Walnut Creek

Nestled at the base of majestic Mt. Diablo, a picturesque Walnut Creek is, geographically, the heart of Contra Costa. The city boosts low crime and high school scores and has acquired a reputation for being hip, in a middle-class way.

The typical home is a 3- or 4-bedroom tract rancher, mixed with many 2-story, 5 bedroom homes. The streets are wide, lawns spacious, and homes well maintained. Walnut Creek has one of the oldest and largest retirement communities in Northern California, Rossmoor, with 8,500 residents with an average age of 77, though the city’s median age is 45 and home to many single people and professionals.

At the heart of Walnut Creek is a plethora of arts and cultural programs that offer something special for everyone. From black tie performances at the magnificent Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, to quaint picnic concerts in Civic Park, to the intimate 49-seat Playhouse West, to the family-oriented programs in the new Los Lomas High School auditorium, performing arts thrive in this community. For those who prefer a hands-on experience, Civic Arts Education, northern California’s largest community arts program, has more than 600 visual and performing arts classes such as: ceramics, photography, painting, sculpture, dance, drama, and music for adults and children. 

Public art abounds in Walnut Creek. Spectacular fountains grace commercial areas and original sculptures can be viewed from many streets and sidewalks. In fact, the city of Walnut Creek requires public art as a part of new commercial development to help soften the effects of urbanization. More than 220 acres of parks offer tranquil neighborhood respites from busy daily activities. Population growth has not diminished the commitment to the natural environment. Walnut Creek has preserved over 1,780 acres of pristine open space, which provides a healthy habitat for a growing number of birds and animals. Hiking trails through these areas serve to keep residents in touch with wildlife. 

Walnut Creek hosts a large downtown shopping center with many upscale stores, all sorts of restaurants and movie complex. Downtown traffic is sometimes a horror, and arterial roads are few and burdened by traffic from other cities. High-rise office buildings surround the BART station on Treat Boulevard, just outside the city limits.

One of the fastest growing segments of the community is organized sports; adult and youth. Twenty-four tennis courts, two public swimming pools, two public golf courses, dozens of neighborhood swim clubs, eight gymnasiums, sixteen softball fields, twelve soccer fields and even a six-acre equestrian center are all part of this community’s intricate tapestry of recreational opportunities. 

The public schools here, divided among several districts, are rated in the top percentiles in California. Three elementary schools, one intermediate school and Northgate High School are part of the Mount Diablo Unified School District ; four elementary schools and one intermediate school are in the Walnut Creek School District. Las Lomas High School is part of the Acalanes Union High School District.

A variety of two and four year colleges offer exceptional opportunities for higher education. John F. Kennedy University’s School of Management and School of Law have a number of degree programs. Golden Gate University, one of the leading business schools in the bay area, maintains a Walnut Creek center where working professionals can earn BS, MS, or MBA degrees close to home. The Diablo Valley Community College enrolls more than 24,000 full-time and part-time students. St. Mary’s College sits in the hills of the nearby town of Moraga and offers undergraduate and MBA programs, including weekend and evening courses in Walnut Creek. The California State Hayward campus in Concord borders Walnut Creek and brings the prestige and strength of the California system to local residents. In addition, schools such as Chapman University, Heald College, the University of Phoenix, San Francisco State University, Silicon Valley College, UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco all add to the educational opportunities of the area.