在20世纪10年代,随着加利福尼亚州电影业的兴起,该市变得更加重要,成为加利福尼亚州主要的电影拍摄中心之一,有点像今天的好莱坞。《阳光农场里的丽贝卡》(Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm)等影片于1917年在普莱森顿拍摄。然而,普莱森顿的人口增长始于20世纪60年代,到1970年人口增长到18,000,增长了两倍多。此后,人口已增长到约80,000。
普莱森顿有一个可步行的历史悠久的市中心区域。市中心的中心是 Main Street,从南部的 Bernal Ave(以市政厅 Old Bernal 为基础)到北部的 Arroyo del Valle。普莱森顿市中心协会提供前往市中心的路线。历史住宅区也有非常适合步行的街道,尽管该镇的这一部分有陡峭的山丘。
在普莱森顿驾车相对容易,而且通常有足够的停车位(尽管有时在市中心情况并非如此。例如,在阿拉米达县博览会期间)。I-680 沿着城市西部边缘有三个出口(Sunol Boulevard、Bernal Avenue 和 Stoneridge Drive),I-580 界定了普莱森顿市的北部边界,有四个出口(Hopyard Road、Hacienda Drive、Santa Rita Road 和 El Charro Road)。如果您沿着 Santa Rita Road 向南行驶,从 I-580 驶向普莱森顿市中心,这条路会变成 Main Street,标志着市中心的入口。向南沿着 Hopyard Road 行驶,最终会变窄并变成 Division Street,然后变成 Saint Mary Street,最终在市中心的 Main Street 终止。
普莱森顿,尤其是自 Hacienda Business Park 建成以来,拥有许多宽阔的道路(北部),非常容易驾驶。
停车场很宽敞,尤其是在购物中心,因为地面更平坦且有充足的额外空间。然而,市中心的停车位比较棘手,尤其是在 Main Street 沿线。在阿拉米达县博览会期间,市中心的停车位可能近乎不可能。
白天不要试图将车直接停在 Main Street 或 First Street,因为这些道路狭窄且繁忙,使得沿路停车很困难。通常,很容易停车的街道距离繁忙、拥堵的道路只有很短的距离。在有活动期间,尤其是在阿拉米达县博览会期间,Main Street 和市中心总体来说停车可能会很糟糕,人们会把车停在市中心以避免博览会停车场的停车费。秋季也可能出现停车问题,尤其是在小街道上,因为落叶覆盖了停车位,而树木及其叶子遮挡了照明和标识。
一般来说,Hacienda Business Park 区域的停车位位于购物中心内或商业单位附近。该区域的停车场很大,空间比车辆多。
普莱森顿市中心有许多历史遗迹。这些通常分为两个区域:沿 Main Street 的商业区和沿 First Street 和 Second Street 的住宅区。
Main Street 的商业区大约长半英里(一公里)。市中心的这个区域以 Farmer's Market 附近的 Angela Street 和 Main Street 的交叉口为中心。然而,它也向北延伸至这个交叉口,包括 Ray Street、Saint John Street 和 Main Street 相交的主要路口(Oasis Restaurant 和 Rose Hotel 位于这个交叉口)。行人经常漫步在这个市中心区域,通常是在餐厅用餐之前或之后。
Main Street 东南部的住宅区不如 Main Street 长,但有一些历史悠久的房屋。如果您从 Main Street 向东南方向走,First Street 标志着从商业区到住宅区的过渡,这在 Second Street 一直到 Third Street 仍然是历史性的。在此之后,房屋的建造年代较新,尽管其中一些即使在该镇的这个区域也很有吸引力。
其他景点也很显著,例如 Main Street 的 Kottinger's Barn and Museum。这些都是历史建筑,后来被改建成具有新用途的建筑。例如,Firehouse Arts Center 在 21 世纪初被改建为剧院和艺术画廊之前,曾是一座消防站建筑。
37.660675-121.8735141废弃铁路。在改道至普莱森顿市中心西北方向之前,铁路曾直接穿过市中心区域。例如,您仍然可以在 Farmer's Market 的 West Angela Street 看到铁路道口标志。一些铁轨仍然可以看到,靠近 Firehouse Theater,并且在普莱森顿市中心南部的 Sunol Boulevard 沿线可以看到一段更长的废弃铁路。(2017年3月更新)
37.663114-121.872472Kottinger's Barn,200 Ray Street, Pleasanton, CA(Take First Street to Ray Street; turn onto Ray Street towards downtown Pleasanton).Kottinger's Barn, built in 1852, was once a jail that bandits frequently "visited". The building's thick walls and barred windows are an interesting contrast to the small shop and potted plants which now exist at the location.(updated Dec 2017)
37.661754-121.8755443Museum on Main(Pleasanton Museum),603 Main St(Go along Main Street, near Blue Agave),☏ +1 925 462-2766.Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1PM-4PM.This museum features Pleasanton's history with numerous historic items, maps, and more, some of which date to Native American times. There are also exhibits for things around the area, such as Pleasanton's filming history. These change every few months.Free, donations welcome.(updated Dec 2017)
