Patterson, Patterson, CA

Patterson is laid out like a wheel, with streets fanning out from circles instead of running in a plain grid, and that plan is what sets it apart from the other farm towns on Stanislaus County's west side. The town sits just off Interstate 5, southwest of Modesto, and the old center still revolves around the Circle Plaza, where the Patterson Township Historical Society keeps its museum in the Center Building on the plaza. Housing falls into two broad groups. The blocks around the old circles date from the colony's early decades, when the town was first platted in 1909. Farther out, newer subdivisions have grown up, and the parks inside them carry apricot variety names: Floragold, Early Gold, Castlebrite, Aprigold, Blenheim, Rosette and Goldbar. For outdoor time, those neighborhood parks do most of the work, along with Plaza Park downtown and the Patterson Dog Park. For a bigger day out, Frank Raines Regional Park lies up Del Puerto Canyon, with rugged Coast Range slopes and a hiking trail that looks down on the canyon. Early June brings the Apricot Fiesta, with a parade, food and fireworks. Blues Cafe on South Del Puerto Avenue is the downtown coffee regular, known for its sandwiches, salads and bagels and for the small flower shop sharing its space. Patterson Cafe and the Almond Wood barbecue spot sit on Renzo Lane, and a string of taquerias and bakeries fills in the rest of the options. Everyday errands stay in town, with a Save Mart, a Grocery Outlet and the Patterson Public Library all close at hand. Most trips are by car. Commuters head up I-5 or along State Route 33, and a regional commuter bus connects to the Dublin/Pleasanton station. The main drawback is distance from bigger services. A hospital visit or a department store run means a drive into Modesto, and Bay Area commutes run long. The circles were part of the original plan, and when the Fiesta crowds arrive they fill those curves more than any building does.