Pleasant Hill

City, Contra Costa County

© McCormack's Guides

 

Zip Code: 94523

Bedroom town doing a good job of combining shops, restaurants and stores into a town center. School scores high, crime low, activities many. Commute not bad. Has the best bookstores and libraries in Contra Costa County. www.mccormacks.com

Home to Diablo Valley College, one of the most successful community colleges in the state in transferring students to top universities, and to a private university, John F. Kennedy. Two movie complexes, one specializing in art films. In 2005, opened a department store, Kohl's.

Population 33,844 and growing slowly. In the last decade, Pleasant Hill added 1,300 residents and up to 2009 of this decade 1,170 people. Many of the new comers moved into new apartments and cottage homes near downtown and the BART  station (commute trains).

Click for regional or detailed map

Median age of residents is 33. Those under 18 make up 21 percent of the town. Many singles, elderly, empty nesters, not too many kids.

Many retirement and senior-care complexes in the flatlands, near shopping, the freeway and the main library. Pleasant Hill, in a quiet way, is making a name for itself in housing for the elderly.

Middle class but professionals are discovering Pleasant Hill. In reputation, the town has hovered for decades between Concord and Walnut Creek. Now it has moved a notch or two toward Walnut Creek.

Public schools are managed by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. Most teens attend College Park High School, near the community college, and in lower numbers, Ygnacio Valley High in Concord. See Schools. www.mccormacks.com

Many of the schools, on state comparisons, are scoring in the 80th and 90th percentiles, the top 20 percent in state. All schools in Mt. Diablo District have been renovated, thanks to bond passed in the 1990s. In 2002, the district passed another bond, $250 million, to upgrade its facilities and equip them for high tech. Old Pleasant Hill High School houses a middle school and the adult school, popular for its arts and crafts programs and job-training classes.

Many complaints from teachers that they are underpaid and there is general agreement that more money needs to be pumped into salaries. Finding the money, however, has not been easy. In 2009, local voters rejected a tax increase to maintain programs threatened by cutbacks from state funding.

Site of main county library, loads of books. Diablo Valley College has a large library, accessible to the community. The college, in many ways, functions as a gigantic recreation-community center for local residents. For a few bucks, residents can enroll in almost any class or activity the college offers. Also in town, YMCA club and pool, private gym facilities, and skate park.

Pleasant Hill built its downtown piece by piece and in 1999 and 2000, it pretty much came together: giant supermarket, about 50 shops and restaurants, Peets Coffee, Jamba Juice, Cold Stone Ice Cream, Border's books, public garage, Staples, Ross department store, large drug store, hotel, easy freeway access. Movie complex brings in the shoppers. All are located near a park with a swimming pool and the new civic center with cascading fountains.

On the north side, nearby Martinez, a Target and a large Barnes and Noble bookstore. SunValley, the regional shopping mall, is located at the city limits. The Willows, another mall is just on the other side of the freeway. Nordstrom, Tiffany’s and high-end shops in Walnut Creek downtown, a five-minute drive. Lunardi’s gourmet supermarket on west side of Pleasant Hill. 

All in all, an excellent town for suburban shopping.

Chevron, Bank of America and Nextel have large office buildings nearby.

Park district: soccer, tennis, softball, swimming (public pool), bowling, dance, softball, track, basketball, excursions and more. Many classes at adult school. Active programs for seniors, including dances. Wading pool demolished; replaced in 2006 with a “spray ground” — buried jets that spray water for kids to run through, water tunnel, spray cannon; accessible to disabled.

A canal trail winds through the town; popular with hikers and cyclists. It connects to other trails that travel the length of the county.

Eleven city parks. Community center. For people who love to play bridge or want to learn the game, there's a bridge center, privately run, off of Morello Avenue.

On its west side, Pleasant Hill borders Briones Regional Park, miles of hills, valleys and trails. Short drive to Martinez, which has a marina on the Carquinez Strait (boating, fishing). Waterworld swim park in nearby Concord. Many restaurants in the category of good food, nothing fancy, but fine dining within a short drive. Walnut Creek, the adjoining city, has a regional arts center that stages plays, musicals and art exhibits, and presents concerts and other events. www.mccormacks.com

Walnut Creek has another plus for Pleasant Hill residents: a swim complex with high-dive board and a wild life museum. Both are on the Pleasant Hill border.

