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Welcome to the Neighborhood!
Berkeley
Home to the famous University of California and its superior educational opportunities, Berkeley has an incredible array of residential areas, cultural events, team sports, varied and plentiful shopping and attractive restaurants to please the most discriminating resident or visitor. Home to the Arts and Crafts Movement of the 1920’s, Berkeley also boasts beautiful architecture from the early 1900’s by famous architects such as Julia Morgan, Bernhard Maybeck and John Hudson Thomas. Among Berkeley’s distinguished residents and great minds from around the globe are many well known Nobel Prize winners, scientists, authors and musicians. The California Cuisine movement has its origins in Berkeley, exemplified most notably by Alice Waters and her restaurant “Chez Panisse” located in North Berkeley’s famed gourmet ghetto. Berkeley has several underground BART stations and offers a short 15 minute commute to San Francisco located just across the Bay.
The variety of terrain and neighborhoods in Berkeley is impressive. The Berkeley Hills are well known for their countless examples of old-world architecture, stunning vistas of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge as well as their proximity to beautiful state parks and pristine nature. The Elmwood district, south of the University, boasts the Claremont Hotel as its major landmark and has beautiful tree-lined stately neighborhoods with grand family homes. Thousand Oaks, Solano, Westbrae and Northbrae are among some of the other desirable areas, each having their own unique flavor.
Berkeley public schools enjoy strong ratings and the famous Berkeley High School yearly graduates many students to top Ivy League Schools and is home to the nationally known Berkeley Jazz Band. The tony-award winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre as well as its smaller counterpart, the Aurora Theatre, Zellerbach Hall and many others are some of the cultural venues that consistently draw world class performance talent and international visitors.
The growth of technology companies in neighboring Emeryville has spurred the additional development of support businesses as well as a vibrant mix of retail and entertainment attractions appealing to all ages.
Oakland
Oakland, the transportation, education, cultural, recreational and shopping center of the East Bay, is a dynamic city with an international flavor. It is the most ethnically diverse city in the nation with over 80 languages and dialects spoken. Proud of its heritage, Oakland combines tradition with progress as major corporations and government offices find the city not only a prosperous business center, but a desirable place to live. As home to many high profile businesses, including one of the largest seaports in America and the 10th fastest growing airport, Oakland is ranked forth in the nation among cities with the highest percentage of its workforce in skilled occupations.
The distinctive district of Montclair offers many amenities including a specialized commercial district along Mountain Boulevard with its basic goods and services plus charming shops and restaurants with distinctive architecture, all contributing to the small town, community-oriented life-styles. Montclair boasts good schools and secluded woodsy settings that offer quiet retreats from the hustle and bustle of the nearby urban amenities. Situated within a short drive from Highway 13, Montclair residents enjoy a convenient commute to San Francisco or a short drive to the nearby Rockridge BART station.
Rockridge, a quaint neighborhood which borders Oakland and Berkeley, has an old world European charm with its boutiques, markets, cafees and gourmet restaurants. Trendy Rockridge draws young families and couples who crave an urban “buzz” but look for proximity to nature, hiking and biking paths. Most homes in Rockridge are conveniently located near the central BART station.
The charming community of Crocker Highlands is a sought after old-world neighborhood with quaint tree-lined streets, a variety of architect designed homes from the 20s, 30s and 40s, and easy access to freeways and BART. It is conveniently located within minutes to Lakeshore shopping, Glenview and Montclair Village.
Jack London Square on Oakland's waterfront, offers an array of shops, restaurants and the Jack London Cinema. Lake Merrit adds even more to Oakland's downtown with picnic sites, jogging trails and the evening view of the Necklace of Lights that surrounds the lake. Grand Avenue/Lakeshore areas come alive with trendy restaurants, jazz clubs and the historic Grand Lake Theatre.
Piedmont
Seldom does one find the benefits of small town community life enjoyed by the residents of Piedmont surrounded by the cultural diversity and recreational activities of its larger neighbors, Oakland and Berkeley. Just twenty minutes from San Francisco, this town within a town is one of the Bay Area's most desirable places to live and is the area of choice for many executives and professional people wanting a sense of community without giving up big city amenities. Incorporated in 1907, Piedmont's 11,000 residents live in charming traditional neighborhoods with tree-lined streets. The city offers first-rate services and schools which consistently place at the top of their academic ranking. Within the town's 1.8 square mile area is an impressive variety of community recreational activities including parks, sports of all kinds, hiking, pools, tennis courts and other activities for all age groups.
Orinda
Orinda has an estimated population of 17,102 and is known as one of the most prestigious towns in Contra Costa County. Nestled in a valley on the east side of the Oakland/Berkeley hills, just west of Moraga and Lafayette. It attracts many of the Bay Area's professionals because of its proximity to San Francisco. Orinda was incorporated as a city in 1985 with a five-member city council. Orinda school rankings are among the highest in the state due to an emphasis on education and learning with an annual book fair, a writing contest for local students, a developmental kindergarten and one of the few communities in the county that keeps its library open 40 hours a week. Couple this with a potpourri of charming downtown small shops and restaurants, a renowned Shakespearean festival and theatre and abundant open space and it's easy to see what makes Orinda such a desirable place to live. The downtown commute is among the best with easy direct freeway access plus a downtown BART station.
Lafayette
A distinctive town that mixes the trendy with the traditional, Lafayette straddles the freeway to San Francisco and also has a downtown BART station for easy commuting. The tree-lined residential area surrounds a downtown area which includes a small business section that offers necessities and amenities of contemporary live. Residents prize the low-key lifestyle and numerous children's activities, many of them organized by parents. School rankings are among the top in the state with an emphasis on academic programs and special classes for high achievers. Nearby Walnut Creek offers shopping nearly equal with San Francisco as well as a rich and varied cultural scene centered around the Performing Arts Center in addition to a variety of outdoor events. Set in the East Bay hills nestled close to Moraga and Orinda, Lafayette exudes a quiet, rural atmosphere with oak trees, pyracantha bushes and horse trails. Recreational enthusiasts will appreciate Lafayette Reservoir, an area favorite of joggers, boaters and those who love to fish. All of the neighborhoods mentioned above are served by public and private schools, parks and excellent hospitals.
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