El Mercado

This tiny square to the north of where Decoto Road and Alvarado Niles Blvd. meet is barely what can be called a neighborhood at all. The majority of this location is taken up by a strip mall with a big parking lot. You will find a Marina Foods which is a great Asian foods market and a Pho Thanh Long, a Vietnamese restaurant, and a handful of other East Asian places--which tells you about the diversity of the residents that make up Union City.

There is a also a Burger King, and an O’Relly Auto Parts.

Behind this strip mall is an apartment complex which makes up the rest of El Mercado. These are pretty typical apartments with carports and boxy looking two story structures arranged around the grounds. It isn’t wonderful and feels slightly overcrowded but I have seen far worse. A one bedroom here will run you around $1500 and two bedroom about $1700. (Which I think is expensive for a one-bedroom but about right for a 2-bedroom.)

As to schools, they are unfortunately average to below average in this section of Union City, with Searles Elementary, Chavez Middle School and Logan High having API’s of 4, 3 and 6 respectively.

As to crime it is fairly low with only a half dozen robberies reported in the last 4 months.

Overall I would say that if you have kids, this place is overpriced, but if you are single this place might be okay especially since the BART is pretty close by. Might be ideal for a couple that works in different parts of the Bay Area and needs a pad that is in between these.

The best thing about El Mercado is the diversity and the ability to connect the diversity into everyday life. Despite having a Spanish name, El Mercado is home to all types of ethnic groups. Decoto Road is home to many Asian themed styled businesses. The area also has a vibrant Latino and Filipino presence. The houses tend not always to be appealing to the eye, often times they are rather bland. I always feel like I've entered some desolate town in a Stephen King novel when I drive through some streets in the El Mercado neighborhood. Traffic can be a pain in the neck during rush hour because of the close proximity to two major highways especially if you are coming North from Decoto Road. Overall it is a decent neighborhood, it just lacks the extra spark to really captivate my interest.