Is there a mechanic Greg McDaniel actually trusts around Camino Ramon?

Greg McDaniel says Kevin and Connor's auto body and mechanic shop at Camino Ramon and Fostoria Way is "hands down the best mechanic shop on God's green earth." Kevin is "always there, super awesome," will "personally drive me home or back to my office in his own car," and has a miniature collie that "just chills with all the banging, machines and people in and out."

Where can you watch Fourth of July fireworks in the area?

Greg McDaniel says Central Park in Santa Mon is a huge park with a great community center. When the weather is good on Fourth of Julies they do a fireworks show; you can get down close for "the whole festival thing" or be "a little bit more remote" up on the hills "in the back of a pickup or standing up there."

Greg McDaniel's Guide to San Ramon

Alamo, CA

By Greg McDaniel

About San Ramon

Greg McDaniel notes that Kevin and Connor's auto body and mechanic shop at Camino Ramon and Fostoria Way is "hands down the best mechanic shop on God's green earth." He emphasizes that Kevin is "always there, super awesome," and that when you get your work done, "he, the owner, will personally drive me home or back to my office in his own car." Greg McDaniel adds that "the guy just doesn't stop giving," and that Kevin has "the coolest little miniature collie" that "doesn't do anything wrong, just chills with all the banging, machines and people in and out."

On getting around, Greg McDaniel tells buyers about Crow Canyon Road heading westbound: if you live in Alamo, Danville, or San Ramon and need Oakland Airport, "you can skip Walnut Creek and 24 or 680 to 580 to 880." Cut through Crow Canyon Road and "you hit this full-blown country farm area, then it winds around and pops you out in Castro Valley," then reconnect with 580, drop onto 880, and land in Oakland or anywhere in Alameda County. He also marks that if you're "going northbound in traffic and you're bogged in, you can get off on Crook Canyon, then immediately take a left on Camino Ramon, and ride it along the side of the freeway all the way to Sycamore, which is downtown Danville," or cross and take Danville Boulevard north on the west side of Danville.

Greg McDaniel describes the San Ramon city center—the building "actually called the City Center Bishop Ranch"—as something that faced "some opposition" when first started but has "become one of the community's favorites, one of my favorites." They used to go to Fieldwork, "a brewery there, very lively," where "everybody and their sister, families, couples, individuals, everyone sitting at communal tables, everyone having a blast hanging out." He also points to a "massively huge" 24 Hour Fitness next to a FedEx or UPS hub with trucks always going in and out; early mornings mean "really good parking spots," cycle classes that "kick the living you-know-what out of you," and an interior open enough that "you're never cramped because it used to be an old warehouse." For food he calls "every single hungry person that loves hamburgers" to In-N-Out, where "you can't go wrong" though "the line with this thing, like every other In-N-Out burger, literally goes around the corner" and they had to build a lane because it was "physically stopping traffic." Central Park in Santa Mon, he says, is "a huge park" with a "great community center" where "we've all done tons of events"; on Fourth of Julies when weather is good they do fireworks, and you can get close for "the whole festival thing" or stay remote "up on the hills and see the fireworks in the back of a pickup."

Highlights

Kevin and Connor's auto body and mechanic shop at Camino Ramon and Fostoria Way is "hands down the best mechanic shop on God's green earth," with Kevin personally driving you home or back to the office and "the coolest little miniature collie."
Crow Canyon Road heading westbound lets you skip Walnut Creek and 24 or 680 to 580 to 880: "full-blown country farm area," then Castro Valley, reconnect 580 to 880 for Oakland Airport or Alameda County.
Northbound in traffic: get off on Crook Canyon, left on Camino Ramon, ride alongside the freeway to Sycamore (downtown Danville), or cross to Danville Boulevard and continue north on the west side.
City Center Bishop Ranch became "one of the community's favorites, one of my favorites"; Fieldwork brewery is "very lively" with "everybody and their sister" at communal tables "having a blast hanging out."
24 Hour Fitness is a "massively huge workout facility" in an old warehouse layout so "you're never cramped"; cycle classes "kick the living you-know-what out of you," and early mornings get "really good parking spots."

