A truck drives under a sign for the Historic Downtown in Martinez. Many of the Martinez residents praise the city for its relative affordability, community events and small-town vibe.
Colin Peck/Special to The ChroniclePeople like Steve Lipary who grow up in Martinez often can’t wait to leave. But they always come back, he said — and they usually never want to leave again.
Born in Richmond and raised in Martinez, the 36,000-person seat of Contra Costa County just south of the Carquinez Strait, Lipary left for college, where he made money buying and selling collectable baseball cards…