The Neighborhoods of the Near East Bay
The “Near” East Bay, which is our territory, is anchored by Berkeley and Oakland. But it also includes the island of Alameda, the ungated “gated community of Piedmont, the annex of Emeryville, the village of Albany and the Berkeley adjuncts of Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond, and the southern outpost of San Leandro.
Barbara made her first move to the East Bay nearly 20 years ago straight from a great neighborhood in San Francisco. Many friends thought she was crazy to leave San Francisco. But there was something alluring about the grass and trees and flowers of the East Bay--not to mention a healthier dose of sun. And as Jerry Brown, former mayor of Oakland, liked to claim, "You can reach a place in San Francisco faster from the East Bay than you can from the City itself."
For some of the same reasons Barbara ventured across the Bay, the first San Francisco immigrants started coming to Berkeley/Oakland/Alameda in the late 1800's. They'd come on ferries across the Bay - for the weekends. Then after the 1906 earthquake, a lot of them stayed. That population--mixed with retired railroad workers and ship captains thrown together with some idealistic academics--became the genesis of the Berkeley/Oakland/Alameda population today.
The Creative Melting Pot
Over 120 languages are spoken here; nearly 1/5 of the population attends college at any given time. In the 100+ square mile area that comprises Berkeley,Oakland and Alameda, there's a 3 ½ mile-around lake-Lake Merritt; one of the finest universities in the country -UC Berkeley; over 4,000 acres of forest--part of Tilden and Redwood Regional Parks; hundreds of parks, sandy beaches, a zoo with over 300 animals-the Oakland Zoo; one of the best transportation systems in the country-BART … and the best vistas of San Francisco Bay bar none.
There's every kind of house from early 1900’s Victorians, to Maybeck Craftsman, to mid-century marvels, to 21st century architectural experiments. And, of course, the quintessential California bungalow. In this burgeoning melting pot it's no wonder the East Bay has been home to some of the most creative minds of the century - from Gertrude Stein to Jack London to Alice Waters. And even though people talk about San Francisco being the most ideal city in the world, we can't help but think, “Well, they just haven't made it across the Bay yet."
For more information on any East Bay neighborhood, just give us a call: 510-273-9318. Or fill out thte form below. Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to meeting you!
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