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Pleasanton’s downtown has lost its luster
I moved to Pleasanton over 20 years ago and live in Pleasanton Heights, above downtown. I moved here for two reasons: its schools and its downtown. At that time, the downtown was vibrant with a variety of shops and businesses. But over the past several years, the area seems to have not only stagnated, but it’s regressed.
While I haven’t chronicled the events, I’ve noticed that a good many of our downtown businesses have closed and new ones take, seemingly, forever to replace them, if they do at all. While I realize that there is an “ebb and flow” that exists with business in any downtown, it seems we have far more “ebb” than “flow”.
Just take a stroll down Main Street and count the number of storefront vacancies. In almost every block, you can see papered-up storefronts.
Take, for instance, the 700 block, you can see as many as four vacant storefronts. On the 600 block, Christesen’s Western Wear has become the biggest eye sore in town; it’s been closed and papered-up for three years.Â
In that same block, when Dean’s Cafe closed it took ages to be replaced. When the beloved Domus closed, it took several years before Workbench moved in. And further down Main in the 400 block, Cafe Main, another favorite, gone years ago. Presently it’s remodeled but papered-up and vacant.
Our downtown has regressed; it’s lost its luster. Why can’t our downtown attract business to replace those that have closed? We are well beyond the effects of COVID, so that can’t be a factor. Is it the bureaucracy or restrictions of the city government, the downtown association, special interest groups, greedy landlords?
You don’t have to look far to see downtown vibrancy in the Tri-Valley. Take Livermore, for instance; it’s bustling with new business, it’s an exciting venue and not one “papered window” storefront on First Street.
As our community newspaper, you’ve chronicled these events, you report on local politics and issues, do you see what I see? I’d love to see you report on this.
— David Zimpfer
Christensen Miyawaki Forest
An exciting new nature-based solution to excess heat, poor air quality, biodiversity loss, mental health stress and other climate change impacts is coming to the Christensen Middle School campus this winter.
This local Miyawaki Forest project is part of a global movement to provide ecological restoration to urban and schoolyard spaces. It is based on a proven model developed in Japan, and adapted to local conditions all over the world. This will be the first Miyawaki Forest in the Tri-Valley!
Students will be involved in all aspects of the project: preparing the soil, planting native trees and shrubs, mulching, weeding, making signage, and gathering data on plant growth and soil carbon. Volunteers are needed for many aspects of the project.
The public is invited to a Zoom meeting to learn more about the Miyawaki Forest method, view slides from the recent international symposium in Japan, and learn how to support the Christensen Middle School Green Pocket (Miyawaki) Forest: Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. or Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
To get a link to the meeting, please contact me at annbrown@tvaqca.org.
The Christensen Miyawaki Forest thanks its sponsors and partners: Tri-Valley Air Quality Climate Alliance, the Christensen PTA, The Rotary Club of Livermore Valley, Livermore Valley Education Foundation, Tri-Valley Nonprofit Association, Green Pocket Forest and the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Facilities Department.
– Ann Brown
The American Authors: Call Your Mother Tour
We received the pair of tickets for the subject concert and attended the Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 concert … Thank you!
The concert was a fun experience. The lead-in act, Michelle Lambert plus guitarist, was terrific; short (didn’t time it, but maybe 35 minutes) but very good music.
The headliner group was quite a hoot. The energy from the four performers was high and non-stop, with the audience responding in kind. There were many children attending, and at first I wondered if they would enjoy the music … they did!
Many of them were in the aisles, right along with their parents, jumping up and down and doing some serious moving around. The group also performed in the audience, which put a smile on everyone’s face … totally engaging. In all, it was a fun night, and I’m sure the group would be welcomed again.
Thanks again to the Weekly for the tickets.
— Warren and Gail Shukis, Support Local Journalism members
Goodbye Athletics
I just thought I’d let you know how much I enjoyed your Oct. 25 editorial.
My history: born in 44 in Stockton and very early on became a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. This was reinforced by many family visits to root for the Stockton Ports. In the ’50s, I agonized over those many Dodger/Yankee showdowns with only ’55 rewarding my loyalty. Still hate those Yankees (and Dodgers too). Today I couldn’t care less about this year’s matchup.
In ’67, fresh out of college, I worked first next door to the almost-finished Coliseum. It was perfect as I was an immediate A’s fan and remained one for 56 years.
Too many memories to recount but briefly they include: seeing World Series-winning games in ’72 and ’74, having Crazy George actually teaching us the now-boring “wave” sometime in the ’70s, Billy Ball, sold-out preseason games with the Giants, Eck, sitting in the bleachers before Mount Davis, and how the Haas family treated both the team and the city.
I’m now somewhere between sad and angry. The latter includes at the Commish and all of the owners who OK’d the move. My hope remains the Vegas move fails, a white knight buys the franchise and keeps it in a new Sacramento Park. Well dream on.
Thanks for your sentiments. I’m sure many of us feel the same.
– Ron Rigge
Oakland A’s
Loved your article! As a lifelong A’s, Raiders and Warriors fan like you, this has been very hard. I grew up in the Coliseum and now all my childhood teams are gone. I am old enough to have gone to world series games in the ’70s and was a season ticket holder for the Raiders for 20 years.
I will still root for them from afar, of course it’s still not the same. I even decided to pick a second team to root for last year (the Dodgers) not sure why but likely to go against my SF Giants buddies. lol. Thanks for your article. I very much feel your pain.
– Anil More