Local Knowledge

[other] Kevin and Connor's auto body and mechanic shop at Camino Ramon and Fostoria Way is hands down the best mechanic shop on God's green earth. Kevin is always there, super awesome. When you get your work done, he, the owner, will personally drive me home or back to my office in his own car. The guy just doesn't stop giving, and he's got the coolest little miniature collie. That dog doesn't do anything wrong, just chills with all the banging, machines and people in and out. (score: 100)
[transit] This is Crow Canyon Road heading westbound. If you live in Alamo, Danville, or San Ramon and need to get to Oakland Airport, you can skip Walnut Creek and 24 or 680 to 580 to 880. Cut through Crow Canyon Road and you hit this full-blown country farm area, then it winds around and pops you out in Castro Valley. From there you reconnect with 580, drop onto 880 and land in Oakland or anywhere in Alameda County. (score: 100)
[transit] The cool thing about this little marker here is that if you're going northbound in traffic and you're bogged in, you can get off on Crook Canyon, then immediately take a left on Camino Ramon, and ride it along the side of the freeway all the way to Sycamore, which is downtown Danville. If you wanted to get back on the freeway, you could, or cross the freeway and take Danville Boulevard and continue north to your destination, either on the west side of Danville. (score: 100)
[lifestyle] The San Ramon city center, the building was actually called the City Center Bishop Ranch, built a number of years ago. There was some opposition to it when they first started, but it's become one of the community's favorites, one of my favorites. We used to go to Fieldwork, that's a brewery there, very lively. Everybody and their sister, families, couples, individuals, everyone sitting at communal tables, everyone having a blast hanging out. (score: 100)
[lifestyle] This 24 Hour Fitness is a massively huge workout facility right next to a FedEx or UPS big hub, so there's always trucks going in and out. If you get there early in the morning, you can get really good parking spots. The cycle classes kick the living you-know-what out of you. The interior is open and laid out enough that you're never cramped because it used to be an old warehouse. If you like a bigger gym but you don't like tons of people, I highly recommend early workouts or later afternoons. (score: 93)
[dining] Calling every single hungry person that loves hamburgers, yes, I am talking about In-N-Out Burger. You can't go wrong with an In-N-Out burger. The line with this thing, like every other In-N-Out burger, literally goes around the corner. They had to restrict all the people going in, they had to build a lane because it was physically stopping traffic. (score: 57)
[parks] Central Park in Santa Mon is a huge park. It's got a great community center there. We've all done tons of events there. The good thing about Central Park when the weather is good on Fourth of Julies, they'll do a Fourth of July fireworks show there. If you wanna get down close to it, you can get the whole festival thing. If you wanna be a little bit more remote, you can get up on the hills and see the fireworks in the back of a pickup or standing up there or whatever you wanna do. (score: 56)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a mechanic Greg McDaniel actually trusts around Camino Ramon?: Greg McDaniel says Kevin and Connor's auto body and mechanic shop at Camino Ramon and Fostoria Way is "hands down the best mechanic shop on God's green earth." Kevin is "always there, super awesome," will "personally drive me home or back to my office in his own car," and has a miniature collie that "just chills with all the banging, machines and people in and out."
How can I get to Oakland Airport from Alamo, Danville, or San Ramon without the usual freeway slog?: Greg McDaniel notes you can skip Walnut Creek and 24 or 680 to 580 to 880 by cutting through Crow Canyon Road heading westbound: you hit "this full-blown country farm area, then it winds around and pops you out in Castro Valley," reconnect with 580, drop onto 880, and land in Oakland or anywhere in Alameda County.
What does Greg recommend when northbound traffic is bogged down?: He says get off on Crook Canyon, then immediately take a left on Camino Ramon and "ride it along the side of the freeway all the way to Sycamore, which is downtown Danville." From there you could get back on the freeway or cross and take Danville Boulevard north on the west side of Danville.
What's the scene like at City Center Bishop Ranch?: Greg McDaniel says the San Ramon city center building was called City Center Bishop Ranch; there was "some opposition" at first but it's become "one of the community's favorites, one of my favorites." They used to go to Fieldwork, a brewery that is "very lively," with families, couples, and individuals at communal tables "having a blast hanging out."
Where can you watch Fourth of July fireworks in the area?: Greg McDaniel says Central Park in Santa Mon is a huge park with a great community center. When the weather is good on Fourth of Julies they do a fireworks show; you can get down close for "the whole festival thing" or be "a little bit more remote" up on the hills "in the back of a pickup or standing up there."