Pleasanton CA Real Estate and Homes – Community Information

Pleasanton CA Real Estate and Homes – Community Information

Start Your Utility Services in Pleasanton, CA: City of Pleasanton Finance Department

http://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/

Pleasanton, California Community

Pleasanton is an affluent city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894. It is a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area located about 25 miles east of Oakland, and 6 miles west of Livermore. The population was 70,285 at the 2010 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in the United States by the Census Bureau. Pleasanton is home to the headquarters of Safeway, Inc. and Blackhawk Network. Although Oakland is the Alameda County seat, a few county offices and a courthouse are located in Pleasanton. The Alameda County Fairgrounds are located in Pleasanton where the county fair is held during the last week of June and the first week of July. Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park is located on the west side of town.

Pleasanton is reported being number 4 by “USA Today” in “America’s 50 best cities to live in” in 2014, number 63 in Money’s list of “The Best Places to Live” in 2010, and was also named one of “Americans’ Top Hometown Spots” in the United States in 2009 by Forbes. Pleasanton was named the third wealthiest city in terms of earnings in the United States by NerdWallet in 2013.

Pleasanton History

Before the establishment of Pleasanton, in the 1850s, an earlier settlement, called Alisal was there. It was located on the lands of the Rancho Santa Rita near the site of an Indian ranchera, around the Francisco Solano Alviso Adobe, called El Alisal (The Sycamores), one of the earliest houses built in the valley in 1844. It is still standing and serves as the centerpiece of the Alviso Adobe Community Park. Alisal, nicknamed “The Most Desperate Town in the West”, was one of the settlements located along La Vereda del Monte that was a haunt and refuge of bandits and desperados in the era following the beginning of the California Gold Rush. Main Street shootouts were not uncommon. Banditos such as Claudio Feliz and Joaquin Murrieta would ambush prospectors on their way back from the gold rush fields and then seek refuge in Alisal. In the 1860s Procopio, Narciso Bojorques and others took refuge there.

Pleasanton is located on the Rancho Valle de San José Mexican land grant and was founded by John W. Kottinger, an Alameda County justice of the peace, and named after his friend, Union army cavalry Major General Alfred Pleasonton. A typographical error by a U.S. Postal Service employee apparently led to the current spelling.

The reputation it had gained from its days as Alisal passed and in 1917, Pleasanton became the backdrop for the film Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, which starred Mary Pickford. The town was once home to Phoebe Apperson Hearst, who lived in a 50-room mansion on a 2,000 acres estate, now the site of Castlewood Country Club.

Pleasanton Art, Entertainment & Culture

Pleasanton continues to maintain a small town flavor with regular events for the community. Every Saturday morning a farmers’ market sets up on Angela, off Main Street. In 2009, Pleasanton appeared on Newsmax magazine’s list of the “Top 25 Most Uniquely American Cities and Towns,” a piece written by current CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg. The article cited the popular farmers’ market among the reasons for the city landing on the list. There are several parades during the year, commemorating Christmas, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day, as well as kicking off the beginning of the Alameda County Fair and soccer season.

The Pleasanton Downtown Association organizes the popular First Wednesday celebrations from May through September. On every first Wednesday of those summery months, Main Street is blocked to traffic and adopts a street fair atmosphere. Each First Wednesday celebration is given a different theme and planned with related activities. Typically the first theme is Cinco de Mayo since May is the first month for these street parties. At this local event, businesses and organizations from downtown and around the Tri-Valley set up booths in the center of the street. A local band performs in the Round Table Pizza parking lot, which is closed off for dancing. The parking lot is also set up as a beergarden, with beer and wine available for consumption.

Another Pleasanton Downtown Association tradition is the Friday Concerts in the Park series. Every Friday from June until September the PDA schedules different local bands to perform in the evenings at the Lions’ Wayside Park off of First Street. The events are free of charge and draw a crowd. Locals will start laying out blankets in the park on Friday mornings as a way to reserve a spot.

The Alameda County Fairgrounds is a 270-acre facility located in Pleasanton, California. It is home to the annual Alameda County Fair, held since 1912, as well as numerous trade shows and community events. Located on its grounds, the Pleasanton Fairgrounds Racetrack was built in 1858, making it the oldest one-mile horse racing track in the United States. There is a 3,000 seat amphitheater, as well as a 9-hole golf course located within the track’s infield.

The Firehouse Arts Center, opened in 2010, is a center of culture and art for Pleasanton. It features a 227-seat theater, the Harrington art gallery, and classrooms for art and drama. It is also home to the critically acclaimed teen improv comedy troupe, Creatures of Impulse.

School Districts

Pleasanton’s two comprehensive high schools, Amador Valley and Foothill, are ranked by Newsweek among the top 400 high schools in the nation. There are also two continuation high schools: Village and Horizon; the latter is for school age mothers and young fathers. There are a number of private schools in Pleasanton, including Stratford School and Hacienda School. Public Elementary schools include: Alisal, Donlon, Fairlands, Hearst, Lydiksen, Mohr, Valley View, Vintage Hills, Walnut Grove. Private schools include: Hacienda, and Stratford. Middle schools include Hart, Harvest Park, and Pleasanton Middle School. High schools include Amador Valley High School, and Foothill High School, and Alternative schools Horizon High School, and Village High School.

City of Pleasanton Parks

The City of Pleasanton offers 44 community and neighborhood parks, approximately 24+ miles of trails and over 600 acres of undeveloped open space. Pleasanton is home to approximately 24+ miles of trails and over 600 acres of undeveloped open space. The Community Services Department facilitates a community garden located at Val Vista Community Park. The garden is comprised of thirty-three (33) full-sized patches, each measuring approximately 225 square feet. As of January 1, 2011, seven (7) new smaller patches of approximately 100 square feet have been added, bringing the total number of patches to 40.

City of Pleasanton Crime Map

http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/Pleasanton/

Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce

Programs to Help Your Business Thrive – Education, Events, Networking and Groups

Pleasanton, California Cost of Living

Visit Sperling’s Best Places for info on Pleasanton, California cost of living, education statistics, crime rates, health, commute times, and more.

Shopping & Dining

Pleasanton Downtown Shopping, Pleasanton CA

http://www.pleasantondowntown.net/

Pleasanton Gateway Shopping Center, Pleasanton CA

http://www.shoppleasantongateway.com/

Stoneridge Shopping Center, Pleasanton CA

http://www.simon.com/mall/stoneridge-shopping-center

Pleasanton Branch Library

The Pleasanton Branch Library offers the following services to its patrons: BookLeggers Program dedicated to promoting independent reading among school-age children in K through 8th grades, Free Computer Access, Free Legal Assistance, Free Museum Tickets, Free Resume Assistance, Free WiFi Access, LINK+ a consortium of public and academic libraries owning 14,000,000+ items, Free tutoring in reading for eligible adults, Free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, Meeting Rooms & Exhibit Space, School Field Trips, and a Veterans Resource Center.

Hotels & Lodging

Looking to visit? Find the best hotels in Pleasanton California  at TripAdvisor.

Established Neighborhoods:

New Home Communities:

 

(page excerpts from  http://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasanton,_California)