the city. When a carrier or carriers were in port, Webster Street would be gridlocked with traffic. Traffic couldn't get out of the Tube. That's why they built the Constitution Way flyover ramp. It's to divert traffic away from Webster, and onto Lincoln Avenue. Webster St became a ghost town when the base closed. I had a high school friend who was a Navy Captain's son. He would take us on base and give us tours. The base was well maintained when sailors and airman were there. When they left, it became abandoned and ugly. When I was in College Army ROTC we launched an airmobile operation from the NAS. 65 armed troops in combat gear, boarding a Chinook helicopter to conduct a raid on an imaginary target 300+ miles away. During Desert Storm, jets flew airstrikes from the NAS. Very few people knew that. It has a rich history, and it shouldn't be forgotten. I regret I didn't take a picture of the East Gate before they tore it down.

The Alameda Naval Air Station sprawls across the west end shore…read more Seemingly endless abandoned buildings litter the scape. Some portions have been sold to apartment developers building structures that lack integrity. The empty air craft hangars. The empty NARDAC headquarters. So much military industrial architecture to be observed. Skaters galore, just watch out for base security. They lack any enforcement ability but love doing their job, nothing. I go here to walk my dog and explore the endless labyrinth of streets with names from times gone by.

They are professional, timely and courteous. Quick to respond! They keep our neighborhood safe! A…read morehuge thank you all for your service.

I'm stricken by ambiguity. I want to rate this department 5 stars for its adjacency to my parents…read morehome and the lack of business. You can get a fix-it ticket handled here in minutes but these cops don't respond well to dispatch calls. In fact, they don't respond directly if you call at night directly after a crime. Not to imply that Piedmont/Montclair has a ton of them but thievery is very present and it would be nice to at least feel like there is an authoritative presence. In my families case, we could walk right down to the station and ask them what the hold-up is. But once again, I have to cut 'em a little slack because we have never had an urgent issue. What can I say? The police are a godsend and a grenade in the same basket. As long as their are no "Meh"serles among their ranks I am content with PPD servicing the Piedmont and the very adjacent Oakland hills area.

My classmates and I finally crossed one thing off our bucket list - traveling to the top of the…read morecampanile for one of the best views in the Bay! As students, we were able to visit for free; non-student tickets are only $6. Upon arrival, we waited in line for about 5 minutes for the elevator ride. Once inside the elevator, a friendly student gave us a quick history of the Campanile - all within the span of the 60 second elevator ride. We took a few short flights of stairs up to the top and were met with 360 degrees of breathtaking views. It was a clear day, and we could see as far as the Golden Gate Bridge. If you time your visit right, you can maybe catch one of the music performances. After we'd enjoyed the view for about 15 minutes, we took the elevator back down. I'd highly recommend a trip to the Campanile - it's the second tallest free-standing clock tower in the world!

I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon. The place was not crowded. Up from the tower views were good,…read moreespecially the golden gate bridge. There were a lot of bells, and the whole mechanism looked cool.

California Historical Landmark #440…read more In the City of Alameda, there is a plaque which commemorates when the first Transcontinental Railroad train passed by and arrived to it's West Coast terminal. It's located between two public benches, at the corner of Webster St and Lincoln Ave (near the Shell Gas Station). In the 1860's, the Transcontinental Railroad was considered a Mega Engineering Feat. It reduced the cost and time for a traveler to go from coast to coast. It allowed for the transport of raw materials and freight, which fed American industrialization. But it also had negative effects, such as- damage to the environment, harsh working conditions, and destruction of Native American lands. Nearly all of the rail was built by hand. Today, trains no longer run thru Alameda. But on the corner of Webster St x Lincoln Ave, you can still see the plaque that remembers the day a very special train arrived at it's San Francisco Bay stop. Welcome to Alameda, The Island City.

This is a very important historical location, but the plaque is tough to see in the photo. This is…read morevery close to the endpoint of the first Transcontinental Railroad. There are some bus benches very close by and also tons of shops on this busy location. So not really a ton of things to see at this corner, but it's worth checking out the plaque.

Foster City is one of the nicest places to live in the SF Bay Area. I drive thru it at least once…read morea week. That's because Hwy 92 runs thru it, as it connects to the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. Foster City was named after T. Jack Foster. It was built in the 1960's, that's why everything is modern. Foster City was a planned community. They set aside space for parks and recreation, shopping centers, and schools. A unique feature of the city is it's beautiful lagoon system. The city has it's own police and fire depts, but I don't think it has a hospital.

I have been a resident of Foster City for 57 years it has given me the opportunity to start my dog…read morewalking business and I'm thriving! The city has been excellent working with me! They approved my 7th Anniversary Picnic Celebration at Gull Park on July 29th!

I love my County. We have a wonderful, safe, beautiful…read moreplace to live. So many great people in this community! C(ool) O(utdoorsy) N(ature) T(rails) R(un) A(mok) C(reating) O(utstanding) S(cenic) & T(rendy) A(ctivities)

I love the East Bay. I grew up in the North Bay but I came out here for college and I don't think…read moreI ever want to leave. Everything I need is here besides the pesky parents, but maybe they will venture out here one day and love it as well. You can't beat being 20 minutes away from the city, through the caldecott tunnel and get some of the best weather in northern cali.