Irvington - Fremont, CA Area Guide

Fremont was part of Mission San Jose in 1797. Irvington was part of the city’s growth after the Gold Rush and into the latter 1800s. Irvington became a largely African-American neighborhood known for the Five Corners, a busy crossroads. In 1884, this town was named for Judge Irving, a circuit judge, but subsequently changed it to Irvington when the railroad company printed the name wrong on its schedules and claimed it was too expensive to fix.

Since that time, Irvington has become a diverse, working class neighborhood housing many semiconductor and telecommunications companies.

Adjacent Centerville district hosts the Children’s Natural History Museum, which contains the Irvington fossil collection and teaches children about stars, the natural world and early humans. Irvington supports youth theatre and performing arts, staging several theatre productions each year at The Valhalla Theatre at Irvington High School. The Fremont Festival of the Arts is held the first weekend of every August to exhibit the work of more than 700 local artists, with music, food and games.

Though Irvington doesn't have a central restaurant location, many are located along Stevenson and Fremont boulevards. In this area you find seafood, Cajun, Creole, Mediterranean, Turkish, Thai, Laotian and Mexican; nearly anything your heart desires can be found in this diverse neighborhood.

Cut the Crab may take its name from a play on words, but the seafood boils are no joke. A large menu includes a variety of starters, soups, extras, and various kinds of crab, lobster, crawfish, shrimp and clams. Locals love to mix it up with the luxabu sauce, a mixture of garlic butter, lemon pepper and cravin' Cajun. Though the decor may not be all that, it's the food and people-pleasing customer service that keep them coming back.

Green Champa Garden provides locals with a chance to try authentic Laotian cuisine, similar to Thai in its use of nuanced and balanced flavors. Locals can't get enough of the stuffed angel wings and fried rice ball salad in this casual neighborhood joint. Friendly service makes sure everyone feels right at home in trying something new.

Head to Tacos La Perla, a popular food truck, for authentic taqueria-style tacos, tortas and other Mexican specialties. Frequently parked along Bay Street, Tacos La Perla provides great, authentic food quickly and at a very reasonable price.

In Irvington, nightlife can be a little sparse, given its reputation as a residential area. What's around may take a little driving and centers around the bar scene.

Cloverleaf Family Bowl features 44 lanes in addition to a food court and a sports bar. Cloverleaf hosts bowling tournaments and birthday parties, as well. The sports lounge has large TVs, pool tables, and darts.

Other local bars include The Huddle, with karaoke, cheap drinks, and live bands on Fridays and Saturdays. Locals love this place for its ambiance, but since they don't take credit cards, you have to hit the ATM first. Still, a rowdy good time is usually had by all. For a quieter evening, try Bijan Hookah Bar for creative drink specials and attentive owners making sure everyone is comfortable and happy. If you want to dance, The Saddle Rack has country bands, a barbershop and mechanical bull on the premises to make your night truly interesting.

Most of Irvington’s residents prefer to drive to their destinations, given the area’s proximity to the 680 and 880 freeways. Parking here is generally easy to find and inexpensive.

You have many options when it comes to public transportation too. The Fremont BART station provides the terminus of both the Fremont-Richmond and Fremont-Daly City light rail lines. Several bus routes operated by AC Transit also run throughout Irvington.

You’ll likely find it tough to hail a cab on the street unless you’re right near the BART station. However, arranging a pickup with a local cab company or Uber is very easy.

You’ll find Irvington walkable, with some errands able to be accomplished on foot. Since there are several bike lanes here, cyclists also find the streets safe for biking.

Adjacent to Irvington you'll find Central Park, which features Lake Elizabeth surrounded by playgrounds for the kids, tennis and basketball courts for fitness buffs and room for dogs to run around and play. A small water park, softball field, soccer field and skating area round out a truly great local resource. Whether you’re having a picnic or attending one of their summer concerts, you’re sure to have a great time.

Always Dream Play Park at the northern part of Central Park provides local kids with tons of fun activities, including sand to play in, swings, a slide and more. Though it can get busy on weekends, locals find the off-peak hours relaxing and fun with their little ones, whether toddling or school age.

The Irvington Community Park also has a ton of play structures and other active events for locals to enjoy. From the basketball courts to swings, soccer or lounging around in the picnic area, bring the family and a cooler and enjoy the next pleasant day.

Irvington’s cost of living sits slightly lower than the Fremont average, yet higher than the national average. The average one-bedroom residence rents for $1,590 per month.

It costs $4.30 to get from Fremont to Oakland City Center via BART train.

A beer at a local pub will run you around $6, and gas prices hover around 17 percent higher here than the national average.

As a primarily residential neighborhood, Irvington doesn't host much in the way of shopping. What there is falls into the big box chain store variety, with a Target, Cost Plus World Market and other stores in the Fremont Hub just north of here. Though there's no central shopping district, you'll find a few cute boutiques to check out in the area. Armadillo Bay has women's accessories and handbags, as well as popular brands like Velvet, Paige Premium Denim and Free People. Locals love the great prices, but since they don't take American Express, brings cash or other cards. Krishna Creations Boutique provides top Indian designers for clothing and accessories, even outfitting kids and plus sizes. If you're looking for something truly original and colorful, make this a stop on your itinerary. Almost all of Irvington's grocery store options are larger chain stores like Safeway, Trader Joe's and Lucky. But if you look a little more, you'll find smaller stores like Sprouts for healthy food items and Sunshine Mart for convenience items like chips, deli stuff and frozen items. They also sell Indian and Afghan foods, including Bollywood DVDs. Irvington's Farmers Market at Bay Street and Trimboli Way happens on Sundays year-round for the freshest in local produce, baked goods and artisanal foods.