Clayton Club
During this Holiday Season, I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas and New Years. Today's post will be the last until Thursday.
On Friday, I went out to Stockton to visit relatives and for the return trip we decided to drive the backroads back to the Bay. Our trip took us down scenic Charter Way (lot to see, but do not stop) in Stockton, to Highway 4 through Discovery Bay and over Marsh Creek Road. This route drops you right into Clayton and it reminded me to stop by one my favorite dive bars, the Clayton Club.
As I entered Clayton, I was blown away with all of the development. This former sleepy town that sits at the base of Mt. Diablo on the Eastern edge of Contra Costa County was farms and a few homes twenty years ago. Now it looks like LA without the charm. But the one saving grace is the Clayton Club still exists.
From the outside, the Clayton Club looks like an old west saloon. The interior is funky and has mix match of tables and chairs. The distinctive feature is the cowboy boots that are nailed to the ceiling. It is not very large bar, but it is a true left over a former generation. Now that the streets are littered with minivans instead of work trucks and the million dollar home from Oakhurst Country Club cast a shadow on the small downtown I wondered how long a community institution like the Clayton Club can last before a new Starbucks takes over it location.
So I began thinking of all the bars, the ones I can remember, ones that are very big part of the community. In San Francisco every neighborhood has a local hangout, the Dubliner in Noe Valley, the Elbo Room in the Mission or Specs in North Beach. If you are driving to Yosemite in Groveland, CA you will find the Iron Door with its big moose head and “Iron Door.”
In my hometown of Alameda we have 20 bars and I am not sure if any of them have a quality that will last for generations. I have my favorites and a couple places like Spots Pop Inn and Club House have been in there locations for years, but I do not think that they are community institutions. So I decided, I would like to begin a list of great local dive bars, so email me with your nominations and brief description of the place and at the end of January I will post them.
If you happen to be way out in this part of the Bay Area stop into The Clayton Club for a drink and experience this great little watering hole. So again, Happy Holidays.
Cheers
