Difference between revisions of "Stockton (California)"

Revision as of 03:43, 25 March 2012

Stockton is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in northern California.

Located on the San Joaquin Delta, Stockton is the world's most inland natural port and was previously a major port city. One of the larger cities along I-5 through the Central Valley, it is a convenient stop and offers a variety of restaurants and accommodations for road-trippers. There are several shopping centers and movie theaters and one art museum but few major attractions.

The poem "Casey at the Bat," about the losing baseball team, "the Mudville Nine" may be a reference to Stockton, which was referred to as Mudville in its earlier years.

It is recommended that individuals exercise some caution when on foot, especially at night. Its location on I-5 also means there is a substantial potential for drug trafficking through the city. Stockton has a bad reputation including gang violence and home to the nation's first school massacre however for the past few years, Stockton has worked very hard at improving its downtown area as well as its reputation. [1]

Get in

By car

Stockton is in central California between Interstate 5 and State Highway 99. Stockton is just north of Interstate 205. State Routes 26, 4 and 88 also intersect with Stockton.

• From the San Francisco Bay Area, take Interstate 580 to 205 east then merge north onto Interstate 5.
• From Reno and North Lake Tahoe, take Interstate 80 west to Sacramento and South on Interstate 5.
• From South Lake Tahoe, take US Route 50 west to Sacramento and then south on Interstate 5..
• From Redding and the Pacific Northwest, take Interstate 5 south.
• From the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California, take Interstate 5 or State Route 99 north.

By air

Stockton Metropolitan Airport (IATA: SCK) [2] is a small airport that is served only by Allegiant Air [3]. Larger airports with more connections are located in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. Unfortunately, the Sacramento airport is on the far northwest side (about 60 miles), rather than between the two cities. Allow plenty of time during the morning and evening commute. Oakland is about 10 miles further.

By train

Stockton is served by two train stations. ACE Rail and Amtrak serves the Cabral Station at 949 E Channel St, and Amtrak also serves Stockton's main train depot at 735 S. San Joaquin St.

By bus

Greyhound has a station here

By boat

Get around

Stockton offers regional transit throughout Stockton via the San Joaquin RTD Express buses and the Downtown Trolleys. The best option, however, is to travel by car.

See

California's largest inland seaport just south of the crosstown highway. Downtown Stockton has had many new additions including a new ball park (Stockton Ports), stockton arena, Bob Hope Theater and other attractions. Stockton may not be a destination but it's not a bad place to stay at on your way somewhere else.

Be careful around the port area as the police are known to accost anyone looking around or taking photos.

Do

Stockton has some recreational opportunities available. Stockton is within a few hours' drive of the California Coast, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park and can serve as a rest or rendez-vous point on the way to these locations. The community offers many local recreational opportunities such as professional and college sports teams, an ice rink, and the Delta, which provides thousands of miles of waterways for water skiing, sailing and other water activities. There are also many opportunities to enjoy local music, theater, dance troupes and other cultural activities throughout the year. Stockton has its own symphony and opera company and hosts the Asparagus Festival annually, celebrating the town's agricultural history. The San Joaquin Film Society also hosts a 10-day International Film Festival each year.

If travelling to Stockton with children, be sure to visit:

• Children's Museum of Stockton, 402 W. Weber (near the downtown waterfront, two blocks west of Center Street), ☎ +1 209 465-4386, [4]. $4.50 per person, under two years free.

• Pixie Woods, in Louis Park (take Monte Diablo exit and go west to Occidental, turn left at Shimizu, parking lot is on the right — look for the rainbow gates), ☎ +1 209 937-8206, [5]. Stockton's own fairyland for the "young in age and the young at heart". In the movie This is Spinal Tap, Pixie Woods was the venue for a performance whose billboard proclaimed "Puppet Show and Spinal Tap."

Learn

Stockton is home to University of the Pacific[6] and Delta College [7], a part of the California Community College system as well as an extension branch of CSU Stanislaus[8].

Buy

Sherwood and Weberstown mall have the best shopping in Stockton. Pacific Avenue's section south of Country Club Blvd., an urban revival area dubbed "Miracle Mile," has specialty shops and hair styling businesses.

Eat

• Manny's California Fresh, Pacific Ave.
• DaVinci's Italian Cuisine.
• Shi Ra Soni.
• Sho Mi.
• El Senor Frog's.
• Tio Pepe's.
• Xochimilco.
• Misaki.
• Raw Sushi.
• Papapavlos.
• Dave Wong's.
• Gian's Deli.
• Cocoro Japanese Bistro & Sushi.
• Garlic Brothers.
• Bob's At The Marina.
• Taste of Brittany.
• Bud's Dok Shoon's.
• Cancun.
• Duck Nook.
• Chuck's Hamburgers, 6034 Pacific Ave, ☎ (209) 473-9977. The absolute BEST breakfast(and even better prices)
• Podesto's Market & Deli.
• Dynasty.
• Joe Pomodoro Pizza Cafe.
• El Fogon.
• Peking, 7555 Pacific Ave # 115, ☎ (209) 957-0617.
• Yen Du, 702 Porter Ave # E, ☎ (209) 951-3748.
• New Yen Ching, 6511 Pacific Ave, ☎ (209) 957-0913.
• Matsuyama, 4755 Quail Lakes Dr #C, ☎ (209) 952-0688. Best Japanese/sushi around.

Drink

There aren't many nightspots in Stockton. If you're going to a movie at the downtown movie center, immediately next door is a Japanese restaurant "Misaki" with a small but fun bar.

• Alder Bistro & Catering, 151 West Alder Street, [9].

Sleep

• Best Western Stockton Inn, 4219 E Waterloo Road, ☎ +1 209 931-3131 (toll free: +1 877 293-8697, fax: +1 209 931-0423), [10].
• Courtyard Stockton, 3252 West March Lane, ☎ +1 209 472-9700 (fax: +1 209 472-9722), [11].
• Hampton Inn Stockton, 5045 Kingsley Rd, ☎ +1 209 946-1234 (toll free: +1 800-HAMPTON), [12]. Whirlpool tubs, refrigerators and microwaves in rooms.
• Motel 6 Stockton - Charter Way West, 817 Navy Drive, ☎ +1 209 946-0923 (fax: +1 209 464-3948), [13].
• Motel 6 Stockton - I-5 Southeast, 1625 French Camp Turnpike Road, ☎ +1 209 467-3600 (fax: +1 209 464-2659), [14].
• Motel 6 Stockton North, 6717 Plymouth Road, ☎ +1 209 951-8120 (fax: +1 209 474-3829), [15].
• Ramada Plaza, 111 East March Lane, ☎ +1 209 474-3301, [16].
• Residence Inn Stockton, 3240 March Lane, ☎ +1 209 472-9800 (fax: +1 209 472-9888), [17].

Stay safe

Stockton is known to have a very high crime rate and often makes the "most dangerous" list in rankings for cities of its size. Common sense is helpful in determining whether an area is safe to explore on foot or not and the transition between relatively safe areas and relatively dangerous ones are often quite abrupt. It is strongly recommended to avoid most areas at night if you are on foot, with an exception for some large, well lit and heavily trafficked shopping centers. The area also has very high rates of car theft and has at times been called "the car theft capital of the world," so always lock your car and keep valuables out of sight.[18]

Get out

Routes through Stockton

Sacramento ← Elk Grove ←	N  S	→ Lathrop → Los Angeles
Sacramento ← Lodi ←	N  S	→ Manteca → Fresno