37.6596-121.87624Pleasanton Commercial District,Main Street(Follow Santa Rita road south from I-580, or take Sunol Boulevard northeast from I-680.).The commercial district of downtown Pleasanton is based around Main Street, a slow two-lane road with shops and restaurants. Main Street is better for pedestrians than drivers, since the road gets very busy. Some of the buildings are older than others - new buildings are still being added along Main Street, while others have long histories. The best and most expensive of restaurants are generally in downtown Pleasanton, although there are some other good restaurants in other parts of the City.One can explore downtown for free, but businesses are mostly on the expensive side.(updated Apr 2019)
A museum and restaurant are on this part of Main Street; the building on the left is Museum on Main37.659644-121.8724655Pleasanton Historic Residential District,Second Street(Take First Street to Neal Street, and take Neal Street in the direction of the homes).Along with the historic buildings in commercial district of downtown Pleasanton, there are several blocks of well-maintained older homes which are accessible along Neal Street to the south of downtown. Particularly around Lighthouse Baptist Church, there are several homes dating back to the 1800s. Many of these buildings have nice gardens, along avenues of tall trees. The area has a lot of steep hills, similar to that of San Francisco, so walking around the area could be strenuous to some.(updated Dec 2017)
37.661547-121.8752786Pleasanton Sign Arch,Main Street just north of Division Street.The inscription reads: "Originally installed by the Women's Improvement Club in 1932, the Pleasanton Sign have become a familiar landmark and prominent symbol of the community. In 2005, the sign underwent a complete restoration, and was rededicated by the City Council on April 8th."(updated Mar 2017)
37.665196-121.8736847Main Street Green,895 Main Street(Junction of Main Street and Del Valle Parkway).There is a statue in this small park at the northern end of downtown. A path goes to the Arroyo del Valle creek that runs alongside the park.(updated Apr 2018)
37.6609-121.87388Firehouse Arts Center,4444 Railroad Ave(one block east of Main St, opposite Division St, in the downtown),☏ +1 925 931-4850 (Information), +1 925 931-4848 (Box Office).Opened in 2010, the Firehouse Arts Center is the City of Pleasanton's historic 1929 Fire House One renovated and expanded into an arts center featuring the 230-seat Firehouse Theater, Harrington Gallery of fine arts, two large arts classrooms, and a grand lobby for receptions and events. The transformed facility also offers a pedestrian connection from Main Street to the expanded Lions Wayside Park.(updated Mar 2017)
Numerous murals. There are several beautiful murals and wall drawings scattered around downtown Pleasanton. Near Strizzi's Restaurant is a 37.662504-121.8752299mural of the Tri-Valley.(updated Jan 2018) Another mural, portraying a street scene, is at 37.660664-121.87714710Valley Plumbing.(It faces Peters Avenue.)(updated Jan 2018) These murals often make what would normally be boring walls some of the most interesting in the town.
