By Andrew Rocha

Downtown Stockton has come a long way in such a short amount of time and continues to improve and attract more visitors all the time. What used to be an area people would actively avoid, is now where people come to eat great food, hang out with friends, and just enjoy their community. We here at the Downtown Stockton Alliance are so proud to see how far we have come as a district.

Then & Now

Charisse Lowry, our office manager of the Downtown Stockton Alliance, remembers how much the downtown has changed for the better in just the last twenty years. “When we first started in ‘98, we would have people who called us ugly names…It was real bad. It was dead and there was hardly any life. Now, it’s a thousand times better. By putting on different events, working with investors and property owners to get buildings leased, it’s a thousand times different than when we first started.” Just by driving through the downtown area, it is obvious that the area is not a dangerous place and is actually kind of charming. It’s hard to believe that it has changed so much from being once nearly barren. 

And the Downtown Stockton Alliance has some interesting projects in the work right now. “By February 1st, we’ll be launching an audio tour that will be tied to the website. So if you want to go to any of the historic buildings, there will be a code on them and you can flash that and it will show you what that building looked like during the 20’s and 30’s and then it will give you an audio narrative of the history of the building.” shared Michael Huber. Through this audio tour, the Downtown Stockton Alliance is working to preserve not just buildings and streets, but their history. 

What We Do

We get asked a lot, “So what exactly does Downtown Stockton Alliance do?”
Our executive director, Michael Huber, explains that we are, “A property-based improvement district that works for the property owners. So we try to keep the streets clean, and beautiful, and walkable, and safe…we have a thirteen man maintenance team, two powerwashing teams, and then we hire a private security company to patrol.” 

As the downtown area continues to thrive and become more recognized for its culture and life, you can be sure that we here at the Downtown Stockton Alliance will continue to provide our support and care to the district. You can learn more about the Downtown Stockton Alliance through our website www.downtownstockton.org and following us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. 

By Johnny Palacios, Hospitality Ambassador

Hello, my name is Johnny Palacios and I am a Hospitality Ambassador for the Downtown Stockton Alliance. I think, I have one of the best jobs ever!

Looking back after ten years of working in Downtown, I have so many memories. I moved to Stockton in 2003 to live with my Mother and special needs Uncle, after being laid off from Apple Computer where I had worked for 15 years.

My Uncle and I would come to Weber Point during the summer and got a kick out of watching the kids playing in the fountains. I also still remember the Stockton Arena being built and it was interesting watching the progress week after week.

In 2007, I started working part time at the weekly Farmers Market in Downtown Stockton. I met so many nice people and was drawn to the Downtown atmosphere. Later that same year, I started working for the Downtown Stockton Alliance. It’s been a fabulous 10 years and counting!

I have met countless people from all over the city and even abroad. The staff here is like family with the majority having many years of service in the Downtown area. Every day is different and there is always something new happening. I have learned so much about Stockton and its rich history. I have seen new businesses and growth year after year. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but when you are here nearly every day, you see all the good things that are already here and still coming.

I have been involved with so many Downtown events and the logistics leading up to them. Among some of my favorites are Pub Crawls, Waterfront Fridays, Full Moon Riders, Farmers Markets, Love You Baby lunches, Art Walks, Taste of San Joaquin, and Stocktoberfests. I was able to recruit so many wonderful local volunteers who teamed up with us during most of those events.

Today I am regularly greeted by many of those people while out on my Downtown route. I even joke when talking to them that “it’s not easy being popular.” I am so proud to know Downtown like I do. I appreciate the beauty of the waterfront, the old buildings and locations that have been brought back to life through the years. I look forward to working many more years in Downtown and being a part of all the great changes coming here. So if you see me on the street, be sure to say hello and perhaps give me a high five because Downtown Stockton is my home away from home!