City of Union City

Pass the buck should be their motto. No one accepts responsibility for anything. Incompetent.

I was raised here for the majority of my life. A while ago, I had a review of Union City that was 5 stars but now since growing older and much wiser I’ve promptly deleted it. My old 5 star review was extremely biased just because obviously, I had such a close tie to my hometown. However, since living multiple places around the world, the time of year when I visit Union City for family is a time of dread.
Positives:
~ The schooling system in Union City is honestly great, in my opinion. The vast majority of my teachers going from Kindergarten all the way to graduating high school were fantastic. You can really trust that your children would receive a quality education here, especially at James Logan High School.
~ It is extremely diverse, but this has less to do with Union City and speaks volumes about the Bay Area in general.
~ It has BART, so you’re still well-​connected to the rest of the Bay Area.
Negatives:
Terrifyingly dangerous and gang-​ridden. I grew up with a lot of friends who ended up in gangs and didn’t bat an eye. Although this has given me a unique insight on the mentality of these kids from broken homes who take these opportunities, it wasn’t since I moved into safer parts of the world that I realised how dysfunctional it was.
There’s a huge problem with mental health in the United States, and Union City takes the hit. In high school, a random woman who looked homeless socked me in the shoulder as I was waiting for the bus. There’s also a guy who sits outside my local 7 – 11 playing cards with himself and staring into cars. Not to mention the guy who whipped his junk out in front of me by Target. Or how about the time the police banged on my door in the middle of the night with German Shepherds because they received reports that a criminal on the run was hiding in my backyard. Every time I finish typing a sentence, my mind immediately remembers more crazy events that have happened during my time in Union City but we’d be here all day.
When I lived in Melbourne, I would walk by myself at night and not be worried and have never had a problem. On the other hand, I could be walking during the daytime in Union City and be looking over my shoulder every 30 seconds.
—
I do feel bad for such a low rating because I grew up here, but it’s such a dangerous place that I feel like I’m constantly terrified.

This is one of the more interesting places to live, especially if you grew up in the school district. This place is basically the middle ground between cash stuffed Silicon Valley and the hood of Oakland.
The Safeway plaza down Decoto used to be the most exciting thing in town until Union Landing was built when I was like 12 or something. Union Landing is basically a giant hub of chain stores and franchised eateries. If you’re the type to only eat organic foods exclusively and drink hipster coffee, this probably isn’t the place for you.
Besides having the largest high school in northern CA, there’s nothing else that really stands out… maybe the haunted bathroom in Bronco Billy’s pizza parlor in the old downtown. Can’t really hate your own hometown right? 4 stars.

I lived here briefly for about 2 years. I enjoyed the farmers market in the tiny little downtown and the huge Union landing shopping center. The problem is this city seems dangerous. The home communities are like ghost towns, with no one in sight. The playgrounds have a lot of tagging and graffiti. We lived in a new condo and one day I woke up to tagging all over the building and heard numerous times of car break ins! It was really scary! Overall, the city has a lot of shops and a lot of back roads to nearby cities like Hayward, Newark and Fremont. It has very easy access to the dumbo too. Location wise, I think it’s great but Fremont is a way better place to live.

Union City is one of the cities that were created when they re-​zoned Fremont. Not sure if many of you already know this, but Fremont used to be HUGE! In order to maintain it and provide better services, they created newer cities out of the original City Of Fremont.
Union City has just about everything, nice restaurants, public transportation, schools, and diversity. You’ll find restaurants here that will satisfy each one of your taste buds. It’s the reason Hayward next door is doing better because people are spreading out towards Hayward. This wasn’t the case; say 5 – 6 years ago.
The BART station is right off of Decoto Road, which is the main artery that cuts right through Fremont, Union City, and Hayward. You can either catch the BART to The City, or towards Fremont BART, where you can hop on the 181 bus to take you straight to downtown San Jose. Easy Peasy.
The best part of Union City is arguably its Union Landing Shopping Plaza. Which is totally a one stop shopping, dining and entertainment hub for thousands of locals from the surrounding cities. What’s not to like?!

Union City is the land of graffiti and sagging pants. There is no diversity here. There is nothing but strip malls and low end dining ie: Applebee’s.
People live here for only two reasons…1. they cannot afford to live anywhere else. 2. they were born here and never left their own zip code.

Not really sure why there are two «City of Union City» locations… but here’s my review from the other one!
This place is pretty rad. I mean, I live here so I’m totally biased, but the amount of diversity here makes this place a pleasure to live in.
After doing a project for one of my health classes, I realized just how many green spaces UC has in the area! That was really surprising to find. :) The air is pretty fresh around my neighborhood. It’s just a little windy here because it’s close to the Bay.
I watched Union Landing grow from the very beginning. UC was honestly pretty average back then, but ever since the emergence of UL, it attracted A LOT of people to visit because of the shopping, eateries, and cinema located here.
Sometimes it does get dangerous here though. Crime is going up in many east bay cities, including UC. That’s a bummer. But I’ve got to say I really love the neighborhood I live in. People are genuinely nice and look out for each other. I can’t say that’s accurate for all of UC though. You just got to find the good parts. :)

i would have to say that union city for the most part is a great place to be, and the areas and parks are clean, well kept and alot of nature, trees, grass mingled into the scenery.

