Bay O Vista

One of the few San Leandro neighborhoods to the east of Highway 580, Bay-O-Vista is nestled up against Chabot Park and not too far from Chabot Lake. This hilly neighborhood offers some pretty nice views of the Bay and Peninsula to the west.

Homes here are newer than in much of San Leandro, dating from the mid 1950’s to the mid 1960’s for the most part. That means lots of Ranch homes of course, but these are the larger longer Ranch homes that just feel much more luxurious than a lot of those you find in your average middle class neighborhood. This is the kind of area where you get street side garages give way to two story hillside homes with decks that offer panoramic views (especially on the northern end of Bay-O-Vista).
The front yards of these homes are also exceptionally well cared for with many have sculpted topiary and decorative brick work to create a sort of faux rustic look.

As you might expect, home prices in hilly Bay-O-Vista are also elevated, with the median home price being $500K and with most homes selling for between $400 and $600K. (Though I did recently see one listed as having sold for $3.4 million—I am dubious however, since I would guess from looking at it that it would be closer to $345K. Maybe someone misplaced a decimal?)

As with other homes in the nicest neighborhoods in San Leandro the main problem is the education system which is simply not that strong. For those who have kids younger than high school age, I couldn’t really recommend this neighborhood—but if your kids are older and if you are a couple that commutes in opposite directions, Bay-O-Vista might just do the trick.

And I should also mention that given its proximity to Chabot Lake, this is perfect area for those outdoorsy types who like to go on nature hikes and that sort of thing as well. (Chabot Park has a ton of trails and things to do—check out their website for more info.)