One top factor that people look for when buying a home is the community and walkability of the area. Home buyers prefer a house that provides them easy access to stores and restaurants. You don’t want to get a home loan, then have more expenses in both time and money to get to local restaurants or stores for the family. Walnut Creek has been known as a great East Bay community over the past several years for providing both convenience and variety.
The Walnut Creek landscape has been changing over the past year.
Restaurants
The intersection of Locust and Cypress used to have four of the best restaurants in the Bay Area and homebuyers loved the options. This area now has many empty spaces and Sauced is the only restaurant left in this sector of downtown. We’ve seen Sunol Ridge and Lark Creek close their doors while old favorites like Crogan’s Sports Bar & Grill and Stelle Bistro spaces remain empty.
There is good news on the horizon, though. A new brewery based in San Diego is coming to town along with a high end sushi concept. There are rumors of other eateries and many other favorites are still around so those looking to get a home loan and buy a home in Walnut Creek will not be disappointed.
Retail
The Walnut Creek retail scene is going through a transformation. As Broadway Plaza’s expansion has wrapped up, the number of empty retail locations has increased. This has resulted in landlords and property owners looking at new ways to fill space. One emerging solution has been the advent of temporary leases. From the Spirit store during Halloween to online retailers looking for brick and mortar space during the Holidays, spaces are getting filled for short periods. ThredUP recently entered into a temporary lease of the former H&M building at Broadway Pointe, and additional Amazon kiosks have popped up throughout various East Bay malls.
Several areas, including San Ramon and Danville, are also going through some major transitions. We’ll explore more areas in coming blogs so those looking to buy or refinance in the East Bay home understand the retail landscape. If you have specific questions about your mortgage situation, feel free to contact your Mortgage Genie who makes each family’s home dream come true, one wish at a time.