My food buddy is from Union City. Ever since we been going out to eat. I’ve been hanging out in Union City a lot. I really like it here. It’s nice and quite city to live in. I’m thinking about moving here :)

I can’t say that I hate this place because I practically spent my whole life in this city. I moved here when I was in 2^nd grade and a lot has happened ever since then. Union City use to have a drive in movie theater which I wish they still had but this city is getting better ever since they made the plaza called «Union Landing». Though some parts of the city can be ghetto, I enjoyed living here and growing up in this city. I definitely met amazing people here and til this day (I am 21 now) I am still friends with those amazing people!

Well, how can I truly start? I’ve lived in Union City for 4 years now, and I’m happy my family moved here. I was living in San Jose my whole life, and when we had to move, I was truly heartbroken. All of my friends were in San Jose, and I thought I wouldn’t make as many friends anymore in Union City. I thought I would regret it. But today, I definitely do not. Before I came here, I wasn’t the brightest student in the world. But my teachers from my school (Pioneer Elementary School), have helped me get back up. So, by the time I went to my last year of elementary school, I was in the GATE program and involved in many more activities. And I was one of the most popular in school.
Today, I have 3 best friends, and I’m happy I met them. Well, this is just background story. Now, there are many convenient stores, whether you live near James Logan High School or Eastin Elementary School. Union Landing is my favorite place to be whenever I have some free time. Union Landing is pretty much the main place to be. Lucky Supermarket is there, followed by Starbucks, Century 25 Theaters, Chase Bank, etc. So, there’s lots of stores there, and a lot more around this city.
The schools here are amazing. Right now, New Haven Unified are having some budget cuts, but the schools are fighting and making sure we have as many extra curricular activities, books, supplies, classes, and libraries as possible. But the teachers here really focus on making each student better and much more successful.
Enjoy Union City!

Really cool city and located near a lot of my favorite places. Santa Cruz, San Francisco,
ect…

Lived here most of my life.
Can get a little dull but it’s the suburbs what do you expect?
BEST HIGH SCHOOL EVER IMO, because it’s diverse and there’s so many more extra curricular programs compared to other tri-​city schools. Yeah, it’s the only high school in the city so it’s packed with 4,000 kids… SO WHAT?! THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT SO AWESOME. Even though there’s helluh kids, each student still has the opportunity to make a personal relationship with their teachers/​counselors, gonna née the practice if you’re going to attend a University that has lecture halls that fit 300+ students. I am so blessed to have attended this school and would not choose any other school. I honestly felt like I’ve grown a lot because of this school.
Cool parks, whateves. Lol, it’s generally clean.
Cool kids, whateves. They’re the typical kids.
Since Union City is so diverse, I’d say you’d find any kind of person — different economic background, ethnic, culture, etc. IT’S AWESOME.
It’s home :)
& the weather doesn’t suck too badly lol
& the roads are nice to drive on.

All about it; First second home when I came to America.
Representing 94 587.

east side une… where it all started…

I was born in Oakland, but, until 3 years ago, have lived in Union City my whole life (although we live in San Lorenzo now, my wife and I visit my parents in Union City all the time, and still frequent some of the businesses).
The Safeway in Union City is one of the best I’ve been to (the prices are good and most of the employees are friendly). Like at other locations, the deli has been remade into Signature Café (there’s also a Starbucks kiosk inside– I’m not a fan of Starbucks, but I would give the one that’s basically next door 4 stars).
For the most part, the FoodMaxx is also worth going to.
The Walmart is one of the busiest in the nation (it’s open ²⁴⁄₇), which is why we rarely go there (you won’t have to dodge people left and right if you shop in the wee hours of the morning).
The Union City Library is old, but nice (overall, there’s a good selection of items to check out), and the staff there is friendly (I used to work there as a Library Page, and the library is probably even more popular now that I’m gone). It’s also open 7 days a week (many Alameda County libraries aren’t).
Union Landing is one of the main places to go (it’s a strip mall). The Century 25 theatre is very popular (even a few people from outside the area see movies there), and so are some of the restaurants. Parking can be a pain, as there are so many stores and places to eat now (the lots could have been designed better too).
Just across the street from Union Landing is The Flight 93 Memorial (it’s beautiful and impressive, and I’m always moved when I see it). It was erected a little over 3 years ago.
I miss the Union City Drive-​In (it closed in 2000 despite being popular). It was one of my favorite places to go as a kid, and it added to the city.
New facilities, however, like Drigon Dog Park, the Union City Sports Center, and Shorty Garcia Park (a few decades ago, Shorty played a key role in having a World War II Veteran’s Monument moved to Kennedy Park), attract hundreds of people each week (although it’s been rated «a disappointment,» it only costs $ 1-​$ 3 to skate at Skate Park, and it’s open from 9 a.m. to Dusk).
Union City has come a long way (it’s now 52). The population was at 49,000 a little over 20 years ago, and is now at 74,000. It continues to grow because it has a lot to offer (I love Fremont too, but my favorite place to go is Funkytown).
Union City was named an All-​America City in 1999 (Fremont has also earned this distinction– only 10 cities across the nation are given the award each year). It’s a safe city with some good schools (in general, the parks and places to eat are good too– in terms of the latter, Round Table and Asia Express quickly come to mind), and the residents as a whole are friendly (a few people suck, but not many).
Union City is also one of the most diverse cities in the nation (Angela K. and Britney C. don’t know what they’re talking about– a lack of diversity characterizes most cities in the Midwest and South, but not Union City). Groups tend to be spread out, though, which can make it hard to appreciate this fact (in 1992, Union City was the 6^th most diverse city in the U.S., and not much has changed). For example, a lot of Caucasians, Asians, and African Americans live in the neighborhood my parents are in. A mile away, by Our Lady of the Rosary (I went to elementary school there), you’ll find a lot of Mexicans. Further out, by Union Landing, you’ll find a wide range of groups (Filipinos form the largest one).
Most of the homes in Union City are pretty good, and property values are starting to go up.
I love Union City (my dad hates the police, but I really don’t know why– I also take this with a grain of salt because he tends to distrust authority in general). I’m very glad that I lived, worked, and went to school here.

