The widest part of the Foster City lagoon system is called the Central LakeFoster City, California, may not be familiar to many: perhaps it is one of the better kept secrets of America. But residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, and some travelers to California, know the place, a quiet, moderate-size residential and business hub south of San Francisco, on the Peninsula side of the Bay, in the heart of silicon valley, about twenty minutes' drive during non-rush hours from San Francisco International Airport. It belongs to San Mateo County, perhaps the prettiest part of the county. It has lagoons and canals with bow-shaped bridges, reminiscent of a little Venice, or Suzhou. Townhouses and low-rise apartment complexes line the shoreline of the lagoon, like year-round resorts, but without the hubbub raised by tourists. The widest part of the lagoon system resembles a lake, known to some residents as the Central Lake. On a clear day, the water in the Central Lake mirrors the blue sky, rippled only by refreshing breezes and water birds diving in for food. Walkways and a twenty-acre park with flowerbeds and a children's playground, named the Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park, take up a great stretch of the Central Lake shoreline, in the commercial and business section of Foster City. Joggers and dog walkers compete with mallard ducks, Canada geese, and myriad little coots for space on the boardwalk along the park. Perched on a rock on the water's edge is an occasional majestic egret with snow-white plumes, or a hungry pelican ready to make a dive for food. And there are those scavengers, the gulls, spending many a lazy, hazy afternoon floating in the water. 
A majestic egret perched by the edge of the lagoon
Concerts, and an occasional wedding, take place in the amphitheatre in the park by the Central Lake. Nearby, a wooden gazebo protrudes into the lake, peaceful by the light of dawn, romantic by the reflections of the rising moon. On sunny days -- and most days are sunny, except for some winter rain -- the lagoon is oftentimes a thoroughfare for pontoons, rowboats and canoes, as well as windsurfers. Dragonboat races are held too on weekends.
I've had the privilege to return to Foster City many times, a home away from home. To me, it is one of the most peaceful areas in America, from my experience of having lived for a good number of years and traveled quite extensively in the country. I could harbor a sense of personal security strolling along the lagoon at night, or waiting by a curb for my taxi in the early morning hours. And the place boasts of a laudable public school system, and a busy, user-friendly public library. It even has good, authentic Chinese food! Some dream town in the midst of the concrete jungles of America, and with the best Californian weather. You just wonder: is it for real?
Townhouses on the edge of the lagoon
The mirror in the Central Lake
The Foster City lagoon at dawn