What makes Tracy special

What sets Tracy apart from its over the hill cousins, like Livermore, to the west and valley siblings, like Stockton, to the north?

A couple weeks ago I was just outside town off Durham Ferry Road, and watched a man ride up to a corner market, hitch his horse, and stroll inside.

My guess is that kind of thing doesn't happen most places. It's a slice of Tracy's rural roots that still exists, right next door to the urban cool of the Grand Theatre. That, to me, is pretty special.