McCormack's Guides

http://www.milonic.com/beginner.php

 
Advertisement
Crockett

Crockett

McCormack's Guides

Unincorporated Town,

Contra Costa County

© McCormack's Guides

 

Zip Code: 94525

Village at entrance to Carquinez Strait, about 3,200 residents. Well known because its two bridges cross the Carquinez Strait, where San Francisco and San Pablo bays move into the rivers that flow to Sacramento and the Delta. The bridges connect Crockett with Vallejo.

Famous also because of its  sugar refinery, one of the largest in the continental U.S. Some old-timers called Crockett  “Sugar City”.www.mccormacks.com

Used to be a company town. C&H funded almost everything and almost everyone worked for the refinery, which dominates the waterfront, but decades ago C&H pulled back. When the freeway came, many workers moved out of Crockett. Population slipped slightly in 1990s.

C&H is old industry, bewitchingly ugly, and much of the town’s housing, especially near the water, was built over 60-70 years ago. But the views are great and residents love the burg and work to make it better.

McCormack's Guides

Click for regional or detailed map

Down through years, many of the homes have been fixed up and remodeled, and some stores converted into housing. If you want small-town charm on the water in a blue-collar way Crockett does this very well.

Fairly new homes located on top of Rolph Park Drive, a steep street. Great views of Strait. But the hill streets are windy.

Most of Crockett is located near the water on gentle hills that are sheltered some what from the wind. Moving back from the downtown, the hills get steeper.

Interstate 80 splits town. About 20 minutes to Bay Bridge when traffic moves, longer at peak hours. www.mccormacks.com

New suspension bridge, named for Alfred Zampa, Crockett native who helped build earlier span. Other bridge to be retrofitted. Many improvements to freeway in recent years. With the new bridge, a beautiful and graceful structure, Crockett hopes to attract more visitors.

Antique stores, art galleries, marina, fishing, few restaurants, convenience stores, saloons. Town clock in a small square. Crockett Historical Museum. Old Homestead, one of first homes built, is popular for weddings and celebrations. Town swimming pool next to bocce courts. Usual activities for kids.

Regional park, recently expanded. Fishing pier, picnic benches on east side. On weekends and evenings, joggers and bikers take to the trails along the Carquinez Strait and in the hills. For the unusual: hike the new bridge at dawn or sunset; great views.

Annual Sugar Festival. Farmers market. Poetry readings.

FBI doesn't track crime of unincorporated towns but Crockett's falls within the range of suburban average.

Education by John Swett Unified School District. Elementary kids go to Rodeo Hills school in Rodeo, which shares district with Crockett. Carquinez Jr. High and John Swett High School are located in Crockett. Catholic school in Rodeo.

Voters in 2002 okayed $10 million construction-improvement bond for all schools and in 2008 a bond for $20 million to renovate and modernize the high school. This work got underway in 2009 starting with outdoor jobs: new basketball courts and artificial turf for the playing field. Architects are working on plans for the buildings. See Schools.

Famous Crockett native: Aldo Ray, movie star. www.mccormacks.com

Crockett was named after a lawyer who in the 1860s took his fees in land, in this instance a strip three miles long and one mile wide. In the late 1800s, Crockett was famous as shipping port for wheat. Dotted along the shore are the rotting piles that supported the wheat warehouses.

• The Crockett bridge collects its toll on the Vallejo side for traffic going north. South-bound travels toll free. The arrangement causes evening traffic jams at Crockett, especially on Fridays when many people take off for the mountains. Nonetheless, Crockett has to be considered a good commute.

If the bridge jams, residents can detour onto San Pablo Avenue, and circle around the congestion. Crockett, through its back roads, has quick access to Highway 4, the main road to jobs in Central Contra Costa.

• Park and Ride lot near the freeway.

• Environmental groups for decades have been purchasing parcels in the hills above and to the east of Crockett. Also along the shore to Martinez. If you are into hiking and biking, miles of trails are at your doorstep.

• In a minor way, Crockett has turned into restaurant destination. Contra Costa has few fish restaurants; Crockett, at its marina, has one, the Nantucket. Although the Bay Area and Contra Costa have many restaurants on bays and rivers, very few have sweeping vistas. Crockett, west of the bridge, has a large restaurant, the Dead Dog, built on a bluff that overlooks the strait; great views.

• One sight, rare in the Bay Area: big ships up close. Tankers and freighters, constantly nudged by giant tugs to keep them in the deep channel, navigate the Strait every day.

• School enrollments give some idea of how intimate small towns like Crockett can be. The school district includes Crockett, Rodeo and a small part of Hercules.

- Rodeo Hills Elementary, kinder through fifth, 710 pupils.

- Carquinez Middle, grades 6th to 8th, 419 students. This school is located across the street from the high school.

- John Swett High, 555 students. Or about 140 per grade level: 140 freshmen, 140 sophomores, etc. 

- Willow Continuation, kinder to 12th, for kids who are struggling in the regular program. 46 students. Located in Crockett.

Chamber of commerce: www.crockettca-chamber.org

March 6, 2010

 
McCormack's Guides
McCormack's Guides
McCormack's Guides

| Copyright © 2009 | Links | Content Review | Disclaimer |