Walnut Grove, CA

Walnut Grove is a small town located in Contra Costa County, California. The population was 10,859 at the 2010 census. Walnut Grove is known for its small-town feel and its many historic buildings.

The town was founded in 1853 by John T. Reed and named after the walnut trees that grew abundantly in the area. The first businesses were a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, and a general store. Today there are still several businesses in Walnut Grove that are operated by family members or longtime residents.

The main street of Walnut Grove is lined with historic buildings that date back to the early days of the town. Some of these buildings include the Walnut Grove Schoolhouse (built in 1875), the First Presbyterian Church (built in 1873), and the Reed Mansion (built in 1886). These buildings are all well-maintained and contribute to the overall feeling of historical preservationism that pervades throughout Walnut Grove.

One of the most popular attractions in Walnut Grove is undoubtedly its many parks. There are three parks within walking distance of each other: Hillside Park, Maple Park, and Heritage Park. Hillside Park features a playground, a basketball court, and picnic areas; Maple Park has an outdoor pool, tennis courts, baseball fields, an equestrian center/stable complex, and a children's play area; Heritage Park features an amphitheater/gazebo/band shell as well as gardens and ponds containing fish and amphibians native to California's Central Valley region. All three parks are well-maintained and provide ample opportunities for recreation for residents of Walnut Grove alike.

Another popular attraction within walking distance of downtown Walnut Grove is Crossroads Village Mall which opened in 1978 as one of the first enclosed malls on California's Central Valley region. Crossroads Village Mall features more than 60 stores including Macy's (the largest store within mall boundaries), JCPenney (the second largest store within mall boundaries), Searsucker Outlet Store (an outlet store operated by Sears Holdings Corporation), Forever 21 Clothing Store (the third largest clothing store within mall boundaries), Starbucks Coffee Company (a coffee shop operated by Starbucks Corporation), Panera Bread Company (a bakery operated by Panera Bread Company), Domino's Pizza Restaurant (a pizza restaurant operated by Dominos Pizza Restaurants Inc.), GameStop Video Games & Consoles Store (#4 ranked video game retailer according to Forbes magazine) among others.[1] Crossroads Village Mall also contains two movie theaters: Regal Cinemas Crossroads Stadium 16 & IMAX Theatre Regal Cinemas Sacramento Mills 30.[2]