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Patrons walk into the Del Cielo Brewing Company in downtown Martinez.<\/p>\n
Carlos Avila Gonzalez\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
As I drove by Martinez for the 1,000th time last year, cruising south on Interstate 680, the last thing on my mind was, \u201cI could make a good life here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Contra Costa County<\/a> city presents exceptionally poorly from that highway, with Martinez Refining Company maintaining 860 acres of industrial equipment that makes the skyline in \u201cBlade Runner\u201d<\/a> look like a greenbelt. Take the off-ramp and explore? No thanks. Think I\u2019ll speed up instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the Bay Area is full of surprises. And Martinez is among the best of them. As I\u2019ve now explored 10 under-the-radar Bay Area downtowns<\/a> for Total SF<\/a>, and visited scores more on Chronicle adventures<\/a>, I\u2019m constantly thinking, \u201cWould I want to live here?\u201d And more frequently than I\u2019ve expected in these lower-profile cities the answer is \u201cyes.\u201d Below is the place I\u2019d move tomorrow and a few honorable mentions.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Not that I\u2019m looking to move. After two decades in San Francisco and Oakland, I\u2019ve settled in Alameda, a city that has everything I value: bike lanes, small businesses, a historic movie theater, good sandwiches, a diverse population and four ferry terminals that ensure the bigger nearby cities are minutes away.<\/p>\n Alameda becomes a comparison point as I explore other towns. It\u2019s also my cost threshold; I\u2019m not looking for a city more expensive than Alameda\u2019s median home price of $1.08 million; as determined by Redfin tracking so far in 2026<\/a>. (Which my Chronicle data team friends tell me skews a little high because of a luxury property sales boomlet.)<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n First the honorable mentions:<\/p>\n Fairfax: This town is absolutely lovely.<\/a> If I had the benefit of a time machine, the Marin County town of 7,500 people would be my number one choice, edging out the others for its off-the-charts bike culture, adorable independent movie theater and friendly locals. It\u2019s 35 minutes by bike to the Larkspur ferry, on trails so scenic each minute is a blessing. But while the town continues to project a middle class aura, the median sales price has crept up to $1.5 million. There are better deals.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Gestalt House is a welcoming destination for cyclists and beer enthusiasts in Fairfax.<\/p>\n Lauren Segal\/For the S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n Livermore: Yes, that Livermore.<\/a> It\u2019s surrounded by green hills, a downtown that mixes history with newer wine culture, an indie movie theater with a great beer and wine list, a farmers market filled with superb barbecue and the World\u2019s Fastest Rodeo<\/a>. No city in the world has added more elements<\/a> to the periodic table. (Shout out Livermorium<\/a>!) Start building that long-discussed BART station<\/a> and Livermore moves closer to the top.\u00a0<\/p>\n Restaurants, shops and outdoor hang out spots line First Street and the surrounding area of the original wine country in Livermore.<\/p>\n Florence Middleton\/For the S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n Sebastopol: The Bay Area\u2019s best town for desserts and Godzilla sculptures<\/a>. I love how the wildly different demographics\u00a0\u2014 farmers, ex-hippies and remote workers\u00a0\u2014 seem to love the community for the same reasons. It\u2019s still a deal; under $1 million average on Redfin. But there are no great bike and transit options; traveling to San Francisco without a car would feel like its own full-time job.\u00a0<\/p>\n A view of the sculpture garden outside the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.<\/p>\n Preston Gannaway\/For the S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n Port Costa: This community of 194 human beings just east of Crockett along the Carquinez Strait was once one of the major grain ports of the world. Now it\u2019s a micro-village with one great bar<\/a>, a post office and more Pride flags per capita than any Bay Area city. But do I want to live in a town with just enough people to float a production of \u201cHamilton\u201d? (I\u2019ve got dibs on Lafayette<\/a>!)<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Which brings us to Martinez, a city of 37,000 that\u2019s filled with lessons: The more you travel randomly in the Bay Area, the more you fall in love with the place. The more time spent exploring, the clearer it becomes how much you haven\u2019t seen yet. And old school trains are still a great way to get around.<\/p>\n Take the Amtrak Capitol Corridor, which passes through the city 30 times every weekday<\/a>, linking Martinez to Sacramento, Berkeley, Oakland and San Jose. It\u2019s also a short bike to the waterfront, filled with kite-flying lawns, trails for dog walks and an actual shipwreck<\/a>. Martinez was once a thriving ferry terminal town, and could be again<\/a>.<\/p>\n Shoppers walk along Main Street during the weekly Sunday Farmers Market in downtown Martinez.<\/p>\n Carlos Avila Gonzalez\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n The downtown is filled with historic brick buildings and warehouses that have been converted into a middle-aged adult\u2019s paradise: breweries, sprawling coffee shops and a video game arcade. There\u2019s history\u00a0\u2014 Martinez is the birthplace of Joe DiMaggio and (maybe<\/a>) the martini\u00a0\u2014 but it\u2019s not afraid to move forward.<\/p>\n But the town\u2019s greatest charms sneak up on you.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n There\u2019s an intimate theater to watch magic<\/a>. Luigi\u2019s is a classic small-town deli with a wall of imported soda pop and a stage for concerts and comedy. Martinez hosts a sprawling Sunday farmers market<\/a> that locals say feels like a family reunion.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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