36 minutes in Castro Valley

Image courtesy of the San Jose Mercury News. 

Named for Don Guillermo Castro, a rancher who owned the land, Castro Valley is a vibrant community with good food, plentiful nature for strolling, and a BART station in the center of it all.

Here, you can pick up fresh Mexican tacos at a grocery store, schedule a pottery class, grab a sweet treat, peruse an organic market, and do a little shopping - all in 36 minutes.

Grab your Clipper card and walking shoes – let’s spend 36 minutes in Castro Valley!

To see more features in our 36 minutes series, click here.

Image courtesy of Castro Valley Farmers Market

If you come to Castro Valley on a Saturday, don’t miss the resplendent Castro Valley Farmers Market, where you’ll find dozens of fresh produce vendors and even a stand slinging homemade tamales. Everything on offer at the market is grown or made in California. The market is every Saturday from 10am to 2pm at the corner of Redwood Rd and Norbridge Ave (the BART station parking lot).

If shopping organic during the week (or weekend) is what you're after, the Castro Valley Natural Market sits just north of the station. With the motto "We dig real food", they offer produce and goods that meet the strictest product standards. You can explore the large selection of organic, local, and seasonal produce, extensive lines of natural and specialty foods, clean supplements, personal care items, and more. The market offers online shopping to purchase ahead for pickup so you can get to where you're going next quickly.

After you’ve picked up your produce and organic finds, walk along Wilbeam Ave to the Castro Village Shopping Center. Here, you can shop for jewelry and sweets, or schedule an art class at Aran’s Art Studio (3313 Village Dr).

Image courtesy of Knudsen's Ice Creamery.

If you haven’t satisfied your sweet tooth at the shopping center, travel south to Knudsen’s Ice Creamery (3323 Castro Valley Blvd), where more than 40 flavors of ice cream are on offer in variations such as blueberry cheesecake, bubblegum, and cotton candy. A cool sweet treat is always good for the soul.

Image courtesy of Doug's Place.

If you’re looking for a meal more substantial than ice cream, make Doug’s Place your stop (20871 Redwood Rd), where you can grab hearty breakfast and lunch staples at reasonable prices daily until 3pm. Open since 1978, Doug’s Place is known for friendly service with heaping portions and offers online ordering and take out.

If it's the Bay Area's largest cinnamon roll or pancakes in outrageous colors you're after, head a few minutes down Castro Valley Blvd to Denica’s Real Food Kitchen (2723 Castro Valley Blvd). At Denica’s, the pancakes come in pink guava and ube, the cookies are big enough to split and all are served with love. Order online for pickup or grab a sweet treat for your trek back to the train. Remember to grab a napkin!

Image courtesy of El Rancho Supermercado.

Down Redwood Rd, you’ll find a family-owned market that will transport you straight to Latin America. El Rancho Supermercado (22291 Redwood Rd) specializes in Mexican and Central American goods, with a full-service butcher shop, produce department, grocery section, and taqueria. If there is a special family recipe you like to make that calls for certain Latin ingredients, this is your place.

Image courtesy of East Bay Regional Parks.

Should you have your bike with you, it may be a ride you're after until you jump back on the train. Lake Chabot Regional Park (17600 Lake Chabot Road) is the 315-acre reservoir that once fulfilled the drinking water needs of Oakland and San Leandro, but today, the reservoir serves as a backup water supply for emergencies. It's a beautiful place for a ride! Before your visit, read BARTable’s biking guide to Lake Chabot here.  

Let's talk.

What's your favorite spot in Castro Valley? Have a suggestion for our next 36 minutes feature? Let us know via social media, @SFBARTable #SFBARTable! Keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see all of the best BARTable (virtual) events, places to eat (grab take out from) and have fun (outside) around the Bay.