Bay Farm

The major feature of this neighborhood is the Alameda Golf Course which pretty much takes up all of the northern end of this neighborhood. I’m not much of a golfer so I don’t know if this is a great golf course. It is certainly big enough though we are just north of Oakland International Airport, so I don’t know if the jet noise is a problem for golfers either.

This is of course the main problem with this neighborhood: you are right underneath the flight path for jets so this could make for a real issues for residents who are sensitive to airport noise. Homes here sell from between roughly $300 K to $600 K with only a handful falling slightly above or below this range. The median home price here is around $385 K or so.

Bay Farm has been hit pretty hard by the Mortgage Crisis, with 4 of 5 homes here are on sale due to foreclosure.

There are a lot of older, smaller looking Ranch homes dating from the 1950’s on the eastern end of Bay Farm, while the eastern end is mostly taken up by apartment complexes dating from the 1970’s—mostly pretty unappealing boxy looking single units. Not that appealing.

You may however like running by the bay side which is definitely a possibility here. There is a seaside path.

Both Amelia Earhart and Bay Farm Elementary are very good schools as are most of the schools here in Alameda.

Overall, I actually think this is a pretty good spot if you are not particularly sensitive to airport noise.

Bay Farm Island is the only part of Alameda, CA connected to the mainland Bay Area. On a peninsula that also includes the Oakland Airport, Bay Farm features a quiet suburban environment with mostly newer (last 10-20 years at most) housing developments and communities.

Pluses are great running trails, parks, commuter ferry access directly to San Francisco, a small-town neighborly feel, good public schools, and a very safe environment. Kids play in the street, not much traffic, you know your neighbors. Also Alameda's only municipal golf course is located on Bay Farm and is one of the cheapest in the Bay Area.

Downsides of Bay Farm are a complete lack of local night life and poor public transportation. This is not a great place to live if you don't have a car, and if you're looking to meet young professionals or enjoy going out on most nights, you can probably find better places to live in the East Bay. There is a small shopping center with a grocery store, a great local coffee shop, and an excellent sushi restaurant (as well as a few other shops), but you will have to go to the main island of Alameda for most of your entertainment and shopping needs.

Overall I'd say Bay Farm is a great place to raise a family or even retire if you want to live quietly in East Bay suburbia (but still have great commuter access to the Bay). If you're looking for something a little more exciting, however, stick to the main island or Oakland/Berkeley.