Hacienda Business Park is easily recognized by its unusual traffic signals
37.697708-121.8891811Hacienda Business Park,Owens Drive(A large portion of northern Pleasanton is Hacienda Business Park).This isn't the best place for travelers to visit if they don't have much time on their hands, but it's an interesting place to visit if you do not know what else to do with yourself. Two factors are what make Hacienda Business Park visually interesting: the architecture of the street signs and the business park's history. First, the unusual traffic lights and street signs are gigantic square structures that are built across the roads, and they are accentuated by what immediately surrounds them. Second, the history of the park: Hacienda Business Park was built around the 1980s when Pleasanton began to look like it does today, and Hacienda Business Park replaced ranching and farming country. Within a few years, what is now northern Pleasanton went from being countryside to an important part of the City of Pleasanton. However, the plans of the developers to turn Hacienda Business Park into one of the world's great business parks did not succeed — the wide boulevards in the business park are surprisingly empty, giving the business park a near-abandoned feeling sometimes.(updated May 2018)
Every summer Pleasanton hosts the Alameda County Fair, the main repeated event in Pleasanton. However, Pleasanton has numerous other events, musically and otherwise. Pleasanton, like neighbor Livermore, has a surprisingly strong jazz scene. Major jazz events include the monthly Inklings concerts, which are free and open to the public.
Pleasanton hosts many activities along Main Street. Such activities include the Third Thursdays Art Walk: these are important, even for those who are not attending the events, because they often result in Main Street or Angela Street road closures.
Pleasanton Ridge is an EBRPD regional park in the western hills of Pleasanton
Although some of the local parks are owned by the city government, most of the larger parks are owned by the EBRPD, which stands for the "East Bay Regional Parks District". The EBRPD owns a couple parks in Pleasanton, including Pleasanton Ridge and Shadow Cliffs, but also owns several other parks in the greater Tri-Valley, including Del Valle, Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, and Morgan Territory.
Although Pleasanton isn't a beach town, there are still places to take time relaxing. Pleasanton's historic residential district is nearly always peaceful — especially along Second Street and onwards, you could almost think that no-one was living there.
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park and Shadow Cliffs Regional Park are not the best places to relax. For relaxation in parklands, the best place to go is Livermore. In Livermore,37.635285-121.7741312Sycamore Grove has beautiful trails featuring woodlands, historic buildings, and hills in the south. There are numerous benches around the park, so feel free to bring a snack and enjoy the peacefulness of the sycamore and olive groves.
Pleasanton and Livermore are working on a trail network for cyclists and pedestrians. Portions of Livermore's trail network are already complete; the trails mostly contain gentle slopes in nice countryside, ranchlands, and vineyards - a good area to escape the busyness of ordinary life. The trail network is accessible from the Sycamore Grove Staging Area. When the Pleasanton section is complete along37.657077-121.8285874Old Vineyard Avenue, the trail network in the region will grow even more.
