Sonali Sells

A cyclist on top of Pleasanton Ridge by John KayPleasanton is a small city in Alameda County, California. The Pleasanton community has over 60,000 residents but still manages to retain its small town character. In downtown Pleasanton, there are plenty of dining options, specialty stores and boutiques, lounge areas and bars. The tree-lined and pedestrian-friendly streets are the ideal place to spend a quiet afternoon. Indeed, locals and tourists do not run out of ways to have a good time in the small community.

Stoneridge Mall, East Bay’s best shopping center in Pleasanton, has over 165 stores and restaurants including Penny’s, Sear’s, Nordstrom’s, Chang’s Restaurant, Cheesecake Factory and other major retailers and popular food joints and restaurants. Aside from Stoneridge Mall, Pleasanton also has the Hacienda Business Park, one of the biggest business parks in the country and is home to Fortune 500 companies like AT&T, Oracle, Sun Microsystems and many more. Health care centers of the community include the ValleyCare Medical Center and the Kaiser Permanente Clinic. ValleyCare Health System is a non-profit community hospital that is privately owned.

Pleasanton is home to the Alameda County Fairgrounds, where special events and the county fair take place from June to July every year. During the other months, there are also special events every weekend, such as car shows, boat shows, garden shows and concerts. Residents also enjoy various park activities in one of their many parks. One of the most popular parks is the Shadow Cliffs Regional Park where families can enjoy water sports and other activities, such as fishing, picnics and other non-motorized sports.

The community has some of the best public schools in the Bay Area. Residents can do activities in Pleasanton Sports Park, a sports center that has over 28 fields for both the young and old. In the sports park, residents can engage in games and join tournaments that happen on a regular basis.

Pleasanton offers a wide range of housing options, such as condominiums and townhouses and mid-range homes. The community also boasts luxury homes and housing developments for high-end living. Some of the most sought after communities in Pleasanton include the Golden Eagle Estates and Ruby Hill. Other neighborhoods are Castlewood, Foothill Knolls, The Preserve, Vintage Hills, Walnut Glen Estates, Willow West and Happy Valley Area. There are over 60 neighborhoods to choose from, with housing values ranging from $500,000 to $4,000,000.

The city is working on the promotion of low-cost housing through IZO or the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. This answers the problems of the increase in the costs of housing units and the decrease in land availability in the recent years. Recently, sales of below-market pricing townhomes and duet homes were sold.

This community is for everyone and anyone looking for a quiet suburban place to live in. With the modern amenities and impressive developments, Pleasanton remains to be one of the most wanted cities to reside in the Bay Area.

Pleasanton School Information

The Pleasanton unified school district is made up of nine elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools. About 15,000 students study in these schools. Majority of the educators at these schools have more than fifteen years of experience in teaching and about a third of them have masters degrees in different fields, thus making the educational system more effective. Schools at the district hold a high score in education compared to other schools in California.

Parents of the students are highly involved in activities and this helps in further improving the amenities of the school and improving the education that the youth receives. Even citizens who are not parents of students volunteer to work for the betterment of the school system in Pleasanton. Community efforts pay off as the unified school district has received numerous awards for California Distinguished Schools, National Schools of Character and National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Schools have diverse programs that cater to the needs and interests of every student. They offer dual immersion language programs, music instruction, computer instruction, athletic programs, drama programs, special education and GATE or Gifted and Talented Education for students who are advanced for their level of studies. With the quality education provided by schools in Pleasanton, over 90% of high school graduates get into a vocational school, a college or a university. The educational system in Pleasanton’s unified school district opens up many career opportunities for the students and prepares them for their lives ahead.

Pleasanton Area Attractions

Pleasanton area also offers many attractions, including museums and zoos. Some of them are Blackhawk Auto Museum, Lick Observatory, San Francisco Zoo, Six Flags Marine World, Paramount Great America and more. Residents also enjoy regional, state and national parks, golf courses, recreational areas and the beach.

Pleasanton Events

Some of the sights from the monthly “First Wednesday” held on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton on the first Wednesday of every month during the summer. Photo by John Kay.Pleasanton provides some events wherein the residents can mingle with each other and celebrate. There are Christmas parades each year and the downtown parking lot is converted to a skating rink for the citizens to enjoy. Every Saturday, the downtown main street gets set up with booths and stalls for the weekly farmers’ market. In the summer months, the main street is blocked off for the First Wednesday celebration that happens on the first Wednesday of each summer month. There are booths for food and other goods, as well as local band performances. Nearby parking lots are converted into beer gardens and dance floors for the summer celebration. For music lovers, Friday park concerts are available free of charge. This happens every Friday night from June up to September at Lions’ Wayside Park.

Pleasanton: A Vibrant Community

Over the years, Pleasanton has developed into a major job hub that houses over 5000 businesses in different industries, providing jobs for over 50,000 people. With the onset of job opportunities, the community is also diversifying. Recreational programs that celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity are available for all ages, gender and culture. A caring community, Pleasanton provides services to cater to the needs of the community, whether it is non-profit, development issues and other major concerns of the citizens. This is why Pleasanton is known as the sparkling jewel.

Do you want to learn more about Pleasanton?

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• share via Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post