I like what Water Light Public Plaza represents, even if it's poorly designed…read more Unfortunately, the three walls that make up the Plaza have no sound dampening. So if you have multiple people speaking or children being children, the sound carries to the point it's unpleasant. It couldn't be made into a park because the noise would be deafening. The Plaza has little to no greenery and only receives sunlight during certain points of the day and year, generally being a concrete shaded rather cold space with tables that go largely unused. It would liven up the area dramatically if they put in a small coffee shop that had games you could check out (like Salesforce Park), but my guess is they have to keep it a community space for tax purposes. In my opinion the seating at Growers Square and the Wells Fargo Fountain are far more successful. They're both more comfortable and have a mix of shaded and sunny areas. So all in all, while the idea of the Plaza (with it's beautiful tiled backdrop and fountain) is great, the actual usability of it day to day is fairly low.

This is a really cute public space in Walnut Creek, with a few plants along the border and several…read moretables available to enjoy snacks or drinks. Half of the seating area was covered by shade when we visited, which was a relief on a hot Sunday afternoon. The glass and ceramic mosaic mural along the wall, titled Water Light, is a beautiful reflective art piece by Jason Middlebrook, whose works connect art, history, and nature. The arcs of water flowing from the jets blend in with the artwork on the wall beautifully. The biggest surprise was the wooden grand piano at the corner of the plaza adorned with images of tiny trees and polka dots whose colors match the mural in the background (part of the Painted Piano Project). We got to play and listen to lovely melodies while relaxing in this simple yet delightful space.

This was our first time going to Christmas Tree Lane here! There are not much areas with Christmas…read moredecoration / lights in this area, so it was nice to be able to find an area with beautiful Christmas decorations and lights. Not much parking that was close by and it was a bit cold / windy during our visit, so we just drove down the street and it was beautiful still.

This year the honey and I decided we would try out a couple different Christmas Tree Lanes instead…read moreof just driving around hoping to find different lit neighborhoods. This Christmas Tree Lane is perhaps the ultimate Christmas Tree Lane, considering it's an extremely dense block where every single home is lit up with different displays. On one end there was a table with kids selling cookies and hot chocolate and in the middle there was a frosty ice cream truck. We got a bit lucky as it was less busy when we drove in around 6pm or so, but it was a madhouse by the time we wrapped up our visit. We later drove over to the San Ramon Christmas Tree Lane on Woodland Drive and found it to be much less busy and a bit more enjoyable as their streets were wider. All in all, this Christmas Tree Lane is definitely something to experience once, but unless you're local to Alameda I'm not sure I'd make it a yearly trip.

Our first time attending this festival. The weather was a little too toasty though. Luckily we…read morepatiently found parking after following signs leading up to it as another direct opening was strictly closed by police. If we hadn't found parking we would have been so out of luck & would have left early & been disappointed... This Walnut Creek Art & Wine Festival was held at Heather Farm park. Lovely and huge. Thank goodness for portapotties strategically placed. Unfortunately my wife tried the lobster roll at Chicken at the Farm. It was horrible. I stuck with the chicken teriyaki bowl which was delicious & opened right at 11 AM. Great service at that foodie tent. Hibiscus cooler & mango slushy was also a winner at a different vendor tent. This park had the biggest playground we had ever seen. Lucky for families with children! Also a pond too! There were wine sampling & beer gardens for those interested. We found a shady area to listen to the music. I did lose my wife as she was wandering the park to check out the various craft vendors. She found one lady working there in the slim wallet tent who wore these beautifully patterned baggy pants that looked like they were from Thailand but probably from California some 30 years ago! Omgosh they are truly back in style! My wife was so jelly!!! I lucked out as she didn't spend a fortune on anything but food & drink. Whew what a relief! Trying to downsize! Like what is that??? LOL Don't forget to swing by the Safeway tent & get your free apple. PIZAZZ!!! Humongous but worth it...I think we tried it recently back home at the last Farm to Fork Festival. Seriously!

