Recreation and Culture

Albany is located in the center of almost any desired form of recreation and culture available. With San Francisco to the west and Berkeley to the east and south, theaters and museums of all types are only minutes away. In addition, professional and college sports activities abound throughout the area.
Within Albany itself, Golden Gate Fields, one of the largest thoroughbred racetracks in the United States, draws its participants from the entire Bay Area. Throughout Albany, but especially on Solano Avenue, there are sidewalk cafes, as well as numerous full-dining establishments that offer everything from simple fare to a variety of international dishes.

Committed to environmental preservation, Albany has an ongoing creek restoration program, and recently dedicated 1/3-mile of land to the San Francisco Bay Trail. The Albany Mudflats are frequented by numerous shorebirds, such as, snowy egrets, double-breasted cormorants, and Canadian Geese, as proof that the preservation efforts are certainly worthwhile and effective.

Albany also operates a Community Center/Library, Senior Center, Teen Center, Child Care Center, and seven local parks with playgrounds, ballfields, and tennis courts. The school district owns and operates an indoor swimming pool that is open to the public.

Community groups also put on a variety of activities of general interest to the community. One such event, The Solano Stroll, is a mile-long celebration of food, fun and music and draws about 75,000 people from throughout the Bay Area each year on the second Sunday in September.

Albany's Commercial Areas

Solano Avenue is a pedestrian-oriented street featuring grocers, florists, and charming retail shops, and is particularly popular for its variety of restaurants. Typical of a small-town "Main Street," Solano Avenue is a strong regional attraction and is visited by thousands of shoppers and strollers each year.
San Pablo Avenue is a well-traveled boulevard of medium sized storefronts with high traffic counts and great retail potential.

Eastshore Highway and Cleveland Avenues provide high visibility locations along Interstate 80 and 580. Larger scale retail, light manufacturing and warehousing are currently accommodated in this area, away from residential neighborhoods, and there is ample opportunity for intensive retail or office use.