Martinez is one of the bay area cities that is on the water, offering a downtown with antique shops and historic old buildings. In recent years many new restaurants, breweries and wine rooms have opened up making the downtown area a destination place for entertainment.
It is the county seat for Contra Costa County and top employer and was the home of John Muir, naturalist. For housing, currently a seller’s market, more people are looking to buy than are able to due to the low number of homes for sale.