Discover Suisun City

from Discover Solano Summer 2022

Discover Vallejo

Possibly the most mispronounced city in the county, Suisun City’s roots date back to the 1850s.

Things have changed in those 170-years plus. Yet, there’s still plenty of history.

The city dates back to 1850 when Josiah Wing, a schooner captain, found an island in the Suisun Marsh and built a wharf and warehouse there. It soon became the major agriculture shipping point for the farms and orchards in the Suisun Valley and Green Valley areas.

A train depot was built. Suisun City was bustling with several hotels along Main Street.

Fairfield was the smaller of the two towns, but that changed with World War II and with construction of what’s now Travis Air Force Base and Interstate 80. After that, Suisun City’s growth tapered off.

The train station on Main Street opened in 1914. Historic homes line the old part of town. The Lawler House, home to an art gallery, is one of them. It was built in 1857 as a ranch house on the land now occupied by Dover Terrace South. It was moved to its present location by a truck and barge in 1979.

Suisun City has weathered some tough years. In the early 1980s, a survey of San Francisco Bay Area communities called the town the least attractive place to live in the area, which spurred thenMayor Jim Spering to take on an ambitious redevelopment effort.

Waterfront properties were redeveloped and a crime-ridden neighborhood was razed and replaced with a Victorianstyle development. Improvements continued with the construction of a senior center, community center and library.

Suisun City’s new face earned it accolades such as Sactown magazine’s description of it as “a sweet and delightfully surprising vacation spot.”

The city now includes the modern Kroc Center near the library. The old and the new merge in both locations as the Kroc Center has come to serve as a community center.

The downtown area hosts the city’s events such as an annual Waterfront Festival and Christmas celebration. Downtown is also home to many popular restaurants. A state-of-the-art Blue Devils Bingo Center operates in the Marina Shopping Center.

An alliance of local and regional performing arts groups now offer performances at the Harbor Theatre on Main Street and the historic train depot wrapped up its facelift recently.

One of the city’s best-kept secrets

may be the Suisun Wildlife Center, which is home to a variety of wildlife. Some residents will call it home forever. Others are there with hopes of being released back into their native habitat.

Those who have a paranormal bent can take part in a ghost walk, to potentially hear from any number of spirits that “haunt” the downtown area.

There’s Victoria, who reportedly died in 1923 when she was 7 and is often found at the Lawler House. Michael was reportedly murdered by drowning in 1924 after he got involved in rum-running operation that resulted in him losing some of the illicit booze and paying for that mistake with his life. The spirits of a series of prostitutes identified by paranormal experts as Iris, Hillary, Eleanor, Sweet Marie and Frances can be found at various spots along Main Street near the hotels and pool halls where they plied their trade in the decades before World War II.

Spend the day, see some sights

SUISUN WILDLIFE CENTER SUISUN WILDLIFE CENTER

The Suisun Wildlife Center serves as a sanctuary for injured birds and wildlife and a place where people can learn about the natural world of the Suisun Marsh. It is located at the foot of Kellogg Street next to the Suisun City boat ramp. The center’s predecessor, the Wildlife Rescue and Release Services, began in 1977. The center relies heavily on volunteers who do presentations and guide field trips. It is also home to about a dozen nonreleasable raptors, raccoons, coyotes and other animals that help with the staff’s wildlife education program. LOCATION: 1171 Kellogg St., Suisun City MORE INFORMATION: 707-429-4295, www.suisunwildlife.org

SUISUN CITY WATERFRONT

A bevy of festivals, Independence Day fireworks, shops, restaurants and cafés beckon local residents and visitors to the Suisun City waterfront. Fishermen, dog walkers and people just taking a stroll can be seen at the waterfront almost daily. Much of the activity is centered around the Harbor Plaza at Main and Solano streets, which has hosted concerts and plenty of community activities. The waterfront is often referred to as “a jewel.” LOCATION: Main Street, Suisun City

MORE INFORMATION:

www.suisunwaterfront.com

DAVE FRANZONI

REALTOR®

Executive Council Cal DRE #1748267

Choosing the Right REALTOR® Does Make A Di erence

➤ I live and work in Solano County ➤ REALTOR® for over 16 years ➤ Top Producer ➤ Smart Home Specialist ➤ Executive Council of REALTORS® ➤ #1 Company in the Nation ➤ 6 O ces for your convenience

SUISUN CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION

(707) 410-9003

5071 Business Center Drive Fair eld, CA 94534

DaveFranzoni.com

Fourth of July Celebration: Suisun City celebrates in the afternoon with a festival along the waterfront with live entertainment and vendors, and culminates with an evening fireworks show over the Suisun Marina. Info: https://www.suisun.com/suisun-city-to-host-4th-of-july-celebration.