Lincoln Ave, The Estates (Piedmont Estates)

Piedmont is known for being the home of millionaires. It should come as no surprise that the most expensive home sold in Alameda County in the last year should be here. Lincoln Avenue is the street where this nearly $7 million dollar mansion is located. it is a 1920’s Albert Farr creation with 6 bedrooms and 8 baths and has a backyard fit for the Great Gatsby--or almost anyway.

It is not quite as impressive from the street, but the broker photos that linger on the internet reveal the beauty of this home.

The rest of the street is pretty typical of the Piedmont Estates neighborhood as well, having a leafy staid quality all the way up its three block length and lots of older manors and Tudor cottages. If you are an architecture buff who likes seeing examples of styles from yesteryear there is a lot to see here. From neo-classical palladian windows and doric columns to bay windows and dormers, you will find a virtual encyclopedia of examples of what was popular among the elites in the Swinging Twenties. (And, by all accounts, still remain popular with today’s 1%.)

Albert Farr, btw, was a famous early 20th Century architect who worked mainly in the Craftsman and Georgian styles. His most famous house was Jack London’s Wolf House. You can see examples of his homes throughout the Bay Area, especially in St. Francis Wood and Russian Hill in SF.

Other than the beautiful old homes what is great about living on Lincoln Ave in Piedmont?

Great schools. Though residents could afford to send their kids anywhere, the public schools in Piedmont like Piedmont High are as strong as it gets.

Virtually no crime. Great bay weather and a very manageable city commute. Piedmont also has a ton of stores and just a great vibe on its flat areas, so you will not be bored.

Put simply, it is probably the best little city in all of the East Bay and this is probably one of its best streets--if you happen to be rolling in the dough.