I remember once upon a time there was a drive in theater here!

Grew up here before it got as ghetto as it is now. It used to be such a mellow town, with nothing but a Wal*Mart and drive-​in movie theatre as it’s main attractions. Now, Union Landing has taken over, which brings in the rowdy crowds.
Pros:
* I like how you can get around easily to any part of the bay from UC.
Cons:
* Smells like a landfill in some areas at night.
* Small town = everywhere you go, you will see someone you know.
* Ghetto.
But it is my hometown… Smh –_​_​_​–

What can I say about UNE! Well these are my reasons why I’m giving this city 3 stars:
1. Union City is next to Freakmont! Woohooo!
2. There’s the infamous Union Landing!
3. Wal-​mart that opens ²⁴⁄₇!
4. This is the second city, that is populated with filipinos!
The first is Daly City…
5. There’s no diverse in this city…
6. Most of the population are the filipinos, indians, chinese, and some mexicans
7. My ex-​bf used to live here, but not anymore…
8. The house prices are expensive…
9. I think Logan High is the only high school here…
Overall, it’s a great place to raise your kids! =)

The city of gladiolas.
I have a love/​hate relationship with the Une.
So many memories.
some of them I’ve left unsaid and buried.
Some of them I want to scream ontop of the hillside and procure my love.
And with that, I am grateful.
It is my hometown so don’t get it twisted.
94 587.

I love Union Landing. I have lived on the Alvarado side of Union City since moving here 20+ years ago and Union Landing is within a 15 min. walk from my house. (Of course Union Landing did not exist then, back then it was the last remaining east bay drive-​in theatre.
I don’t have to drive anywhere, Union Landing has whatever I need. Lucky Supermarket and Century Theatre are among the anchors and many many other stores and restaurants. Among my favorites are Starbucks and Texas Roadhouse.
Updated list below as of October 2011.
A T & T
Andersen Bakery & Café
Applebee’s Grill and Bar
Babies-​R-​Us
Baskin-​Robbins
Best Buy
Borders Bookstore + Café (CLOSED)
Century Theatres
Chase Bank
Chevy’s Fresh Mex
Chilis Grill and Bar
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Coldstone Creamery
Elite Nail Spa
Extended StayAmerica
FedEx /​Kinkos
Fresh Choice
Fuddruckers
Game Crazy
Game Stop
Gerry’s Grill
Great Clips
Holiday Inn Express
Hollywood Video
I Fly (indoor sky diving)
In-​N-​Out Burger
International House of Pancakes
Jamba Juice
Jollibees
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
La Salsa
La Z Boy Furniture
Lane Bryant
Lowe’s Hardware
Lucky Supermarket
Mancini’s Sleepworld
Massage Envy
Michael’s Arts & Crafts
Mountain Mikes Pizza
Office Max
Party America
Pasta Pomodoro
Payless Shoe Source
Petco
Q Cleaners
Radio Shack
Sally Beauty Supply
SAS Shoes
Sleep Train
Smart n Final
Sports Authority
Sprint
Starbucks
Sushi Boat
Texas Roadhouse
TGIF Grill and Bar
The Vitamin Shoppe
Togo’s
Tony Roma’s
Tribu Grill
Union 76 Gas Station
Union City Police Department Kiosk
Union Landing Dental Center
Verizon
Wal Mart
Wells Fargo Bank