Martinez has nature, oil refineries and county jobs
The City of Martinez sits on the Carquinez Strait in the northern part of the East Bay. Wetlands and bird preserves on one side and the rolling hills of Briones Regional Park on the other inspired naturalist John Muir to make the city his home. At the time of his death in 1914, oil refineries were being built in the area. With blue-collar roots and a stock of modest homes, the city of 37,000 is generally more affordable than nearby Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. It is set off a bit from major corridors and has a lively, historic downtown surrounded by gridded residential streets.
The schools are highly rated. “We are the county seat, and we have the oil refineries, so there’s a lot of employment here, but we’re also commutable to the Bay,” says Joe Reichert, a Realtor with Keller Williams, who has lived in Martinez for 32 years. “We’re on the waterfront, kind of out-of-the-way and not a pass-through like Concord or Pleasant Hill—a small-town feel right in the middle of suburban sprawl. It’s that combination of affordability, quality schools and quality community that people want.”
Martinez has a lot of history embedded in the neighborhood.
Vincente Martinez and John Muir played an important role in Martinez's history.
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Fun-filled downtown celebrates history, the birth of the Martini
Dozens of small businesses, breweries and eateries line Main Street and the surrounding blocks of historic Downtown Martinez , with City Hall and the Contra County Courthouse among them. During the summer, diners fill the outdoor tables at restaurants along Main Street. Entertainment establishments include a magic club, a repertory theatre and a game room. Events are on the calendar year-round -- craft beer festivals, sip-and-stroll tours, a weekly farmer’s market and holiday celebrations. Contestants compete in the King of the County BBQ cookoff in June. In October, zombies lumber down the streets in an annual pub crawl. Car culture is celebrated regularly in displays of classic, exotic and vintage cars.
Museums, old buildings and historic homes celebrate the history of Martinez. A plaque on Alhambra Avenue claims that Martinez is the birthplace of the first Martini, so named when after a few glasses of the “Martinez Special,” a saloon customer began dropping the “Z” on his order.
Locals love to eat at Vic's in Martinez.
Antiques On The Main is a great place for the curious to visit in Martinez.
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Outdoor diversions beckon, from city parks to the Martinez Shoreline
Youth sports leagues, including soccer, baseball, football and swimming are popular in Martinez, and community parks throughout the city have courts, fields, playgrounds and picnic areas. The Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline is the city’s premium outdoor recreation area, with three miles of trails amongst marshes, creeks and ponds. The Waterfront Park has a marina. The Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline rises from the waterfront to steep coastal hills. Birdwatchers are drawn to Waterbird Regional Preserve (no dogs allowed) to observe herons, owls and pelicans. Just east of downtown, a 2.2-mile piece of the 400-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail crosses the Martinez-Benicia Bridge, open to vehicles, pedestrians and bikers. In the city’s southwest Alhambra Hills neighborhood, the Briones Regional Park is a 6,200-acre wildlife habitat. Park visitors hike, bike, ride horses and visit a spiral rock maze called the Alhambra Rock Labyrinth.
Friday afternoon, a man b-lines for his boat eager to escape for the weekend.
The Martinez Marina path along the jetty is a popular trail for walking with scenic views.
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Neighborhoods from Downtown Martinez to Alhambra Hills
The median home price in Martinez is $750,000 and home values are 34% higher than the national average. “Homes do move fairly fast here if they are correctly priced,” Reichert says. The neighborhoods surrounding downtown have lower-priced homes, while those south of the John Muir Parkway (State Route 4) are typically over $1 million. Alhambra Hills is one of the most scenic communities in Martinez. It sits at the base of Mount Wanda, which John Muir named for his daughter, and has some of the priciest custom homes in the city. Midcentury ranch-style homes and traditional Craftsman estates line the hilly streets. Some condos are located in the northern part of the neighborhood.
The Hidden Valley and Morello neighborhoods have homes priced in the city's mid-range, including New Traditional, Craftsman and Mediterranean styles. Vine Hill , on the east side of Martinez, has cul-de-sacs and courts shaded by Italian Cypress trees. Mountain View has condos and townhomes. Ranch-style homes and bungalows are also common, and yards have neat landscaping accented by live oaks and pines. The oldest homes in the city are in Downtown Martinez, with gardens, well-worn sidewalks and mature trees. Craftsman and Spanish Revival homes from the 1910s and 1920s sit side-by-side with midcentury bungalows and ranch-style homes from the 1950s.
Large homes are lined along the hillsides of Martinez, CA.
Martinez is home to many different architectural style homes.
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District is highly-rated, high school performed at the Rose Parade
Martinez Unified School District is graded A-minus by Niche, and it includes four elementary schools, a junior high school and two high schools. Alhambra High School was established in 1897. Their marching band performed in the Rose Parade in 2020. Martinez also has an adult education school which offers high school equivalency degrees and professional training.
Inspiring excellence in every classroom at Alhambra High School.
Building a legacy of excellence at Martinez Junior High School.
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Getting around Martinez and the Bay Area
Interstate 680 cuts through the eastern edge of Martinez and intersects with State Route 4, which runs through the southern part of the city. Both highways are several miles from the downtown and waterfront areas, but the outlying neighborhoods have good access to North Bay destinations such as Benicia, 6 miles away, and Vallejo, which is 12 miles. Walnut Creek is 11 miles south, and Oakland is 27 miles, with the Oakland International Airport another 9 miles. The North Concord/Martinez BART station is 8 miles from the city’s center, and trains travel from that station to Union Square in San Francisco in an hour. Amtrak has a station in downtown Martinez with service to San Francisco and Sacramento. Public buses stop along Pacheco Boulevard. The Contra Costa Regional Medical Center is located south of downtown. Shopping centers with big box stores and supermarkets are located along State Route 4.
Environment and crime rates
The weather in Martinez is generally warm and dry during the summer, though it varies in different parts of town. “If you’re near the water, you get that cooling effect,” Reichert says. “Away from the water, it’s a little bit warmer, though not quite as hot as the eastern part of the county." The city is at high risk for both earthquakes and wildfires, and the city works with the county to mitigate fire risk. Property crime rates have dropped by 48% in Martinez since 2015, while violent crime rates have risen by 49%, based on data from the California Department of Justice. Downtown Martinez has a CAP crime index score of 5, higher than the national average of 4, while the adjacent neighborhood of Mountain View has a 3, and outlying Alhambra Hills has a 2.
Welcome to your one-stop source for real estate services covering the Central Contra Costa, Alameda and Southern Solano Counties. In Solano County Chris specializes in the cities of Fairfield, Green Valley, Cordelia and Benicia. In Central Contra Costa County he specializes in the cities of Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Concord, Clayton, Martinez, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Real estate is one of the most exciting investments one can make, and it should be a fun and rewarding experience. Here you'll find everything you'll need to buy or sell a home, as well as learn about the market value of homes you may own in the area. It is his goal to provide you with superior service at all times, so please tell him more about you!
Chris is a long-time resident of Central Contra Costa and Real Estate Broker who specializes in selling residential properties in Alamo, Danville, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Clayton and Concord. His straight-forward, honest style has helped bring a loyal following of clients who he has enjoyed working with over the years, many with multiple transactions. He is fortunate for their referrals, as they are a main source of my business today.
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