Pleasant Hill is a modern and dynamic city in the East Bay Area of the San Francisco Bay Area. Centrally located along Interstate 680, it is blessed with a strong sense of community and small town charm, and yet boasts a vibrant downtown area that attracts thousands of visitors on a regular basis.
Pleasant Hill is a suburban city with a population of 34,903. Pleasant Hill is in Contra Costa County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Pleasant Hill offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Pleasant Hill there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Pleasant Hill and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Pleasant Hill are highly rated.
A world-class city in every respect, the stunningly beautiful and culturally rich Pleasant Hill is not only a unique place to visit but also to live. The area has a lot going for it: exceptional arts and cultural activities, plenty of history and sense of place, a strong commercial and financial core; and all the education and services anyone could want. The climate is one of the most unusual in the world, and the area is among the most ethnically and socially diverse in the country.
Some things to do in Pleasant Hill are to visit Pleasant Hill Park, one of the city’s primary destinations for families. The park is huge and well kept, maintained by the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District. Featuring expansive lawns, BBQ pits, and picnic areas, the park is a great place to host parties. It’s perfect to bring kids or play sports, including several playground structures, a sand pit, a baseball field, basketball courts, bocce ball courts, and a fenced-in area for toddlers. Many of the park’s open spaces are surrounded by gorgeous redwood trees, providing plenty of shade. Attached to the park is Pleasant Hill Aquatic Park, featuring two public pools and a spray-ground. Come for exercise during lap swim or one of the facility’s water fitness classes, or sign your kids up for swim lessons and bring them to play during recreation swim. The park is also attached to Pleasant Hill’s Teen Center and Senior Center.
Bike the Contra Costa Canal Trail. Contra Costa Canal Trail meanders around Contra Costa County, connecting Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Walnut Creek, and Concord. It runs alongside the Contra Costa Canal, which has been supplying water to local crops since the 1930s. The paved trail is open for walkers, runners, bikers, skaters, people in wheelchairs, and even horses. It is four miles long, connecting to schools, shopping centers, public transportation, and quite a few local parks, including Las Juntas Park, Larkey Park, Heather Farm Park, and Lime Ridge. Take the trail to get a scenic tour of the Contra Costa suburbs, or use it to get to one of the regional trails it connects to, like the California State Riding and Hiking Trail, the Briones-to-Mt. Diablo Trail, the Iron Horse Trail, and the Delta De Anza Trail. See a map of the trail here.
Attend an event at Diablo Valley College. Diablo Valley College is one of the best community colleges around, ranking among the top five transfer schools in California. The school hosts many events that are open to the public, including culinary events and live performances. The dance department hosts a winter and a spring production every year, and the music department puts on a series of evening concerts and free daytime concerts. The drama department also produces five shows each year, including at least one musical. Other reasons to visit include the chance to see the school’s Art Gallery, its Garden and Greenhouse, or one of its library exhibits, which are curated by students and may feature anything from art to historical items.
This and many more fun activities are at your fingertips when you visit Pleasant Hill!