The state in 2010 counted 14,507 total units including 8,445 single homes, 1,631 single-family attached, 4,379 multiples (many near Diablo Valley College and BART station), 52 mobile homes.

Most residential construction took place in the 1950s and 1960s, tract homes, many three bedroom, one story, generally well-kept. Being an older suburb, Pleasant Hill has had time to grow its trees and shrubs. Many homes remodeled or upgraded.

Newest homes on west side, which rises into hills with views of Mt. Diablo. The west side homes run 4 to 6 bedrooms and two story.  

Because the west side borders a large regional park, it has more a country air than the flatland housing.

Zero homicides in 2008, 2007 and 2006. One  each 2005 and 2004. Zero between 2003 and 1998, two in 1997, zero in 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993 and 1992, one in 1991, none in 1990, two in 1989 and 1988. See Crime.

Noise complaints about airplanes from Buchanan Field, which attracts business jets. If buying, check with neighbors. www.mccormacks.com

In many parts of town, you can hear the train horns sounding from Martinez. Some will find these noises annoying, others soothing, almost melodic.

One BART station (commute rail), second station at Lafayette, a short drive. City served by County Connection (buses). One freeway, Interstate 680, recently widened, easing commute considerably. Back roads will take you around freeway bottlenecks. Short drive to Highway 4, the main road to East and West Contra Costa.

Near BART station, several high-rise office buildings and for those who work there, a short commute. Recent addition: the headquarters for the No. Cal. Automoble Assn. 

In 2007 another large apartment complex was opened near the BART station. Another was under construction in 2010.  More are planned for the BART area, along with a garage with 1,551 spaces. Also stores, restaurants and offices. Planners are trying to make pedestrian shopping and dining easier. Back Forty (barbecue), popular locally, opened a large restaurant near the BART station.

Pleasant Hill lad who made good: Tom Hanks.

Chamber of commerce (925) 687-0700.

• School district in 2006 streamlined enrolling for Ygnacio Valley and College Park High schools. Now it’s easier for students in area of Pleasant Hill Elementary to attend one or the other. College Park is crowded, 2,100 students on campus designed for 1,800. Ygnacio Valley High has space for about 500 students. www.mccormacks.com

• In the summer, Diablo Valley College often runs a College for Kids, mixing fun with advanced academics.

• On Lisa Lane, an unusual arrangement, co-housing. Thirty-two households, about 45 adults, 25 children, share dining hall, kitchen, swimming pool and playground and meet several times weekly for dinners, bingo and other activities. Townhouses with kitchens for privacy, large hall-house for communal events. The commons house also has guest rooms and rooms for crafts. Residents sign up for communal jobs and have worked out procedures for making decisions and handling conflicts and kids.

• Trees, better landscaping, size restrictions on homes, small-town atmosphere — what residents like, according a survey done in 2006. What they dislike: traffic congestion, tall office buildings, dense housing, cluttered and large signs.

• Parts of flatland are in the flood plain and have flooded in recent years. Buyers taking loans may be required to buy flood insurance. To lessen the chance of floods, city has stepped up work on cleaning drains, removing boulders from creek and installing devices that prevent back flow.

• Pleasant Hill is pointed toward the rising sun but some flatland homes have sunset views, the sun disappearing over the Briones hills. If you hike or horse ride the Briones trails, you can catch views of Marin and Mt. Tamalpais. 

• Pleasant Hill funds recreation through a taxing district separate from city hall. This arrangement has its drawbacks but it gives parks and rec a sounder source of taxes. If city hall runs short of money, it can't raid recreational funding.

• Pleasant Hill took a stab at fine dining with a French restaurant. Alas, did not survive the recession.

Park district: www.pleasanthillrec.com

Note: go to web site for list of activities and times.

City web site: www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us

Chamber of commerce: www.pleasanthillchamber.com

March 9, 2010