Once known as "The Most Desperate Town in the West," the city of Pleasanton (formerly Alisal, during the Gold Rush years) ranks among the top cities to reside in California. Its historical charm coupled with more recently-established business parks have created an allure for the likes of 65,000 residents that share 21.7 square miles in the Ardmore/Livermore Valley, just 25 miles from Oakland. With a median household income of $113,345 in 2007, Pleasanton was deemed the wealthiest mid-sized city that year.
The city's amenities include two public high schools that rank in the nation's top 400 according to Newsweek magazine, a wide assortment of architectural styles that date back to the 1850s, as well as the gamut of mobile homes to multi-million dollar homes. Forty-three regional and community parks color a pedestrian-friendly city whose downtown area offers outdoor dining and specialty shops, as well as a farmers market and a weekly themed festival throughout the summer. A concert in the park series takes place every year from late spring through early autumn, knitting the community even closer together with the gift of music. Although residents are drawn both by charm and commerce, the city government seems to be the icing on the cake as it is reputed to govern by reason rather than greed, a claim boasted by those residing under their umbrella.
During the Gold Rush, the city that was to one day become Pleasanton was positioned along a major passage to the gold fields, thus attracting desperados who would ambush prospectors and rob their stages. A notorious stage robber, Black Bart, was famed for leaving bitter poems for prospectors inside the empty boxes in his robbery wake. It was Black Bart as well as a host of other characters that contributed to Pleasanton's checkered past as "The Most Desperate Town in the West." But things changed quickly for Alisal, for it was soon divided by the town's "fathers," John Kottington and Joshua Neal. Each developed his section on opposite sides of Division Street and in 1869 and shortly thereafter came the transcontinental railroad, thrusting the sleepy town with a population of 500 into a growth spurt. The two men, carefully planning for success, began to sell plots to businessmen. Kottinger re-named the town in honor of a dear friend who had served in the union army, Major General Alfred Pleasonton, however a typographical error in Washington by a postal clerk sealed its fate as Pleasanton evermore.
By the early 1900s, the community was thriving, having developed its own bank (The Bank of Pleasanton,) Ruby Hill Vineyard, the Pleasanton Hop Company, and several posh hotels. The area's beauty and amenities began to attract film companies*, and the downtown area became the nucleus of an ever-developing city from the inside outward. Because the city honors its history, preservation measures are in place to maintain the architecture in the downtown area that provides an array of styles including Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, and Pioneer. In the 1980s, business parks began to emerge in the outskirts of town, giving way to the configuration of an onion whose center is the oldest and original part of the city, with the outer layers representing newer development.
A ten-minute drive in any direction yields countryside attractive to outdoorsmen, nature enthusiasts, and athletes alike. The family-oriented community of Pleasanton is home to a population of about 40% with children under the age of 18. Additionally, Pleasanton is increasingly becoming a business hub, hosting the likes of such corporate giants as Oracle, Kaiser Permanente, Clorox, and Symantec. Comerica Bank has plans to occupy the historic building that was once home to Kolln Hardware, a company that dated back to 1890. In the face of the current economic and housing climate, Pleasanton remains strong and only slightly challenged, with the median home price having fallen only about 11 percent.
*Note: The 1917 classic silent movie starring Mary Pickford, "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" was filmed in Pleasanton, as was Abbott and Costello's "It Ain't Hay."