The first thing that comes to mind about this city, Hallmark. It's such a cute and quaint beachside…read moretown. I have friends that have properties here which is a major plus for me. Gives me a reason to stay and check this place out. Of course what makes it sweet, we happened to be in town during the Fourth of July. Imagine a place you would see in a movie of a small town, it's here. Even arriving in the evening, it's not something you see back in the big city. Driving into town, the main strip of downtown, there were rows and rows of chairs and other items left out on the street. Reserved spot for the parade that was happening along the strip. And the park at the entrance had blankets and towels just laying out all day and night. You would never see something like that back in LA. It'll be gone by the time you get back. The main strip is basically the heart of town. Cute boutiques, mom and pop shops, a couple of amazing bakeries, bars and restaurants. Just browsing each stores and walking in, you literally feel like you're in a hallmark movie. And just the next block over, the waterfront. Catching the sunset after dinner or walking along the path, it's nice to experience something completely different from the hustle and bustle of the city. Just like your tiny town, places do close early. Restaurant tend to be closed around 8/9pm depending on where you are. We only checked out the main strip of downtown as the property was literally steps from it. Everyone was so friendly. We also happened to be there when the farmers market was happening. Thursday late afternoon was when it was held towards the end of the road. Vendors with their trinkets, baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables and so on. Also a good amount of food stalls on hand. It does bring the people into town. From my first experience, I would say this city is so cute. Definitely will be back again, hopefully soon. And to see chairs just on the sidewalk overnight to reserved a spot, it was quite something. People respecting others properties.

We came to benicia for a dog meet up. I was a little hesitant to drive this far North. Most of what…read moreI know about benicia is from the news,and it's usually bad. It turns out that they have a really nice part of town near the marina. Plenty of restaurants and shops. I will definitely be coming back. Too bad it gets such a bad rap from all the refinery mishaps

Another review that I have held off on... Am I being selfish?…read more Quality/Quantity - Alameda is an island in the Bay Area. A hidden treasure. DON'T let anyone know! One of the safest communities in the bay. 23 square miles, 12.5 square miles of which is water. 78k+ population - Although they are continuing to build aggressively on the ex-naval base. The best part of the island is that there is only XXXX amount of land so it can hopefully NOT get over crowded. Atmosphere - Beaches - Alameda Beach, Crab Cove, Crown, Encinal, etc. Water sports - Kayak, kite surfing, swimming, jet skiing, boating, etc. Harbor Bay, parks, lagoons, trails, volleyball, tennis, skate parks, dog parks, marinas, cycling, etc. Ex-navy base (1997) - Spirit Alley - Distilleries, breweries, wineries, etc. Too many to name! Annual events - Farmer's markets, fairs, festivals, parades, Blue Angels, etc. Museums, art & culture, etc. Beautiful Victorian homes. Amazing views of SF. 3 bridges and tunnels to get on and off of the island. Near Oakland, SF, Coast Guard Island, etc. Service - Ferries - To SF, Oakland, etc. One of the best ways to travel. Price - Affordable. They have inexpensive and expensive options. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1853.

Alameda is so cool. Everyone I've ever met who lives here always says it's a great place to live,…read moreand everyone I've ever met who used to live here say they miss something or other about life on the island. And what an island it is. Except that it's technically three islands, or portions thereof: Alameda Island, Coast Guard Island, and Bay Farm Island. And I was lying again, because as far as I can tell, Bay Farm Island is not an island. It may have been an island at one time, but it's now more of a peninsula connected to Oakland; it also includes Oakland International Airport or whatever its dumb name is now. And the other fun fact is that the very southwestern tip of Alameda Island is technically part of San Francisco. That's right; when they were drawing up San Francisco's crazy borders, which unlike other Bay Area cities' borders often include all kinds of water nowhere near the land portion of San Francisco, they drew this diagonal line that happened to clip the corner of Alameda Island. That's why San Francisco voting returns always include zero votes for East Bay candidates--it's technically possible that someone could live on that corner and be eligible to vote in San Francisco, but it has never happened. The City of Alameda is so strange and weird and magical and wonderful and fake and real and beautiful and safe and salty and many other adjectives. There's the museum aircraft carrier USS Hornet and all these weird industrial experiments going on on the western end of the island, where the naval air station used to be. And there are all these new homes being developed close by. Then there are the lovely old homes on the island, and the coolest part might be the eastern end of the island south of the High Street Bridge, because these just feel like regular only 1950s and '60s neighborhoods, and then you happen upon Eastshore Drive, and the backyards of very normal-looking suburban houses happen to abut the bay! You already know about the tunnels and the Pacific Pinball Museum--a must visit--from my other reviews. Or you should. go read and click on them. Plus there are some great restaurants out here. And Coast Guard Island is funny; it's part of the City of Alameda, but its only connection to land is to Oakland itself. In order to get to the rest of Alameda, you either have to drive through Oakland to one of the tubes or to Bay Farm Island, or you have to get across narrow Brooklyn Basin somehow. Preferably by boat, I would say, but swimming and helicoptering would work just fine too. Oh, and those weird lagoons are perfectly strange. I didn't know what they were for, and I was annoyed that only the people who owned property near them could use them recreationally, but then I learned that they are partially used for storm drainage retention and water treatment, so those people playing in them probably shouldn't be! How perfect.

