Benicia is known for its dozens of 1850s-era buildings and museums, mothballed ships, and for housing California’s state Capitol for 13 months in the mid-1850s.

The Solano County city of fewer than 30,000 residents is also an easy day trip for visitors from Sacramento and the Bay Area, with a 10-block stroll along Benicia’s First Street providing a unique opportunity to visit 300 eclectic businesses amidst 19th-century Victorian buildings — all while basking in bay views a couple of blocks away.

“There’s pretty much something for every visitor along First Street,” says Randy Young, CEO of the Benicia Chamber of Commerce, who also pointed out that one of the first businesses a visitor encounters at the north end of First Street is the locally owned One House Bakery, run by co-owner and head baker Hannalee Pervan. “People come from all over California to go see her.”

A walking tour of downtown, according to the brochure map provided by the Benicia Historical Society, lists 13 buildings, from the oldest — St. Paul’s Rectory at 122 East J St. (1790) — to the more recent Southern Pacific Train Depot (1900) and Royal Bakery (1909). The brochure notes that on the walk, “you will be swept back to an engaging time, when day-to-day life was a struggle but the reward was to watch a city and state being born.”

“Anybody coming to Benicia always has a good time here,” says Jack, owner of The Golden Horse Shoe, an antiques store in the old City Hotel building on First Street since 1962, who only wanted his first name used.

Benicia’s downtown features a diverse array of pubs and restaurants, from the waterfront eateries Bella Siena Restaurant & Bar and Sailor Jack’s to the more casual Char’s Hot Dogs and Nine Zero Seven Mexican restaurant, as well as other businesses such as spas, thrift stores, ice cream shops and a public garden, all close to the popular marina. Visitors can also visit a wide range of antique stores and specialty shops like the 200-square-foot Cartel Crystals or the larger Pocket Monkey Vintage.

Starting as a Bay Area pop-up business before moving into a small store on First Street prior to its current 1,300-square-foot site, Pocket Monkey Vintage found a home in one of the two smaller boutique malls off First Street, says owner Jay Brome. The colorful store has a little bit of everything collectible, specializing in men’s, women’s and unisex vintage clothing, as well as hard-to-find items like an impressive assortment of authentic tour band jackets from performers including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.

“What makes us unique is that it’s all vintage,” Brome says, adding that he cleans everything in the store and provides a changing room. “Vintage is just better because it’s not ending up in landfills. Stuff is made better, and it lasts longer, and it’s nice to go somewhere and not have 20 people wearing your same outfit.”

Benicia was one of the first 40 cities to participate in the California Main Street Program, which sponsors numerous community retail promotional events geared at bringing visitors downtown. Last June, legendary Golden State Warriors’ basketball player Stephen Curry teamed up with SIPS Bottle Emporium on First Street for the first signing promotion of his new bourbon brand, Gentleman’s Cut, telling KTVU-TV he chose Benicia because the community has “authentic energy.”

“We had thousands and thousands of people lined up to get in the store and get an autograph or a picture of him,” Young says. “We set up a basketball court outside, and he came out and shot with a bunch of the kids. He did this 40-foot hook shot, and it went in and was on ESPN. That was a big thing for the town.”

For those looking to explore Benicia further, Young points out that the city also features a 550-business industrial park off Interstate 680 in addition to the downtown district. One of the businesses there since 1965 is Dunlop Manufacturing, which Young says produces about 90 percent of the guitar picks made in the U.S.

“You can basically name a pick, you name a band — Metallica, Aerosmith, Dave Matthews — and they’ve probably used the Dunlop pick that was produced in Benicia right here.”   

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