Vallejo has been good to me. I moved here about nine years ago when I needed a place to stay in a hurry. I moved into a spacious downtown duplex for a fraction of what it would have cost in Berkeley or Oakland during the dot.com phase.

Returning to California from life in Atlanta, I was saddened with the thought that I could not afford to rent in my hometown of Berkeley, let alone be able to purchase a home of my own. I had never even set foot in Vallejo. Berkeley and Oakland were the center of the universe as far as I was concerned when I was growing up, and the only time I even came close to Vallejo was while our family trips required us to pass through the small town.

I immediately fell in love with Vallejo. As I took my first drive up Georgia Street I realized that the potential was there for a long stay. The Victorian era homes and hills reminded me immediately of older San Francisco. The alleys I found peculiar, but immediately grew on me as they stamped Vallejo with a flair different than Berkeley. It has not one, but two bridges, and a beautiful view at the waterfront or from the tallest hill.

That was in 2000. Since I lived downtown, I would occasionally stroll down to the farmer’s market to pick up some fresh fruit and stroll the antique stores. Shortly after I moved to Vallejo, a major movie theater moved in off Plaza drive. I could catch a matinee with a friend or go at night, I was happy that I wouldn’t have to cross a bridge or endure traffic to catch the latest flick.

This is a great place to live if you can overlook a few little problems like the city being in over its head and filing for bankruptcy. With that said, I share my view of Vallejo with you.