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visible, and assist residents and visitors in visualizing the city's structure and layout. Some areas lack quality maintenance and are in need of upgrades. The design and maintenance of structures and improvements within these areas will playa critical role in shaping Pleasanton's character in years to come. Historic Resources The Downtown and surrounding residential neighborhoods contain most of Pleasanton's recognized historic resources. However, there are other structures, including the Alviso Adobe and Century House, which serve as reminders of Pleasanton's heritage of more than a century and a half. Pleasanton has retained some of its early Spanish and Mexican roots not only in buildings such as the Alviso Adobe, but in other names. For example, the City named Bernal Avenue for its first Mexican settler - Augustin Bernal, while Pleasanton residents still refer to "creeks" as "arroyos" and students at Amador Valley High School as "Dons" - meaning "sirs" in Spanish. The City has recognized over 80 individual buildings as historically significant. Historic resources are discussed in more detail in the Cultural Resources section of the Conservation and Open Space Element. Many heritage trees also assist in giving Pleasanton a unique character and image, often missing from other communities. Walnut trees hark back to Pleasanton's agricultural past while sycamore, valley oak, black locust, elm, ash and other trees evoke Pleasanton's small-town heritage. Pleasanton's Downtown remains a treasure that most older but growing communities have long since lost. It reflects the city's heritage and is a source of pride to its residents. Older commercial and residential buildings lend richness to the area, and new development has generally been designed to complement the older structures and reinforce the small-scale character. The historic buildings, street trees, many restaurants, special paving, and street furniture, along with unique shops, all enhance the pedestrian scale and attractiveness of Downtown Pleasanton. Entryways to the Downtown, consisting of bridge crossings and well-landscaped streets, are distinctive with the potential for even further strengthening. In addition, Downtown is the location of public buildings providing services and information to residents; these include City Hall, the Library, the Veterans Memorial Building, and the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society Museum. Residential Neighborhoods Residential neighborhoods are the heart of Pleasanton. The neighborhoods perform a major role in what makes Pleasanton an attractive place to live, work, and play. Each neighborhood has a unique character, from the semi-rural Happy Valley, to the more conventional suburban homes in Pleasanton Valley, to the Victorian and bungalow architecture of residential streets around the downtown. In general, Pleasanton neighborhoods show a pride of ownership as reflected in improvements, such as home additions, and a high level of home maintenance. Neighborhoods consist not only of the residential buildings, but natural features (e.g. hills, creeks, and open space) and the physical arrangement of neighborhood amenities such as roads, schools, parks, playgrounds, and shopping Community Character 011607 clean 10-5 t/3/2fXJ7