City of Walnut Creek - Community Profile
Kevin Murray M.B.A.... Voice (925) 279-1190 FAX (925) 279-1191 E-Mail
HIGHLIGHTS: Walnut Creek has fine balance of open space, residential areas, and commercial community. No age group dominates, however, this community has a higher proportion of young renters than the neighboring Lamorinda area. It is a diverse city with apartment complexes, condominiums, single family dwellings, and multi-acre ranch estates, and the Rossmoor retirement community. In downtown Walnut Creek, offices of large national corporations exist beside those of local professionals, and eclectic shops neighbor national retail mega-stores.
The downtown and small centers dispersed throughout the residential areas offer an abundance of trendy shops and major upscale stores. A regional phenomenon is the revitalized downtown. The Broadway and Main street areas are the cultural model to which surrounding communities aspire. Within walking distance of ample parking are upscale chains e.g., Nordstrom's, Crate & Barrel, William Sonoma, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Barnes & Noble and an eclectic mix of small businesses and restaurants ranging from cafes to fine restaurants, and microbreweries. There are substantial nightlife opportunities including the infamous "Crogan's Run", a strip of entertainment opportunities, anchored by Crogan's, an upscale pub
There is an interesting dichotomy: older Walnut Creek homes (generally) tend to be downscaled from the opulence of neighboring Lamorinda, but there has been land available recently for the building of complete upscale neighborhoods. Whereas new homes sites in Lamorinda are generally dispersed in older neighborhoods. There more homogeneity in many new Walnut Creek neighborhoods. This new building has in turn increased the appeal of the adjoining older neighborhoods.
Walnut Creek stands at the crossroads of the East Bay as a center hub of freeway access to San Jose, Concord, and San Francisco. The centrally located Bay Area Rapid Transit (B.A.R.T) station also provides easy service to San Francisco and other Bay Area cities, and the County Connection regional bus system provides public transportation throughout town. This location is a blessing and a curse. The transpiration infrastructure has not grown in proportion to the popularity of the area. As the crossroads, Walnut Creek suffers the worst congestion, both on and off the freeway. At peak hours a good knowledge of back-roads is essential.
Local schools rank well with student scores consistently 90% or above on the State Testing Assessment. Walnut Creek is served by multiple high schools in two separate high school districts. There is a significant variance in testing results among these schools.
Walnut Creek hosts two major hospitals John Muir and Kaiser.
Located at the foot of scenic Mount Diablo State Park, Walnut Creek has a substantial open space and park system that provides great opportunities for outdoor recreation. Walnut Creek has a long-standing commitment to open space. In fact, the city's 2,500 acres of open space may be the most per capita for any suburban community in the United States With miles of jogging, hiking, biking, and equestrian trails in and around the city, and plenty of sports and recreation facilities, Walnut Creek is an ideal location for people and families interested in an active, outdoor lifestyle.
Cultural activities include a newly completed, $20 million, 72,000 sq ft Regional Center for the Arts located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, Weekend jazz concerts, Center Repertory Company, the Contra Costa Musical Theatre, and a number of unique museums
San Francisco, Monterey, the Delta, and the world famous Napa Valley wine region are less than an hour away. Just a couple of hours drive to the east are Sacramento, spectacular Lake Tahoe and the historic gold country, in the Sierra foothills.
HISTORY: Walnut Creek was one of the early towns in Contra Costa County. Although the first growth was in communities closer to the water (e.g., Martinez), as farming and ranching flourished in the 19th century, Walnut Creek evolved as the natural crossroads of roads through and to several valleys.
The opening of the Caldecott Tunnel and a postwar exodus from the urban areas fired tremendous growth in the 1950's. Central Contra Costa became a geographical extension of the affluent Oakland/Berkley Hills area. The orchards and farmland of Walnut Creek offered a perfect setting for affordable housing.
During the 1950's to the 1970's Walnut Creek was the "cruising capital" of Northern California. After the release of the movie American Grafiti, "Cruising the Main" went wild to the point that it would take hours to cross town. In the 1980's the City put a stop to the custom which had deteriorated. Now "The Main" is cruised weekend nights on foot, by a more sedate crowd frequenting the trendy shops and restaurants.
During the 1980's Walnut Creek exploded with commercial development. High-rises replaced many of the old downtown neighborhoods, and companies relocated their offices from San Francisco and Oakland.
Walnut Creek is served by the
following Airports:
City /
Airport, Distance, Direction, Travel Time H:M
Concord / Buchanan, 5
km., NE, 0:15
Napa / County Airport, 32 km., NW, 0:40
Oakland / Metro Oakland Int'l, 26 km., SW, 0:20
San Francisco / Int'l, 45 km., SW, 0:45
San Jose / Int'l, 61 km., S, 1:00
-- Kevin Murray M.B.A.... Voice
(925) 279-1190 FAX (925)
279-1191 E-Mail
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