One of the most successful retail efforts in Northern California is located in Richmond’s Southern Gateway—the Pacific East Shopping Mall, an Asian-themed mall that has been a runaway hit since opening in 1998. The area also hosts a large Costco near Point Isabel.

Southern Gateway accommodates varied business activity, including light industrial, manufacturing, office parks, and large distribution centers for Safeway and the United States Postal Service. UC Berkeley’s Richmond Field Station, an offsite teaching and research facility, is also in the Southern Gateway area. Southern Gateway is well served by rail and Interstates 80 and 580 and enjoys easy access to San Francisco, as well as close proximity to neighbors El Cerrito, Albany, and Berkeley.

One of the area’s main attractions is Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, a landscaped 21-acre park at the west end of Central Avenue in Richmond, which boasts stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin County, as well as Bay fishing, hiking and jogging trails, bird-watching, kite-flying, picnicking, and dog-walking. A favorite with Point Isabel Park visitors is Mudpuppy’s Tub & Scrub, a dog-washing and pet store facility.