36 Minutes in West Dublin/Pleasanton

Image courtesy of Michelle Robertson.

When you exit West Dublin/Pleasanton Station, a sort of choose-your-own-adventure situation presents itself. Exit to the left of the faregates (the southern entrance), and you’ll find yourself weaving your way along a scenic path to the palatial Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton. Exit to the right (the northern entrance) of the faregates, and you enter Dublin, where plenty of excitement and shopping awaits you.

We’ve rounded up our favorite spots to eat, shop, skate. Let’s get going.

Image courtesy of Google Photos.

You’re certain to find exactly what you're looking for at Stoneridge Shopping Center (1 Stoneridge Mall Rd, Pleasanton). With more than 165 shops, the two-story mall has something that will tickle most people’s fancy -- a Macy’s, Apple, and LEGO store among them. To get to Stoneridge, exit the faregates and follow the signs toward Stoneridge Shopping Center. The four minute jaunt will take you through a scenic corporate park and a parking lot.

Image courtesy of Yelp/Zach C.

From Stoneridge, we’ll wind our way back through the BART station and exit on the northern side to West Dublin. It’s time to get our blood pumping! To start, we’ll walk nine minutes from the station to Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl (6750 Regional St, Dublin), the spot for splitting lanes and hitting pins. The bowling alley has 40 lanes – with bumpers – a sports lounge and arcade. It also has a full-service café, which serves your typical bowling alley fare (pizza, slushies, cheese fries, hotdogs).

Image courtesy of Google Photos.

After a dark bowling alley, it’s always a treat to get some sunshine, and there’s no better spot to do just that than Dublin Heritage Park and Museums (6600 Donlon Way, Dublin). Open to the public during daylight hours, the park is a ten-minute walk from the bowling alley, and you’ll find it a charming one-stop shop for Dublin history. The ten-acre park tells the tales of the city’s earliest settlers, who founded Dublin more than 200 years ago and includes historic buildings circa 1850 as well as a pioneer cemetery.

Image courtesy of Yelp/Roger B.

If bowling and history aren’t your thing, then walk nine minutes north to Dublin Iceland Ice Skating (7212 San Ramon Rd, Dublin), a well-maintained rink that’s perfect for kickstarting your ice hockey career. It’s $10 for admission and $5 for skate rentals. Novice? Iceland also offers skating classes for beginners.

Image courtesy of Yelp.

You’ve got to warm yourself up after all that skating, and INC 82 Brewing (7370 San Ramon Rd, Dublin) is a hip stop for eats and brews. The name of the microbrewery pays homage to Dublin’s incorporation as a city in 1982 – more than a century after its founding. You’ll forget all that after tasting one of INC 82’s delicious craft beers and ciders, ranging from imperial stouts and lagers to IPAs and hefeweizens. The brewery also has a large menu of non-drinkables, including burgers, tacos, burritos and more.

Image courtesy of Yelp/Yafa Hummus.

You may want to save some room, though, as our next stop offers delectable eats, as well. Yafa Hummus (7012 Amador Plaza Rd, Dublin) is a hit among locals for its delicious bowls, wraps and desserts. Run by two brothers and their cousin, the recipes for Yafa’s hummus and falafel were created by their grandfather, who learned to make the food in 1951 in the city of Yafa. “Our passion is hummus and our ultimate goal is for our customers to enjoy the best hummus period” the family writes on their website.

With our bellies and shopping carts full, it’s time to head back home. From Yafa Hummus, West Dublin/Pleasanton Station is just a nine-minute walk southwards. Thanks for joining us for this iteration of 36 minutes!

To read the rest of the stories in the series, click here.

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