37.6606-121.9121Alviso Adobe Community Park,3465 Old Foothill Rd.(west of Foothill Road about 0.5 miles / 1 km north of Bernal Ave),☏ +1 925 931-3479,alvisoadobe@cityofpleasantonca.gov.W-Su 10AM-4PM.Opened in 2008, this restored community park gives visitors a glimpse of the history of the Amador Valley, including interpretive displays of early Ohlone culture before the Spanish arrival, the years of Ranchos managing herds of cattle on the 9,000 acres (3,600 hectares) Rancho Santa Rita Mexican Land Grant, and a replica of an American Meadowlark Dairy in the early to mid-20th century. The star focus of this interpretative park is a rare original American adobe house, constructed in 1854 by Francisco Alviso, that was continuously in use until 1969. The Alviso Adobe is restored and on display furnished as it would have been in the 1920s. Visitor center/dairy has activities for kids; grounds have tables for picnics. Parking at south end.Free.(updated Mar 2017)
37.640344-121.907212Augustin Bernal Park,8200 Golden Eagle Way(Golden Eagle Way can be accessed from Foothill Road).This is a Pleasanton city park next to #Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park. It is similar in almost every aspect to its neighbor, except that it's smaller.(updated Dec 2017)
Lake del Valle
37.652673-121.891043Bernal Community Park,7001 Pleasanton Ave.(Take Valley Avenue to Pleasanton Avenue (South). This part of Pleasanton Avenue is under construction, and will eventually connect with Bernal Avenue near downtown.).Bernal Community Park is part of a larger plan to move the civic center from Old Bernal Avenue to Pleasanton Avenue towards the south of the city. Although this new civic center has not been constructed, the local park has been constructed. It includes a small area of newly-planted oak woodlands, along with a sports park.Free.(updated Dec 2017)
37.767436-121.7035164Brushy Peak Regional Preserve,Laughlin Road(Laughlin Road is accessible from Northfront (Altamont Pass) Road; however, part of Laughlin Road is a one-lane road).Brushy Peak Regional Preserve is an EBRPD park northeast of Livermore. The public trails do not lead to the top of the peak, but they go around the general area. There are a few trails in the park, and the main loop is about four or five miles (7 km) in length.(updated May 2018)
37.669349-121.8399719阴影悬崖,2500 Stanley Boulevard(沿 Stanley Boulevard 向东前往利弗莫尔).该公园曾是一个采石场的一部分,但现在挖空的土地变成了阴影悬崖湖。它包括围绕湖泊的几英里长的步道和一个受欢迎的湖滨海滩。但是,请准备好应对湖边烧烤架附近可能遇到的强烈烧烤味。(更新于 2017 年 12 月)
每月第三个星期四艺术漫步,普莱森顿市中心(从 580 号公路:退出 Santa Rita,向南行驶,沿指示前往市中心。从 680 号公路:退出 Bernal,向东行驶,沿指示前往市中心。),☏ +1-925-400-8190.18:30-21:00.每月第三个星期四的商家艺术漫步是一个合作活动,旨在将当地市中心商家、艺术团体和地区艺术家聚集在一起,以继续为普莱森顿市中心增添有趣而充满活力的活动。这是一个美好的夜晚散步,也是一次加入社区、支持当地艺术家并帮助社区蓬勃发展的机会。免费.
37.663197-121.88399811阿拉米达县博览会(阿拉米达县博览会场馆),4501 Pleasanton Avenue(入口沿 Koll Center Parkway 附近的 Valley Avenue).自 1912 年以来,博览会每年夏天都在阿拉米达县博览会场馆举行。您还可以计划上午参观 Eddie Rich Racing Stable,亲身体验激动人心的纯种赛马世界。博览会场馆每年都会举办汽车展和赛马。(更新于 2017 年 12 月)
37.636536-121.895316卡斯尔伍德乡村俱乐部,707 Country Club Cir(可通过 Castlewood Drive 抵达),☏ +1 925 846-2871.这是一个位于普莱森顿西部 Foothills 社区的一流乡村俱乐部。对于那些有钱并且想要在普莱森顿获得最佳体验的人来说,这里是理想的选择。它坐落在普莱森顿岭的山坡上,离地区公园不远,但不在通往公园的路上。(更新于 2017 年 12 月)
