Gibson Square, Woodland, CA

Gibson Square, in Woodland, takes its identity from the Gibson House at 512 Gibson Road, an old county mansion that now doubles as the Yolo County Historical Museum and a YoloArts venue. Residential blocks gather around the grounds, set apart from the busier commercial streets that border them. Residential streets run around the museum grounds, and the area is small, with only a handful of places inside its boundary. Inside the house, the historical collection tells the story of early life in the county, and YoloArts uses the building for cultural programs. The older homes and the mansion give the area a settled character compared with the shopping districts around it. For outdoor time, William Crawford Senior Park, at 1733 College Street, covers about eight acres, and Crawford Park and Tredway Park add more grass within the same area. The Woodland Off Leash Dog Park is a few minutes away on foot or bike in East Woodland, and Southland Park is in the Historic Core. Food is mostly next door. El Patio is the Mexican restaurant inside the boundary, and Las Islitas Ostioneria, a seafood spot, and New York Pizza Pie are a few minutes away in East Woodland. Boss Cafe, also in East Woodland, is the closest coffee, and Marble Slab Creamery in the Historic Core covers dessert. A Walmart Neighborhood Market in East Woodland is the nearest grocery store. Most errands are a short drive, though the downtown blocks and the Saturday farmers market at Heritage Plaza are close enough to bike. Yolobus runs through Woodland for anyone skipping the car. Gibson Square has few places inside its boundary, so an evening out means going to another neighborhood. The Gibson House grounds are where most walks here end, and the house gives the area an anchor that newer parts of Woodland lack.