East Bay
Richmond
Part of Solano County, Richmond runs along the shoreline of San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. Richmond has numerous parks, fishing piers, beaches, biking and jogging trails. Affordable housing can be still be found in this part of the Bay Area and attracts commuters and families. Proximity to BART and Amtrak stations as well as freeway 580 makes Richmond an excellent commuter option. Point Richmond resides on the hillside above Richmond. On the East side of Interstate 580, and up the hill from the flats, you will find the Country Club Vista neighborhood, a development that surrounds the Richmond Country Club and has many ranch homes, some with views.
Kensington
A quaint neighborhood close to El Cerrito BART station and nestled in between El Cerrito and Richmond, among colorful gardens and mid-sized housing, Kensington offers two lively strips of restaurants and shops. One major attraction of this family oriented neighborhood is Tilden Park, which offers pony rides, merry-go-round, steam trains and many hiking trails.
El Cerrito
Just North of Albany and South of Richmond, El Cerrito also offers views of San Francisco and the Bay. With two BART stations, one on the North side, and the other in the Plaza, as well as easy access to the freeway, this neighborhood is also popular with commuters. El Cerrito Plaza is the hub for services and offers residents convenient access to retail shopping, restaurants and major chains such as Trader Joe’s and Macaroni Grill.
Albany
Albany is just North of Berkeley and South of El Cerrito. Albany has a very strong sense of neighborhood and a quality school system that attracts many families. Solano Avenue provides a lively center to this neighborhood with numerous shops, movie theatres, upscale restaurants and entertainment options.
Berkeley
With many unique neighborhoods, Berkeley has housing options to satisfy many different criteria, known nationwide for its highly liberal politics and the University of California's main campus.
In the South quadrant you will find the Elmwood district, which encompasses the university's main retail district along College Avenue. The Claremont district has a mix of housing styles and sizes. Both of these areas are close to the Ashby BART station.
The campus of the University of California is located in Central Berkeley, and housing there is dominated by apartment rental buildings and other investor properties.
The Berkeley neighborhoods just to the north and west of the university have more of a variety of housing options, including cottage style homes, the ever popular Craftsman style homes, as well as many large Victorians. The Gourmet Ghetto gets its name from the numerous variety of dining options along Shattuck Avenue, anchored by Alice Water's famous Chez Panisse. This neighborhood is also known for the performing arts district which is highly focused around numerous jazz clubs and other entertainment.
The trendy shops along Fourth Street have transformed the Westernmost area of Berkeley. This mixed-use neighborhood is finding many loft style homes mixed into the more industrial landscape and the traditional Victorian homes that have graced the area for over a century.
The Berkeley Hills, one of the East Bay's most prestigious neighborhoods, boast the largest and most grand residences within city limits. Architectural styles range from Craftsman to Tudor to Mediterranean, as well as contemporary styles. Many homes have views of the Bay and San Francisco. The area is also close to BART as well as freeways.
Emeryville
Emeryville is the closest of San Francisco's East Bay neighbors. It has been largely gentrified in the past several years, with the addition of new construction housing and services, such as high end shops and movie theaters. Emeryville offers all types of housing from high-rise and low-rise condominiums to live-work lofts and older Victorian and bungalow style homes.
Oakland
The largest of the East Bay cities, Oakland has many diverse neighborhoods and housing options that run the gamut.
West Oakland has mainly smaller and mid-sized Victorians built prior to 1900.
Downtown Oakland has many new luxury lofts and condos mixed in with the commercial and industrial areas, including Jack London Square which has recently been revitalized and reflects the flux of new condo buildings. The Amtrak station and the Oakland Ferry are located here, making it an ideal option for many San
Francisco workers. Old Oakland, located between Broadway and Clay, contains retail mixed in with many restored buildings dating from the late 1800s. This is a pedestrian friendly neighborhood with galleries, coffee shops and numerous restaurants. Also within Downtown Oakland you will find a large Chinatown, with many bakeries, restaurants and other services.
North Oakland
The Claremont area is also shared with Oakland neighbor Berkeley. The main drag is a bustling retail center with numerous restaurants and shops. The majority of homes in the area are either larger Victorians or bungalow style homes. Rockridge, another North Oakland neighborhood, is a community of upscale homes at the base of the Oakland Hills featuring gourmet restaurants and boutique style shopping. With easy BART access, this is an ideal commuter neighborhood and remains a favorite of families and singles alike.
North Oakland Hills
Nestled within the Pine and Eucalyptus trees, you will find these woodsy single family homes along the narrow, winding streets. Within the Montclair neighborhood, many homes feature outstanding views. This is one of the most sought after neighborhoods of the Bay Area. The neighborhood also boasts a strong school system.
Grand Lake
On the North side of Lake Merritt, Grand Lake brings together a diverse mix of people. Numerous architectural styles and homes of all eras provide a lot of choice for buyers in this area. There are two main shopping areas on Grand Ave and on Lakeshore, both of which have unique restaurants, nightlife and entertainment appealing to all audiences. A path for outside activities, circles the whole of Grand Lake, the largest urban lake in the United States.
South Oakland
South Oakland contains neighborhoods such as Fruitvale, Melrose and Maxwell Park. All three are very multicultural and diverse and boast strong community activists and a large number of locally-owned businesses. The neighborhoods have many smaller bungaloos, duplexes and 2-4 unit buildings. The Fruitvale BART, Coliseum BART and Highways 580 and 880 make commuting from these neighborhoods easy.
Alameda
Alameda, the Island of the East Bay, boasts many different types of architecture and housing options and a serence, family oriented setting with marinas and many outdoor parks and activities. In Central Alameda you can find such architectural styles as Colonial Revival, Queen Anne Cottages, Victorians and Craftsman bungalows. The central business district is also here along with many parks, lagoons and small corner storefronts and businesses. On the West end of the island, you will see the influence of the Naval Air Station on Alameda Point which closed in 1997. Since then, the area has gone through a revitalization and is taking advantage of its location just minutes away from Oakland's Jack London Square and Chinatown.
The South Shore and Bayview neighborhoods in Alameda make up most of the Southern Coast line of the Island. The beach is popular with windsurfers and kite boarders and is the perfect playground for those that love the outdoors.
There are many condos, apartments and single family homes that dot the shoreline as well as newly built services, stores and restaurants. Fernside and East End are two of Alameda's oldest neighborhoods and are known for their strong schools. The area is very family oriented and boasts block parties and other family friendly events.
Harbor Bay and Bay Farm Island are the only Alameda neighborhoods not located on the Island. They are on the Peninsula adjacent to the Oakland airport. Also known for excellent schools as well as lush parks the area has many 30s and 40s style homes, condos and town homes. There are also a large number of office buildings in the area.
top ^ |
