Contra Costa County has always been one of the hardest counties in the Bay Area to define. Some define it by its largest city, Concord – known for its direct view of Mt Diablo, thriving Latinx community, and multiple stops on the BART line. Others think of old, industrial Contra Costa – the part of the county stretching from San Pablo Bay in Richmond to the Carquinez Strait in Martinez – with its shoreline, military history and the majority of the Bay’s refineries.

Yes, not all suburbs are Walnut Creek or Palo Alto, some are filled with people who live by modest means, and even in these less-than-posh suburban landscapes, Bay Area gentrification can rear its ugly head.