WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – Parklets are surprisingly polarizing. Some people love these little mini spots for dining al fresco. Others fret that adding parklets will eat up much-needed parking spots.
One thing we know for certain, though, is that Walnut Creek is about to get lots more of these pocket parks.
City officials say five new parklets have gone in (or are under construction) within about a one-block radius over the past month, building on an earlier parklet installation at Sasa, for six total.
A big driver is the city’s Outdoor Dining Incentive Program, which offers reimbursement grants up to $10,000 to qualifying downtown restaurants that build permitted outdoor dining structures (the city calls them “PODS”).
There’s $100,000 available in total. So we can expect to see up to 10 new parklets funded by the program.
The Full Parklet List
Wondering where the new parklets will appear? Here’s the complete list:
Ramen Hiroshi — 1633 Bonanza St
Locals had been spotting work out front for weeks, and it now appears to be part of the city’s broader parklet push.
Xicote Cocina Mexicana — 1518 Bonanza St
One of the Bonanza corridor spots now getting a curbside footprint for outdoor seating.
Broderick — 1548 Bonanza St
Broderick’s Bonanza Street frontage is also part of the recent round of installations.
Elia — 1520 Locust St
A Locust Street entry on the list, as the city’s parklet growth spreads beyond one single block face.
Limon — 1524 Locust St
Another Locust Street location now associated with a new outdoor dining platform.
Sasa — 1432 N Main St
Sasa’s parklet arrived earlier and helped set the stage for what we’re seeing now.
Stronger Structures
If the mere mention of a parklet brings back traumatic memories of makeshift, pandemic-era plywood structures hastily built in parking lots, then fear not–the new parklets in Walnut Creek are built to be semi-permanent.
They apparently need to follow specific building codes. We’ve seen crews put them together, and there’s lots of concrete and metal involved. These things are much more secure than the makeshift 2020 ones.
So if you’re pro-parklet, you have something to celebrate. If you’re anti-parklet, you’ve got some lost parking to mourn.
Want to know as soon as more restaurants announce their grant-funded parklets? Make sure to join my free 925 News newsletter so I can update you.
