Pinole? Hercules? Vallejo? Richmond?

I lived in Martinez for a bit as a kid, and Concord is where the first property I owned was ...

I'm pretty shocked it happened there.

It's a multipurpose trip. Wednesday, I see a specialist in Santa Rosa in the morning, working on outdoor venue arrangements for a late lunch with my cousin in Vallejo, then I'll detour a bit through Martinez to see the mural, take pics, check into my motel room in Concord for an informal interview and lunch with a head-hunter for my field Thursday and check out scout out some possible living spaces there. I'll BART into the city Friday morning for another appointment with my PCP, then home for the rest of my contract. I don't know Concord well, but it's BARTable for so many positions I'm likely to take as my next job soon.
From what I know of Vallejo/Benicia area, I was also astounded by the gall of those creeps.

Not a LOT of places one would likely be coming from where they'd go to Concord via Martinez

When I was young, I'd have said Martinez was a slightly upscale version of Benicia/Vallejo/Pinole. More working class, higher minority population ... like those places are (or at least were).

Nowadays it's a lot more akin to it's wealthier neighbors in other directions like Pleasant Hill and Concord.

Still I wouldn't even expect this to happen in Orinda or Danville, it's not just a money thing. Martinez is the CC county seat, and it's definitely a liberal county, even if it is pretty much all expensive now.

If you're heading across on the 4 around lunch time (edit: n/m you have lunch plans ... maybe your cuz would wanna go here, it's not far from Vallejo!), and you've never been, you should pop down to Port Costa, it's about 10-15 minutes off the 4. It's like a town out of time, a very cool old place. Bit of a Biker hangout on weekends. I recommend The Warehouse, very cool joint. Though I'll warn ya, you're gonna want a beer there

My cousin feels most comfortable with a late lunch Pho take out she'll bring to her patio. Her mother is immunocompromised so she's being extra careful about contacts and new venues for now. That will be my Vallejo stop! I fear I'll get so wrapped up in convo with her I'll probably have to postpone taking pics of the Martinez courthouse mural till the return trip.

Over. Went to a party there once and it was a lot of biker and low education types. There are whole pockets of racists still living there. A friend moved there and left after 6 months because she said there were a lot of ignorant people there.

Who is progeny of the Hispanic side of my family. We haven't seen each other in decades, job demands pulled us apart continually but we've exchanged emails and social media chums for years. I knew her Grandmother and Grandma very well, she was born in So Cal, Santa Paula, where our prior history is, well, history now. None of us remained there after my Aunt and Uncle passed on.

I know this cause I went there too

I lived in Concord/ Pleasant hill border area and never really figured out the boundaries being a girl from SF.

I.E. around Sunvalley Mall, Pleasant Hill is the Sunvalley Side of the 680, and Concord is The Willows Side

I still have so many CD's with labels from the used section at Rasputin Records across from Sunvalley. And I saw Rocky Horror at Sunvalley midnight movies so many times.

Lately when I'm in that area on trips home, I'm at the California Grand playing poker, my lil brother and me like to play there. That's in Pacheco near Center Ave and CC Blvd. But it's moved slightly since we were young (used to be literally on that corner), now it's across the street from where it was ... across the street from the Bowling Alley (which is still there and open, but VERY decrepit ... it's like stepping back into the 1970's when you go in).

In the same shopping center where Regency theater was.

Do you remember the drive in on Contra costa Blvd by Payless? Whenever I go over to Concord to visit a long time friend there ( who just moved to Fairfield because she couldn’t afford to find a new place there) I am amazed how much it changed. The only place I still recognize is the Caspers hot dog place.

That was when I took mushrooms for the first time, and saw Pink Floyd The Wall there in 1982 with my best friend. Then we walked all the way to Concord BART, laughing and trippin' balls the whole way

There was an awesome Szechuan place in that mall, too ...

I DO vaguely remember that Drive In, now that you mention it. Wow, pretty sure that went down in the 70's. Only one left (and I don't even know that it is, but was as of 2007 when I moved away) in the area is the one off the 4 near the 680 and 4.