First time at this Art & Wine Festival. Compared to many other festivals this was is a little…read moresmaller than most. Parking on the street was easy. But, I always get to festivals early. There were very nice vendors there, some that I have never seen before. I know at least three of them have things for gifts I intend to buy. My only disappointment was where they had the beer booths. Some of my favorite breweries were on the outside area. Epidemic Ales you rock!!! Altamont brewery love ya. Calicraft brewery, I was happy to see you. I don't know if it was a local ordinance but there was beer inside the festival. But I wanted the ones on the outside area. Give them a try!!!

Strolling through downtown Walnut Creek, I felt the unmistakable pull of destiny--a dinosaur-sized…read morehunch that something primal was calling. And there it was, the RAWR sculpture by artist Joyce Hsu, standing tall and proud like a raptor with a degree in modern art. It's as if the spirit of Jurassic Park whispered to Hsu: "What if dinosaurs weren't extinct, just... fabulous?" This T-Rex channels more sass than menace, its metallic frame a shimmering reminder that life, much like art, finds a way. The craftsmanship is impressive, its industrial skeleton begging for a caption like, "Clever girl... or clever welder?" The quirky title, RAWR, strikes the perfect chord--equal parts prehistoric roar and millennial text-speak. A must-see for anyone who loves dinosaurs, movies, or existential reflections on what a T-Rex might say if it had Twitter/X. In a world of beige suburban monotony, RAWR is the cultural chaos we didn't know we needed. Five prehistoric stars! [RAWR is a series of imaginative sculptures by Joyce Hsu, including a 12-foot-high T-Rex Robot and a 6-foot-high Dino Bench, located in Walnut Creek's Broadway Plaza.]

I came here last night with a friend cruising around in the car. It was fantastic to see many…read morehouses with Christmas lights! I loved the house with 97.8 FM audio with music matching the lights. This is my third year visiting this area and it never disappoints. I would come yearly as my schedule allows.

In this review I'll be comparing this Christmas Tree Lane (which can be found by simply putting in…read more'Woodland Drive, San Ramon' into Google Maps, and the Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda. While Alameda's Christmas Tree Lane is roughly a single densely packed block with a few blocks around it that sporadically participate, this location is an entire development with the homes more often then not having some type of display up. The streets are wider so it's easier to slowly drive along, and because it's bigger its less busy. Although this location lacks the frosty ice cream truck and the hot chocolate table Alameda's locale boasted, I personally found Woodland Drive to be a bit more enjoyable because it was less stressful to drive through. All in all, the honey and I enjoyed both but would be more likely to return to this Christmas Tree Lane, especially since it had my favorite display of the evening - a blue light river with ducks!

Sept 16, 2025 I haven't spent a nickle on goods or services…read morein Walnut Creek now for four years. I occasionally see a restaurant on YELP that makes Walmut Creek look attractive but I have proudly shaken the cheating Walnut Creek dust off of my sandals. There was an exception where I was taken to that God forsaken place due to me being in a coma. Also I am taking my daughter there for a Dr. appointment today. Restaurants and shopping and parking in that trap? Not going to happen until Hell freezes over.

Downtown Walnut Creek is always very lively!!!…read more The Broadway Plaza is a good sized outdoor shopping mall with lots of high end stores and plenty of restaurants. As a matter of fact, a lot of the downtown area has plenty of restaurants, bars, bookstores, coffee shops, and other businesses. Sometimes, parking may be a challenge, and just driving through here might take some time with all the people walking around, it's a very walkable area. This is definitely the place to be in Walnut Creek, and I would say this place has way more action than the other surrounding cities have in their downtown areas!!

