Fatapple's Restaurant & Bakery

American grill meets British pub, with fish and chips, bangers and mash and shepherd's pie, and a chalkboard and toys marking off a kid zone.

Albany's community living room: a fenced tot lot with sandpit, a big-kid playground with a corkscrew slide and ADA swing, redwood shade, summer concerts, and Solano Avenue takeout two blocks away for an outdoor dinner.

The school district's aquatic center, with open rec swim hours alongside swim lessons.

Retro burger stand built around a blazing grill, with counter ordering, picnic tables outside, milkshakes, and onion rings or herby mozzarella sticks on the side.

Ten acres of garden with a formal reflecting pool, a shady canyon of tall redwoods and wide views over the Bay, free to visit.

Brewery taproom with a giant Connect Four and a whole collection of toys and games, and panini and hot dogs from the kitchenette next door.