Moving to Walnut Creek, CA; Everything You Need To Know

Looking to move to beautiful Walnut Creek, California?  This charming city has so much to offer.  I've been fortunate to live in this community for nearly two decades and it never disappoints.  From the amazing shopping,  to a plethora of delicious restaurants, and the amazing recreational opportunities; Walnut Creek has all that you could want in a home town.


LOCATION
Walnut Creek is nestled in the valleys and foothills of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area with freeway convenience to the north and south on Interstate 680 and California State Highway 24 beginning in Walnut Creek and heading west through the beautiful hillsides of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda making Walnut Creek a location that many commuters call home.  Walnut Creek offers the charm of a small town, with the refinement of gourmet cuisine.  Here are just a few proximity distances to local areas.  

• 16 miles west of Oakland
• 70 miles east of Sacramento
• 38 miles south of Napa

SIZE

The city has a total population of 69,000 according to the 2016 statistics. Walnut Creek spans almost 20 square miles and is located along the slopes of Mt. Diablo and San Ramon Valley. Walnut Creek owns more open space per capita than any other community in the state of California. In 1974 the city Walnut Creek purchased the undeveloped area of Lime Ridge, Shell Ridge, Acalanes Ridge, and Sugarloaf to remain as Open Spaces.



COMMUTING

Walnut Creek is located near the 680/24 interchange, so whether you are a commuter into San Francisco or just like to get on the road to get out of town freeway access is very convenient. Walnut Creek hosts two BART stations, Walnut Creek station on (Ygnacio Valley Road & California) and Pleasant Hill Station (Treat & Oak).   Commute times can vary based on when you leave town and where your end destination, but a standard 45 to 90 minutes is your typical commute into San Francisco.  Ygnacio Valley Road and Treat are main roads for commuters from Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood and Oakley which does contribute to the congestion in the morning and evening rush hours.

Walnut Creek offers a relative close distance to local international airports such as San Francisco (35 miles), Oakland (25 miles)  and San Jose (46 miles)  hosting many the airlines we are all familiar with.  Concord Regional Airport now services Jet Suite which offers many convenient flights to Las Vegas and Burbank.  A good friend of our recently traveled with Jet Suite to Burbank and had nothing but rave reviews for the convenience and price. 

HISTORY

• 1855 Milo Hough builds the first hotel and store, called the Walnut Creek House, near the intersection of present-day No. Main Street and Civic Drive. It was destroyed by a fire on April 5, 1867, and rebuilt.
• 1856 Hiram Penniman purchases 500 acres of land from the daughter of Doña Juana Sanchez de Pacheco. Here he builds Shadelands Ranch.
• 1860 Hiram Penniman lays out the first town site and realigns what is now Main Street.
• 1862 With the establishment of the U.S. Post Office in December, The Corners is officially renamed Walnut Creek.
• 1891 Southern Pacific Railroad inaugurates service to Walnut Creek on June 7.
• 1910 The Great Western Power Co. brings electricity to Walnut Creek.
• 1914 Walnut Creek incorporates on October 21 as the eighth city in Contra Costa County. 
• 1947 Civic Park, the city's first park, opens downtown with a lighted ball-field and tennis courts.  Parking meters are placed on Main Street, generating $650 a month for the city.  Dean Lesher buys the Walnut Creek Courier-Journal. The newspaper is renamed the Contra Costa Times in 1952.
• 1951 Broadway Shopping Center opens with 38 stores on October 11.  Walnut Creek's first high school,  Las Lomas, opens.
• 1955 Developer Joseph Eichler begins building the Rancho San Miguel subdivision in Ygnacio Valley, the region's first.  EICHLER HOMES
• 1960  Interstate 680/Highway 24 interchange opens in March. Costing $15 million, it takes three years to build.
• 1973  BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) begins service between Concord and Oakland. Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill BART stations open May 21.
• 1974 The city's second high school, Northgate, opens.
• 1990 Regional Center for the Arts opens on October 4 with a gala show featuring legendary comedian Bob Hope, singers Vic Damone and Diahann Carroll, and Oscar-winning actor Joel Grey. The venue is renamed the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in 1995, and in 2007 the name becomes Lesher Center for the Arts.
• 1999  Construction is completed on Interstate 680/Highway 24 interchange.
• 2014  Walnut Creek celebrates its 100th year as a city.

SHOPPING, RESTAURANTS & PARKING


Because if you are going to shop then you are going to have to park.  So this section goes hand in hand.  The most famous shopping known in Walnut Creek is Broadway Plaza .  Although you can also shop many fine stores such as Vineyard Vines, H&M, Macy's, Newman Marcus, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Crate & Barrell, Sur La Table, Tesla, Anthropology, Tiffany's and Apple.  

