Dublin, California

If your family can’t find what they want to do within Dublin, they’ll find it a short drive away. Within the city, entertainment options for all ages are plentiful. Try beating the summer at The Wave , a 31,000 sq. foot aquatic facility complete with pools, water slides and splash zones. You can even sign the kids up for swim lessons or take a fitness class here. If you have a need for speed, then the state-of-the-art electric go kart track at K1 Racing is where you and the whole family can get an adrenaline fix. And who says you need kids to enjoy this one? We can see an epic corporate team-building event taking shape here. Those two spots are definitely the highlights but other honorable mentions include a bowling alley, Chuck E Cheese and an indoor ice skating rink.

If you’re looking for less structured fun for the fam, Dublin hosts a number of great community events throughout the year. Every Thursday from April to September, you can buy from local farmers and artisans at the Dublin Farmers Market. In summer months, choose from a series of outdoor concerts held at Emerald Glen Amphitheatre, or mark the month of March with the city’s blow-out St. Patrick’s Day Celebration complete with a parade, vendors and live entertainment.

One of the country’s fastest growing cities, the population in Dublin has nearly tripled from 23,000 in 1990 to 72,000 in 2023. The city offers many families the right combination of strong public schools, family-friendly amenities, community events and convenient location, at a slightly more reasonable price compared to San Francisco and other more expensive parts of the Bay Area (but it’s still pricey).

The explosion in population over the past few decades has forced developers to build up, not out. Meaning, you’ll find an oddly large number of triple-story homes on smaller lots, especially when it comes to the newer builds. And what’s the price of living on top of your neighbor, you ask? A pretty $1.15 million. At the same time, infrastructure has yet to catch up. Traffic can certainly be an issue almost any day of the week in Dublin.

That said, if you don’t mind having your kitchen and living room on the second story of your house, you could look at your new tri-level home as saving you some time at the gym.

If you live in Dublin, you have access. Access to great schools, access to trip-worthy destinations, and access to both the essential and nice-to-have amenities. Like the rest of the Tri-Valley area, residents in Dublin enjoy proximity to big cities like San Francisco (40 minutes away on a good day) and San Jose (35 minutes away on a good day). During lighter traffic times you can also get to the popular Walnut Creek in 20 minutes, or the Oakland Airport in 20 minutes. Driving one hour south you’ll run into Santa Cruz and one hour to the north you’re in the famous wine country of Napa Valley. For weekend getaways, you’ve got Yosemite a short 3 hours away and Lake Tahoe bit further at 3 hours and 45 minutes. Is your head spinning yet?

In terms of a commute, your central location gives you the freedom to work in a variety of the neighboring cities. The BART station and easy access to both the 680 and 580 are attractive draws for prospective residents.

As we’ve noted, Dublin is a great place to raise a family. Residents applaud their city’s low crime rate and responsive police department. Depending on where you’re moving from, the weather can either be a pro or a con for Dublin. The Dublin Hills Regional Open Space Preserve, which is a great spot for hiking, biking and horseback riding, borders the city to the east and blocks much of the weather patterns coming in from the ocean. This means less mild weather, or sometimes below freezing temps in the winter and above 100 degrees in the summer, in extreme cases. Someone moving from SoCal will be a bit turned off while someone moving from the midwest might be unperturbed.

If you’re more of a homebody, or are just looking for a classic mall with your favorite box stores and essentials, you’ll be happy to hear that you have multiple spots to choose from within city limits. Dublin Place in west Dublin offers essentials like Target, PetSmart and Hobby Lobby with plenty of grocery stores, banks and gas stations nearby. In the center of town, Hacienda Crossings Shopping Center has a Best Buy, TJ Maxx, Barnes & Noble and one of the best Regal Imax Theatre in the East Bay. Fallon Gateway located on the east side of town has a Dick’s Sporting Goods, Vitamin Shoppe, Guitar Center and lots more.