City of Larkspur is a great place to visit in Marin county. Very small and you will miss it if you…read moreblink! Love coming to Larskpur Landing for the stores and eateries! Fun fact they have a Burger Chain here that's famous for being from NYC! Any guesses? Yes Shake Shack! Another fun fact Gavin Newsom lived in Larkspur as a youth. Great restaurants to check out are Perry's , Rnoh Thai and Left Bank Brasserie and The Melting pot! Larskpur's Downtown district is quaint and has great galleries and stores along magnolia avenue in downtown . Cute quaint and worth the visit!

As a merchant on the east side of Alameda, I'm forced to be a member of PSBA through my city…read morebusiness tax. At first, I bristled at this seemingly unfair taxation, but over the years, I've come to truly appreciate what Robb Ratto and the Park Street Business Association do for local merchants on a daily basis (especially when I compare what the equivalent association doesn't do for local merchants in Montclair Village!!) Robb is a great advocate for merchants with local government, finds ways to bring marketing and facade improvements to us, and puts on several successful street fairs (Art and Wine, Car Show, etc) every year, that bring in thousands of folks from off the Island. He's the first guy I call when I have an administrative question, and he always knows what's going on in town. Minus one star because their website hasn't been updated in what seems like a decade.

I have worked with this association on 2 of their prominent street festivals, Park St. Art & Wine &…read morePark St. Spring Festival for more years than I can remember. P.S.B.A. has an excellent Executive Director in Mr. Robb Ratto. His political savvy, attention to detail, willingness to help, hard working persona, and can do attitude are rare and exceptional in my experience, and he has done much to make these events what they are today, financially and otherwise. Working with him is simply a pleasure, and I have personally witnessed on many occassions, his dedication to his constituency, and his expertise in managing this organization in an exceptional fashion. When you need help with something in Alameda, Robb is your go to guy, if you are a P.S.B.A. member.

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.

During the extensive amount of research that comprises "Trip Planning Cathy," I learned about the…read moreTaiwan Visitors Association before my trip to Taiwan at the end of Feb. I sent my boyfriend down during a weekday to check it out, expecting to only get a few maps. Instead, he came back home with a treasure trove - the aforementioned maps, but also pamphlets on local festivals (we went during the Lantern Festival - highly recommended!), free tickets to the National Palace Museum, free souvenirs from a chain of airport duty free shops (we got a box of cookies and a box of guava candy), and EasyCards for the Taipei subway with 50NTD already loaded on them! In total they saved us about $25 and many hours of confusion! The free souvenirs were a limited time offer (our coupons had a Feb 28 expiration date), and I'm not sure if the other freebies were limited as well. Regardless, if you are planning a trip to Taiwan I would definitely come to the visitors association to talk to the friendly staff and get some recommendations. We weren't originally going to visit the National Palace Museum (we're not "museum" folk so much as "eat four meals a day" folk) but I'm glad we took their recommendation - it was the perfect rainy day activity.

SSF is a busy city, lots of updates in local housing, many new Condos built, more office space and…read moregovernment buildings. The corridor along the El Camino corridor is building up, convenient for shopping & transit. There is plenty of open space and hiking trails nearby on San Bruno Mountain-- where you can see the huge "South San Francisco The Industrial City" sign showing as you drive into the city from the south on highway 101. Great libraries, lots of restaurants and parks too.

San Pablo City Hall moved to Gateway Ave., the same location where Walgreen's is at, a block away…read morefrom Church Ln. I will say that this is a better location compare to being near Las Montañas Supermarket. Parking is alot better since there is a Parking Garage. The building itself is nice. A two floor building where different departments are at. My Yelp review is the comment the City Hall building and not the cirty of San Pablo. If there are complaints about San Pablo contact the city.

So this is what is looks like outside some food establishments with A ratings. In front of Jamba…read moreJuice and Starbucks, looks like someone dumped the trash and not the crowd are having a field day not to mention probably rats and other rodents. I know this is on a weekend but trash didn't seem to be picked or these businesses don't give a shit about their outside appearance. Health concerns especially around food establishments are supposed to be a priority as well as basic hygiene. Dont be surprised if some jangled up Virus or a resurgence of a pandemic variant pops up because this type of laziness and irresponsibility for the city and public areas are basically tax dollars not going to where they are meant to.