37.641973-121.81373917红宝石山乡村俱乐部,3400 W Ruby Hill Dr(通过 Ruby Hill Boulevard 或 Ruby Hill Drive 进出).另一个一流的乡村俱乐部,位于普莱森顿东部的葡萄酒产区。它位于一个封闭式社区内。(更新于 2017 年 12 月)
普莱森顿曾是 Safeway Stores(在几年前被收购前)的总部所在地,如今超市林立。普莱森顿有两家 Safeway 超市,以及一家 Trader Joe's 和一家 Ranch 99。Stoneridge Mall 是市区北部的一家大型购物中心。它靠近 Hacienda Business Park,Rosewood Plaza 也是如此。普莱森顿市中心位于南部。
Gold N Time,3037 Hopyard Rd STE E.出售和维修手表的小店。
37.659274-121.8753691普莱森顿农贸市场,West Angela Street, Pleasanton, California.周六上午.农贸市场每周六上午在 Main Street 和 First Street 之间的 West Angela Street 路段举行。他们会封闭 Angela Street 的这段路,方便您沿街行走,购买食品,为慈善捐款,或了解选举或活动信息。(更新于 2018 年 6 月)
37.698249-121.8754452Rosewood Plaza,Rosewood Drive, Pleasanton, California(靠近 Santa Rita Road,离 I-580 很近).Rosewood Plaza 是一个邻里中心,有几家商店。价格适中.(更新于 2017 年 12 月)
37.659627-121.8761714Studio 7 Art Gallery,400 Main St (市中心 — 就在与 Angela Street 的交叉路口旁边)。艺术品商店,展示当地乡村场景的绘画,例如迪亚布罗山(Mount Diablo)的景色,以及一些城市景观,如旧金山。 (更新于 2017 年 12 月)
37.661264-121.8755465Towne Center Books,555 Main St (Chase Bank 旁边)。市中心的主要书店。商店分为两部分,前面是成人书籍,后面是儿童书籍和游戏。 (更新于 2018 年 6 月)
37.662525-121.8759267Andy & Yu's,348 St. Mary Street (Main Street 附近), ☏ +1 925 750-8888。餐厅名称非常准确地定义了餐厅:它是中式美式餐厅,提供中国菜肴但带有西方氛围。 大部分主菜价格在 10 美元左右;但有些价格更高。(更新于 2018 年 4 月)
37.659968-121.8759498Chianti Reserve,436 Main Street (Main-Angela 路口附近), ☏ +1 925 484-3877。大部分晚餐价格在 10 美元左右。(更新于 2018 年 4 月)
37.663863-121.87419112Oasis Lounge,780 Main St (Rose Hotel 对面)。Oasis 在 Pleasanton 市中心提供地中海美食和饮品。Oasis 在 Pleasanton 经营多年,地理位置优越,位于市中心,尽管主停车场非常有限。餐厅的室内区域有很多座位,户外还有一个花园区域。但是,坐在外面不方便的一点是,您会听到所有沿 Ray Street 进入 Pleasanton 市中心,然后左转至 Main Street 短段(就在 Oasis Restaurant 前面),然后右转至 St. John Street 前往 Peters Avenue 的交通噪音。 (更新于 2017 年 12 月)
37.65969-121.87644213Pastas Trattoria,405 Main St。Pleasanton 市中心的意大利餐厅。 (更新于 2017 年 12 月)
37.659344-121.87676714Prime Poke,349 Main St (该餐厅靠近 Main 和 Angela 街的交汇处,以及 Fontina Restaurant 曾在此处), ☏ +1 925 523-396。这是一家夏威夷鱼餐厅。 通常在 10 美元出头。(更新于 2018 年 5 月)
37.659771-121.87468315Senro Sushi,30 Neal Street #110(这家餐厅有点难找。它离名字很奇怪的“阿拉米达交通走廊”(Alameda Transportation Corridor)非常近,事实上那里曾经是铁路经过的地方,后来铁路被改道到市中心另一侧——现在大部分地方要么是碎石地,要么被改成了停车场),☏ +1 925 600-8040.(2018年4月更新)
37.660519-121.87564717Baci,500 Main Street.这家餐厅位于普莱森顿市中心的主街街角,是几家在人行道旁设有户外座位的普莱森顿餐厅之一。餐厅外还有一些有趣的装置,里面燃烧着火焰,在晚间为户外用餐的顾客提供温暖。意大利面类通常为20至30美元;大多数海鲜/牛排超过30美元.(2017年12月更新)
37.661943-121.87538418Blue Agave,625 Main St(在主街上,靠近普莱森顿标志和主街博物馆).他们在普莱森顿市中心的博物馆旁边的一栋楼里提供高档墨西哥菜。Blue Agave 的显著标志是餐厅前面宽敞的座位区以及建筑鲜艳的色彩。(2018年5月更新)
37.660173-121.87522719Hap's Original,122 West Neal St.Hap's 有一个从主街可见的老式鸡尾酒招牌。从那里您可能会认为它是一个老式酒吧,直到您走到餐厅,才会发现这里的奢华。这是一家美国牛排馆,提供美味的牛排,配菜价格稍高。餐点是单点。晚餐前请在酒吧享用一杯曼哈顿鸡尾酒。价格中等偏高.(2017年12月更新)
37.660147-121.87622920Lokanta Restaurant,443 Main St,☏ +1 925 223-8074.Lokanta 是一家相当高档的餐厅,位于普莱森顿市中心。Lokanta 提供地中海美食,主要是希腊和土耳其菜肴,同时供应早餐和晚餐。餐厅有四个用餐区:餐厅前面、餐厅主区(厨房所在地)、前厅后面的带酒吧和大窗户的房间,以及餐厅旁边的巷子里,那里有几张桌子。(2018年11月更新)
37.659892-121.87630821Nonni's,425 Main Street(隔壁是 Frontier Spice Restaurant;餐厅后面有一个停车场,该停车场有一条小路通往 Nonni's 旁边的主街部分).欧陆美食,融合了法式、英式和意大利式风味。大多数晚餐餐点价格略低于30美元.(2018年5月更新)
37.662449-121.87510222Strizzi's,649 Main Street(位于市中心唯一加油站的同一路口).提供传统意大利美食。在利弗莫尔(Livermore)和弗里蒙特(Fremont)也有其他分店。(2017年12月更新)
37.660849-121.87580523Tri-Valley Bistro,519 Main Street.美式食物,多为非素食菜肴。价格从20多美元到30多美元不等.(2017年12月更新)