Review 1 of 3. Time for an update only because I found 3…read morelistings for the City of Walnut Creek?!?! To my wife and daughter; it is a 5 star city. I rate it as a 3 star city. So 4 stars it is. Quality/Quantity - As a kid growing up, this was "yuppie" land. Bart (two stations) made it easy to commute to the "city." And they had affordable housing, especially compared to SF. Still more affordable than SF! Almost 20 square miles. Population of 70k+. If you are following, we ONLY go to the Apple store here. They have the best employees at the Apple Genius bar. Restaurants are a hit and miss. Today's Yelp search took me to many places OUTSIDE of the city?!?! But it was a VERY positive experience; see Habana Express review in Pleasant Hill. Atmosphere - Well, we (my wife and daughter) really only spend our/their time in the downtown shopping area. I really just eat when I am here, at least they let me pick the restaurants; yes for Yelp, lol. I also think the area is congested, but not today. And that they really should have free all day shopping, I mean parking, lol. They are doing me a favor, well not really, as I have to move the car for the family if they exceed 3 hours. In theory, if they leave before 3 hours, it saves me/us $$. Today, we were here for less than 3 hours. Service - Good, as this city caters to a more affluent customer. Walking historic tours available, see website. Price - Above average, as this city caters to a more affluent customer. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1849. 1951 - Broadway Shopping Center, now "Broadway Plaza." No, I am not that old, lol. 1973 - BART opened in Walnut Creek. Grew the population 300% that decade!

Lots to like about Walnut Creek!!…read more Downtown is always bustling on the weekends!! Broadway Plaza is the outdoor mall here with plenty of surrounding and walkable stores and restaurants. And yes, the parking situation in this area is serious, so be extra mindful of the times and make sure you get back to your car before the meter expires, if you park on the street. You're actually better off just paying to park in the main garage. But besides the downtown area, Heather Farm Park is very nice, spacious, and also bustling on nice weekends!! You can tell it's pricey to live here, but you can also tell it's relatively safe too!! And yes, it gets major league hot here in the summertime. Of all the cities in this area, Walnut Creek is definitely the most lively!!

Beautiful downtown by a beach. Must visit. All the way to here to get the olive oil. It had…read morebeautiful decor during Christmas time

Downtown Benecia is a family friendly spot, with great restaurants and local businesses. There are…read morelots of fun events and a terrific Thursday night Farmer's Market. Benecia is a gem!

I have a lot of reviews to catch up on since I'm a major foodie, but this place absolutely deserves…read morea top spot on my list. I ordered the Toscana sandwich with 24-month prosciutto, burrata, truffle honey, and arugula, and I can confidently say it was the best sandwich I've ever had in my life--and that's coming from someone who has traveled all over Europe, including Italy. Every ingredient tasted incredibly fresh, and the combination of flavors was just unreal. I got mine extra toasted, and it came out perfect--warm, crispy, and honestly tasted like it was made fresh out of the garden. The quality really stands out. On top of that, the staff were super friendly and made the whole experience even better. I would highly recommend this restaurant. The price is absolutely worth it for the quality you're getting.

Came here for the first time on 4/9/26 for a casual girl dinner with my high school best friends!…read more I got the Toscana and omg it was so delish! Very huge portion of the sandwiches, I was full from eating one half! Still happy I had the other half to save for the next day for lunch hehe. Somewhat small place but decent amount of seating to sit down and eat. The servers were very nice as well and were helpful when asked questions! Definitely coming back again! :)

The Rose Walk is not far from the Rose Garden in Berkeley!!…read more Not many Roses along the Rose Walk, it's really just a pathway through a residential area. I saw the sign and went up the stairs and walked the short, paved path. Very quiet here also!!

If you like to be in a peaceful and tranquil environment, if u like to walk around quiet, tree-line…read moreresidential areas, if u cherish neighborhoods with lots of character, and if you don't mind climbing uphill a bit - then u would definitely love this stone stairway called Rose Walk. Berkeley has many hidden jewels like this - check out berkeleypaths.org and you'll find more beautiful footpaths like this.