Solano Real Estate Scene: Historic downtowns attract businesses

Napa, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Benicia, Petaluma and even Winters have been successful in attracting restaurants and retail businesses to their historic downtown business districts. Vacaville and Fairfield have been trying for years to revitalize their respective downtown shopping and strolling districts. The Nut Tree and the Factory Outlets in Vacaville and the big mall along with the new agritourism in Fairfield are obviously attracting more locals and people from out of town than the restaurants and shopping options on Main Street and Texas Street. Town Square in Vacaville has been a successful addition to historic downtown Vacaville. Locals pack downtown for the Halloween Stroll, the Christmas Tree Lighting and the Fourth of July fireworks show every year. Downtown Fairfield hasn’t been as successful, but over the years has slowly but surely improved its reputation through effective law enforcement efforts to make shoppers and visitors feel safe. The Tomato Festival and the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce Wine & Brew Fest continues to bring in crowds to Fairfield each year, and the theaters in both Fairfield and Vacaville provide a steady level of live entertainment supporting the arts. Vacaville and Fairfield may never attract Michelin Star restaurants like Napa, but what we have isn’t too shabby.