37.664493-121.8737313Main Street Brewery,830 Main Street,☏ +1 925 462-8218.如果您在寻找普莱森顿的时尚都市一面,这里不是您的目的地,但如果您在寻找热闹的氛围和现场音乐,Main Street Brewery 是个好地方。摇滚、流行和蓝调音乐团体经常在此现场表演,当地爵士歌手 Karen Marguth 和 Moving Parts 乐队也会在此演出。(2018年6月更新)
37.653798-121.8209538Rubino Estates Winery,1188 Vineyard Ave(沿 Vineyard Avenue,比 Ruby Hill 更靠近普莱森顿).在规模和宏伟程度上,它与 Ruby Hill Winery 有些相似。Rubino Winery 有一条长长的入口车道,从 Vineyard Avenue 通往酒庄。(2017年12月更新)
37.652056-121.8061099Ruby Hill Winery,400 Vineyard Avenue(靠近 CA-84,或者从普莱森顿(Pleasanton)出发走 Vineyard Avenue).普莱森顿东部一座美丽的、高档的酒庄。酒庄周围的环境与纳帕谷(Napa)和利弗莫尔(Livermore)的葡萄酒产区非常相似,背后是葡萄园和豪宅。酒庄附近是(同样高档的)Ruby Hill 封闭式社区。(2017年12月更新)
37.663864-121.8745929Rose Hotel,807 Main Street, Pleasanton, California(At the intersection of Saint John Street and Main Street and across from the US Bank and Oasis Restaurant).The Rose Hotel is one of Pleasanton's most beautiful buildings because of its height and large size, making it the closest thing in Pleasanton to the type of expensive hotels you would find in the downtowns of many popular tourist destinations. There is an entrance to the building along Main Street and there is parking for the hotel on the first floor of the building itself.Expensive.(updated Jun 2018)
On the whole, Pleasanton is a safe city. The most dangerous locations in Pleasanton are toward the edges of the city — Vineyard Avenue, on the east of the city, has a high speed limit and turns without good curbs, and accidents have occurred around certain corners.
When driving in country areas, deer will often jump over a high fence onto the road, and that can be problematic when someone is driving along that piece of road. The same is true with raccoons and other smaller animals, but of course this does not pose so much danger to drivers.
Cyclists should be careful about going on the wide, country roads, for sure; commuters from the Central Valley drive far above speed limits and often crash into fences or anything along the sides of the road. Avoid cycling in downtown; the roads are busy, cycling lanes (if they exist!) are narrow, and pedestrians often walk along the sidewalks. Cycling is best done on the numerous bike trails around town.
Pleasanton seems, unless you know the Pleasonton story, to have reason behind its name — it is one of America's safer towns. Even at night, you could walk in almost any part of the town with no worry whatsoever about crime.
One problem in Pleasanton and Livermore is drunk driving. With numerous wineries in the area, people will often drive from one to another and drink at each one, and their condition rapidly deteriorates, sometimes leading to serious accidents when they drive home.
Generally, although the city is very safe, the safest parts of town are in the downtown area. Unless you're Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, you should not have to worry about leaving your car unlocked while you eat at a restaurant (not that you should). Signs and posters along the Main Street won't get vandalized, unless they're political. People are often afraid to make their political views public, for example, especially if they're part of the right-wing minority.
Outside Pleasanton is probably more dangerous than inside the city. The East Bay has a mountain lion population, although mountain lions generally stay away from populated places and parklands, at least during the day.
