The water’s edge

These days the former Charley Brown’s restaurant is a conference center; and the space where Bella by the Bay once operated is now home to California Canoe & Kayak, which sells and rents, well, canoes and kayaks. Except for the Blue Fish Kitchen food truck — which parks close to the water just beyond California Canoe & Kayak, at the end of Seaport Court — I don’t know of any other places in the port where one can get a meal these days. And although California Canoe & Kayak is an excellent addition to the port, they are the only retailer that I know of out there.

The port’s recently rebuilt public fishing pier is an attraction for those who like to fish; and the port’s “Rock the Dock” concert series — currently underway — is a great reason to head to the port on Saturday afternoons (concerts are from 3:30-6 p.m. every Saturday through November. Check the port’s website for the list of performers). Boat owners can take advantage of the port’s public boat launch ramp, while the rest of us can walk or sit along the water’s edge, enjoying the sight of the birds and the boats both in the marina and out on the water.

That all might sound like a lot, but there could be so much more. My wife and I recently had occasion to spend two nights in a new hotel on the banks of the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington, and we couldn’t help but admire what Vancouver has done with its waterfront. Vancouver deliberately set out to turn a portion of their waterfront into a place where people would flock, and they have succeeded most admirably. 

Vancouver Waterfront Park is a linear public park along the northern bank of the Columbia. Equipped with a wide walking path, benches, historical markers and a lovely depiction of the entire Columbia River watershed etched into a granite water feature, it is a key part of a 35-acre zone that has been divided into seven blocks and developed with hotels, apartment and condominium buildings, several restaurants, wine-tasting rooms and a retail shop or two. If that isn’t enough, from the park one can walk upriver along a mileslong riverside trail that leads to, among other things, historic Fort Vancouver.

Judging by the hundreds of people who throng to Vancouver’s waterfront on weekends and in the evenings, the city has a hit on their hands. The restaurants are packed, and you’ll find a great many people enjoying the park, socializing and watching the ships making their way up and down river. It’s a delightful place to be, and people clearly agree, given that they, like we, have to make the drive to the waterfront in order to enjoy it.

Redwood Creek is a mere shadow of the mighty Columbia, but especially adjacent to our Municipal Marina I can picture it being developed in a similar fashion and turned into an attractive destination for residents and visitors alike. Unfortunately, much of that part of the port was developed in the mid-1980s, primarily with two-story office buildings. Those buildings may provide great views for the people who work within, but they’re no attraction for the general public. To make the place into a scaled-down version of Vancouver’s waterfront — creating a place where people would want to hang out and meet with friends — the city would need to accumulate a critical mass of restaurants, hotels, housing and other attractions. Without tearing down all of the offices by the marina, I can’t see that happening. And that is a disappointment: Redwood City’s waterfront is good, now, but it could be great.

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.