Stockton Things to Do

I like to walk to either the American Legion Park, at the head of Smith Canal, the center of which is known as Yosemite Lake. Other times, I walk across the Pershing street bridge toward Victory Park, which is considerably larger and more active with walkers than American Legion Park. At night, I also like to take Marine and cross Country Club Blvd toward the Little League park where I can let the dog run free off leash. My miniature schnauzer has all the energy I need to complete any of these walks within an hour or so.

Actually, this is also true for every other community in California, but Stockton does have a well developed Adult education program. The local population includes a large number of recent immigrants who don't know English, and so the ESL courses are a particular value. There aren't any famous professors, but the teachers are better than the world average, the cost is zero, and students can come and go anytime they want. Also, California education code doesn't require any identification or residency status in order to attend, so don't worry about your immigration or visa status. A traveler from outside the US can easily stay awhile in Stockton, blend in where the rents are half the cost of the San Francisco Bay Area, and take English classes. If you are a college graduate though, don't expect your fellow students to be so capable at learning. Have fun, learn about other students and the teacher, and improve your English. Assessment days are Tuesday, the only prerequisite to proper placement. If your level is high enough, you can take remedial level English reading and writing classes there, but the school services all levels of ability from non-speaking to accent reduction.

4 more images

I previously called this "a Perfect Set for Omega Man" and wrote:
As I mentioned in the page for Stockton, there is nothing whatsoever in Stockton unless one wants to see a truly dead, abandoned downtown. It is large, but the buldings are abandoned and crumbling, and even the homeless avoid this area, as there is simply no point for them to visit it. Turning downtown into a large Bodie-like ghost town tourist site is probably the only thing anyone can do with it. The buildings are so big and dilapidated, and the decay is so constant block after block, that it would probably be too expensive to try to revive it the way people have done in Sacramento or San Rafael, which were brought back from the dead before it was too late. Stockton should be seen so people know what modern-style development does.

Thankfully, this is no longer quite true. The basic problems are are still there and the downtown is still pretty dead, with a lot of improvement to do. However, as I mentioned in my update to the main page, it is improving and hopefully in time will once again be the bustling urban downtown it once was, and should be.

Things to see here inlclude the Bob Hope Theatre, the memorial auditorium, and some great old buildings like the Hotel Stockton, thankfully now renovated after rotting away for some time.

4 more images

Juneteenth celebrates the ending of slavery in the USA, and so is a very popular African-American festivity. Folks of all races and ethnic backgrounds will enjoy the festivities at the Stockton version of Juneteenth though. Live music, dance productions, ethnic food, and craft vendors are all part of the activities celebrated at this Stockton's Webber Point festival.

Since we have a waterfront home with a large garden, visitors to our house find a surprising meditation close to downtown and freeways. Contact me and tell me your plans. We have room to spare for those planning a short stay. I do work on my house a lot, and longer term visitors are expected to contribute to the upkeep of the garden and house, chores which are generally very relaxing. We don't have noisey children or pets, so adults and students are welcome to contact me for more information.

Others have written about the lack of things to do downtown, and at the moment at least, this is sadly true. However, if you are booked to stay overnight downtown, a walk/jog tour around downtown is worth it. Unlike many larger and younger cities in California, Stockton does have an old, partly restored downtown with many classic brick highrise buildings with ornate cornices. The restoration process has a long way to go, so expect to see some construction fences and plywood closing off first floor entrances, but the streets and sidewalks are generally in good shape. If you are a realestate investor for downtown property, this is a buyers market of some architectural treasures in need of TLC and modernization. Start around the area of the waterfront, on El Dorado Street near the new Cinema complex and the old architectural gem, Stockton Hotel. Walk east to San Joaquin Street and turn left to find the old Fox Theatre near the corner of Main. Proceed east down Main until you reach the relatively new and massive Washington Mutual building and then circle north to return to the waterfront. This is a short jog for those who are fit. If you want to jog further, try either heading west along the waterfront areas (both sides of McCloud lake, or head north into the uptown and Magnolia district.

4 more images

Since we have a dock on the Smith Canal, anyone living in the Bay Area and beyond are welcome to navigate their way to our home. We have room for overnight visitors, and the dock space is ample for even the largest private vessels. Some sailboats with tall masts might not be able to pass under the I-5 bridge, but all others, short of commercial freighters can easily come up the Smith Canal. The speed limit is 5mph along the Smith Canal. Please don't create a wake that rocks the neighborhood docks. We occasionally take friends or family out for a ride in the pedalling kayak.

4 more images

Since my wife is a Spanish teacher and native from Venezuela, we often host parties with those who speak Spanish. Stockton is a very multi-ethnic city, and we like to eat Latin foods and listen to Latin music, while we drink California wine. Sometimes a bottle of Spanish or Chilean wine gets mixed into the table of bottles. Our back patio is a pleasant place to party. During a recent retirement party for our friend of ours, I asked six year old Christina, the daughter of our friends Dave and Roxanne, to shoot pictures of what she thought was important. My camera is a sophisticated camera (see my equipment album at my homepage) and so she stills struggles a bit to get things in focus, but I love the compositions that she comes up with.