This doesn&#x27;t really ring true for most of northern california at the very least. San Mateo, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Albany, Pinole, Walnut Creek, Concord, Benicia, etc. all have downtowns. It&#x27;s even more pronounced outside the bay area. Healdsburg, Sonoma, Napa, Calistoga, St. Helena, Sebastapol, etc. all have tight downtowns. Even in the valley and the sierra foothills have towns&#x2F;cities with tight downtowns.