My Town Shoot Out - Downtown

This week I was torn. The town I live in doesn't really have a defined downtown. According to the Chamber of Commerce, Village Parkway between Dublin Boulevard and Amador Valley Boulavard is downtown. There have been various pushes recently to revitalize this area, with little success, and the idea I put forth has gone no where. Also, there is another participant who also lives in Dublin. I could shoot Pleasanton, that is the town where I grew up and has a yuppified, but historic downtown. This week, I decided to shoot both. Let me know your thoughts. All shots taken Thursday 4/9 between 12:30 and 2:30 in the afternoon when it had stopped raining enough to go out. First up is Dublin. I started at the corner of Village Parkway and Dublin Blvd. This is also known as the four corners, as you can see it has an abundance of fast food to choose from, as well as Chinese and a Car Wash.This used to be called Bubbles Car Wash, and they let us sit in the car while going through as kids - we LOVED it!Behind Shangri-la you can see the new freeway entrance.

This Wonder shop carries day old bread and close to expiration bakery items for very little money. It's where my mom shopped for bread my entire childhood, and I'm getting mine there now too.This Vet has been at this same location for a very long time. This used to be the emergency vet hospital, where we took our animals as children when it was out of regular hours (which seems to be the only time animals and kids get truly sick).This is the only Post Office in Dublin and is nearly always packed!
If you need your car worked on, there is an abundance of repair shops, including Midas, Oil Changers, Parkway and Shuck's.
This is Corwood Car Wash, and until Bubbles moved in in the seventies, was the only car wash around. they still have Ladie's Days for a dollar less, just like when I was a kid.This building houses many offices, including Runzo's Music and The Dude's dentist.
This is Hunan House Chinese Restaurant. A old boss of mine refuses to eat here because she went into labor immediately after lunch the last time she was here. I think the food is good! Behind, you can see Taco Bell (more fast food). This is an Earthquake Safety store that used to be colocated with a water filtration business across the street.And of couse Cafe Art, where my kids love to go, and I will probably be at some time during their Spring Break. There is also a Beauty Supply and a Starbuck's in this building, and that brings us to the end of the street. Now, across and we'll continue.Oil Changers is on the corner of Village Parkway and Amador Valley Blvd.

Next is a strip that includes 2 empty spaces, one of which looks like it might be an Indian restaurant soon, and Evie's a bar. This has been a bar of some sort forever.

This is where Wold's Hobbies used to be. Wolds is where you went for model cars, Railroad stuff, rocket engines, and all sorts of stuff. It was sad when they closed. This building also used to house Red Wing Shoes which has moved to another location in Dublin.Behind this building are several other businesses, including Veronica's Crystals, where you go for chakra cleansings, palm readings, medium readings and all of your new age, or ancient Native American items.Thisis probably the newest shop in Dublin and houses very cute gifts. One of my friends loves this place! It occupies a portion of the Frame Shop. The very next building houses Dublin Tophies where we all go for all of the Little League, Soccer and other sports trophies.And Box World, where I go every year to ship Christmas gifts, and buy storage boxes.I've written of my love of Caspers previously, and I think you know I'd photograph it.

Following Caspers is this building which has an ancient elevator, insurance people, a nail salon, and my friend Nicole's Salon - Salon Rouge. Need a good haircut or a great esthetician? Call them - they totally rock.I haven't been in Western Tile, simply because I haven't needed tile, but this was the water filtration place that also had the earthquale preparadness place.Direct Appliance is where everyone bought their Fridges, Washers, Dryers, etc. before Sears came to the mall, and Best Buy opened on the other end of town. This Indian restaurant has a really cheap and good lunch buffet. This has also been a Del Taco, and a Taco Bell.And this takes us back to the original corner where we started.I hope you enjoyed this walk in Downtown Dublin, Ca. My next post (tonight) will be Downtown Pleasanton!