When you see a mountain lion and it is acting threateningly towards you (which isn't very common, by the way), act the opposite way you would act to a bear. With bears, advice is often to make yourself as small as possible. However, with mountain lions, your best chance is to scare them off. By making yourself look large and by throwing stones, the mountain lions are most likely to work out that you're more powerful than they are, and they will go away.
Rattlesnakes can also be a problem outside of the city itself. Generally, you can avoid rattlesnakes by walking in the center of trails (so you can see them). If it's not in a good position for attack, you'll have time to get away from the rattlesnakes. If the snake is coiled, then it’s angry and ready for attack, so get away as fast as possible. Do not attempt to take pictures of the snake within several feet of it. Rattlesnakes can spring surprisingly far and use their venom before you can get away, so make sure you are extremely careful in any parks and country areas.
Pleasanton downtown has its own Wi-Fi, while most restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels will also have their own. The area is also covered by XFINITY internet connectivity for those who have an XFINITY account.
There are several local newspapers, such as the Independent newspaper based in Livermore, and the Pleasanton Weekly newspaper based in Pleasanton. A magazine commonly seen at storefronts and coffee shops is the Alive Magazine, linked here to the Peet's Coffee location with Alive magazines in Pleasanton.
The Independent and the Pleasanton Weekly also have websites where news articles can be read without charge.
The main37.671657-121.8733435Pleasanton Post Office is on Black Avenue quite close to downtown Pleasanton; however, there is another post office in the northern part of town.
Generally, coping in Pleasanton shouldn't be much harder than it would be anywhere else, although the wide boulevards (of which there are many in the north near Hacienda Business Park) could be overwhelming for visitors. Cost of living may surprise visitors; if you're traveling on a budget, various low-price goods can be purchased at Rick's Picks, for example.
There is a major hospital and37.694345-121.8808996heliport along northern Santa Rita Road. It is the main hospital in town.
In Dublin just across the I-580 (on Tassajara Road) is a37.704593-121.8726247ValleyCare Urgent Care center. This is useful for those who have sudden ailments, although there are often long waits for care and the urgent care center does not do major operations - just relatively simple care.
Livermore is in some ways similar to Pleasanton, but is still different. While Pleasanton has many historic sights, Livermore has an abundance of wineries, vineyards, and large areas of mountains and parks. The city has about 8,000 more people in Pleasanton, and is an interesting contrast.
Just south of Livermore is Del Valle Regional Park, which is a large regional park with several campsites and a large reservoir, Lake Del Valle. From the top of some of the ridges are beautiful views of the lake and in other locations high cliffs. Del Valle is also a gateway into some even wilder country at Ohlone Regional Wilderness.
Mount Hamilton, also known as Lick Observatory, is south of Ohlone, and can be accessed via either Livermore, Patterson, or San Jose. Particularly from the eastern side, the drive is a lonely one. However, once you reach the top Mount Hamilton and look around you, the long, tiring drive was worth it. The 4,000-foot-high scientific community and observatory has views of San Jose and possibly the Sierra Nevada in good weather conditions. There is a museum and a gift shop at the settlement.
Farther south of Mount Hamilton, Del Valle, and Ohlone is some of the loneliest country in California at Henry Coe State Park. Miles and miles of trails lead deep into the Diablo Range wilderness and mountains covered in pine trees.
San Francisco, in many ways, need not be explained. It is the home of several piers, cable cars, and the Golden Gate Bridge, and is less than two hours from Pleasanton - that is, in good traffic. (The freeways into San Francisco are traffic jams much of the time.)
San Jose is one of California's largest and fastest-expanding cities, with a population of more than a million. It is home to several museums, along with Alviso, a coastal town which was once a thriving port but is now the home of a nature reserve.
Concord is, along with Walnut Creek, an area with many shops and more nightlife than Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley region.
Sunol is a small village south of Pleasanton with some unique attractions. One of these is the locally-famous Sunol Water Tower, which is for a few hours on some days, and the passenger train which runs from Sunol to Niles on weekends.
Mount Diablo is a dramatically-situated mountain to the north of Pleasanton. Although it is less than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), its prominence enables it to be seen from as much as a hundred miles (160 km) away.
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