Empire, Empire, CA

Empire is a small community in Stanislaus County that stretches along Yosemite Boulevard, with the east side of Modesto right on its western edge and farmland on the other three. The street is both the main road and State Route 132, so storefronts and through traffic share the same strip. It is a compact place, around 1,300 homes in a little over a square mile, and the land around the town is still actively farmed. A post office, a church and a park give it a center despite the highway running through. Eating out starts with Lula's Neighborhood Grill on Yosemite Boulevard, a burger and tri tip spot that also does kebobs and cold sandwiches, with chili and a house-made potato salad on the side. Tony's Donut & Grill sits on the same stretch and has been serving the strip since 2000. Florida's Delightful Coffee Shop, farther along Yosemite, opens at eleven and closes on Tuesdays, so it works better for afternoons than for early starts. Empire Community Park covers about six acres and includes a community center and a ball field. The county's Empire Pool is on I Street for summer swimming, and the Empire Public Library is in town as well. Errands often cross the line into Modesto. Cost Less Food Company is a few blocks away on the Modesto side, and the chains along Yosemite, from Starbucks to Mountain Mike's, sit minutes away in Modesto. Highway 132 leads west into Modesto and east toward Waterford, and there is little reason to walk beyond the main strip. The highway itself is the downside. Yosemite Boulevard is where nearly everything happens, which keeps the town useful for quick stops and a little loud for anyone living near it. Those few civic buildings are the reason Empire still reads as a town rather than a stretch of highway.