Centerville
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This large, flatland district is completely developed, unlike the partially hill districts of Niles, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs. Running through the district like a spine is Fremont Boulevard which also traverses the old town center of pre-Fremont Centerville (formerly Hardscrapple). These old, two-story commercial buildings (one of them being the highly successful Naz Movie Theater which shows Indian films) line only the west side of Fremont Blvd. and are situated without setbacks. Perhaps the similar buildings on the east side were razed to widen Fremont Blvd. at some point, for the east side is lined with modern strip malls set back from the road. The old Centerville train station located here is in situ and appears to be in use. The remainder of Fremont Blvd. (as it passes through Centerville) is lined with 1980s two-story apartment buildings, strip malls (many of them vacant), 1960s duplexes, two large high schools, and zones of tiny, well-maintained 1930s-40s cottages. The overall appearance of this area is of mixed affluence, mixed ethnicity, and mixed development. It does not have a distinguishing character other than its mixed quality.
The district is largely residential, with Fremont Blvd. forming the main commercial zone. I-880 binds the district to the west (beyond which lies the city of Newark), and railroad track bind the district to the east (beyond which lies Niles).
Two interesting features, the Flood Control Channel and the Quarry Lakes, are presently cordoned off from the rest of Centerville by chain link fences (and a section of these extend into Niles). The East Bay Regional Park district, however, is currently developing the area into a recreation area replete with hiking, horse, and bicycle trails as well as "trophy" fishing. The man-made (or man-modified) Flood Control Channel is dry most of the year and is filled with vegetation.