If you are a foodie, you will love Walnut Creek dining. Walnut Creek hosts it's own Restaurant Week.  Our family loves to have dinner at Maria Maria or Il Fornaio, but my husband and my favorite place to celebrate anniversaries is Fleming's.  Another great place for you history buffs is the historic Vic Stewart's that takes up residency in the old Walnut Creek train depot.  You can even get a table in an old train car with a private room for two. I highly recommend getting the onion rings. Yum!  There's also the amazing scenic views at Rooftop and Teleferic Barcelona or eating tapas under the big lighted oak tree at Va De Vi. If your friends are like many of my friends with food intolerances there is also True Food Kitchen that caters to many food allergies. Scott's is a great location to for a special night out and serves amazing seafood as well as does Walnut Creek Yacht Club. Walnut Creek also hosts a Cheesecake Factory, P F Chang's, and a Ruth Chris Steakhouse.  

Now you don't always have to get on your best outfit to go out to eat in Walnut Creek.  There is also The Counter, Sauced, Tomatina's, Tender Greens, Buckhorn Grill and for an amazing breakfast there's Katy's Kreek. There are so many more options to list.  Whatever your tastes are there is something for everybody.

As with many downtown areas there are several Starbucks for your refreshment enjoyment (Locust & Botelho, Broadway Plaza, Main & Duncan,  No. California & Cole) as well a Peet's Coffee (on Locust) and if you’re a non establishment coffee drinker, then follow the locals to a little place affectionately called the Coffee Shop @coffeeshopofficial on Locust, as well as a Philz Coffee on S. California. 

There are a number of parking garages conveniently located that are either free of charge or cost is minimal. You can also find parking on the streets which are metered as well as some lots where stores have parking.  Going to downtown Walnut Creek is a social occasion that many enjoy,  especially on our northern California warm summer nights and during the Christmas shopping season. You’ll see families, couples out on dates, friends getting together and your local groups of teenagers socializing.  (***On a side note; As a mom of teenagers I can tell you I feel comfortable letting my kids meet with friends and walk around enjoying their time together. It’s a pretty safe scene in Walnut Creek.)

ENTERTAINMENT & THE ARTS 

As mentioned earlier in the post Walnut Creek is home to the Lesher Center for the Arts. The Center Repertory Company performs quite a few productions throughout the year.  I have been fortunate enough to seen some of their shows and have always been very impressed by their performance.  The Lesher also hosts a series of lectures called Newsmakers.

And if you a movie buff, there's also the Century Theater Walnut Creek near restaurants, shopping and convenient parking. The city also hosts Movie Under the Starts family movie nights in Civic Park over several dates in the summer.

HOUSING

The housing market in Walnut Creek is thriving and did not take the hits in the market like most of the country did back in 2008.  Over the past 5 years there has been tremendous growth in construction in residential multi-unit complexes. Walnut Creek subdivision boom hit in the 1960's and 1970's so you will see that most houses in Walnut Creek are from that area designed in the traditional style.  Walnut Creek offers well maintained and mature neighborhoods as well as condos and apartment living.  When I meet with a client we address what a client's need and wants are for a new home and do our best to match them with the price range and neighborhood they love.  Many families and professionals call Walnut Creek home.

"THE" WALNUT CREEK

Walnut Creek actually does have a creek. The actual waterway that runs through town and has been routed underneath downtown through a series of tunnels starting at the southwest end of Macy's and ending just southwest of Maria Maria Restaurant. If you are at Maria Maria take a look over the bridge to the right of the restaurant and there is Walnut Creek.


CHURCHES

Walnut Creek hosts many churches to choose from. There are Evangelical, Episcopalian, Catholic, Presbyterian, Covenant and Universalist.  My family are members at NorthCreek Church on Ygnacio Valley Road which was founded in 1956 which began meeting in the Walnut Creek Women's Auxillary club and just a few years later purchased a walnut orchard where the church has resided ever since.  If you'd like to stop in to visit, please reach out to me and I'd be more than happy to share about the church and community with you.

Pieta - The Story - NorthCreek  Church

Copyright: Eric Stracke www.ericstracke.com

SCHOOLS

Walnut Creek schools have a very good reputation in and throughout the community from elementary through high school.  There are also a number of reputable private schools as well offering education from elementary to high school.  Cal State East Bay Concord campus is just outside the border of Walnut Creek on Ygnacio Valley Road and the local junior college, Diablo Valley College, is just up 680 in Pleasant Hill. 

Walnut Creek Schools

California School Rating

INTERESTING FACTS

• In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch and U.S. News.
• In 1931Clark Gable filmed the movie "Sporting Blood" in Heather Farms when horse racing was a common sport to be seen at the time.
• You can travel back in time at Borgess Ranch and climb on tractors, and see the original structures.  Great place for family picnics and pictures.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

WIKIPEDIA
ORIGINAL WALNUT CREEK LANDMARKS
WALNUT CREEK HALF MARATHONWALNUT FESTIVAL
WALNUT CREEK ART & WINE FESTIVAL