NORTHWEST of El Cerrito and adjacent to Richmond lies San Pablo, one of the most densely populated cities in the Bay Area - about 27,000 people living in a 2.6-square-mile area.

Originally a farm community, the city came into existence as a result of the shipyard strike in World War II, when migrant workers from the Deep South, many of whom had broken the picket lines, constructed temporary houses along San Pablo Avenue.

Today, San Pablo boasts three shopping centers; Brookside Hospital, the West County’s largest hospital; and Contra Costa College, a 7,000- student campus.

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