For a walk: Fourth Street, Solano, Park and Webster in Alameda, downtown Walnut Creek and Broadway Plaza, Danville, Pleasanton, and Livermore. For a mall errand: Broadway Plaza (which at least sits in a downtown), Stoneridge, Sunvalley, and The Veranda.
The better life is the main street. The mall is where you go when you need a specific thing and you are honest about it.
Towns
Central Contra Costa
Walnut Creek
The East Bay downtown people drive to on purpose.
OpenBerkeley & the north hills
Berkeley
Campus, canyons, and a food culture that predates the trend.
OpenTri-Valley
Pleasanton
A historic downtown and a job base in the same city.
OpenSan Ramon Valley
Danville
A downtown main street with the mountain behind it.
OpenInner East Bay
Alameda
An island of Victorians, beaches, and a main street that still works.
OpenCentral Contra Costa
Concord
Todos Santos Plaza, a big city footprint, and summer concerts.
Open