Glen Highlands

Glen Highlands straddles the eastern edge of the Warren Freeway (Highway 13) just south of Highway 24. It is, for the most part, a hilly residential area with a mix of older and newer homes of various architectural styles. Much like its Berkeley neighbor Claremont, just north of Highway 24, Glen Highlands has a mix of pointy roofed Tudors and red tiled, adobe walled Mission Revival homes. Many seem to have been here for quite a while though parts of the neighborhood must have been affected by the Oakland firestorm. Another positive of this neighborhood is that although some prices are typically high for such hillside living, there are definitely some deals to be had under $1000. I am not sure why this is the case—perhaps this is a rent controlled area?

It is the kind of neighborhood with deer crossing signs—its proximity to forested areas and parks making it an area where wildlife is common. If you are a fan of living in a woody area, this is certainly the place to go but you should be aware that with the topography come certain challenges, including garden plants being eaten by forest creatures, lots of leaves to be dealt with, and rain run off.

That said, Glen Highlands is perfectly situated for commuters, offering easy freeway access to SF or into Contra Costa County. Furthermore, although the neighborhood itself doesn’t have any restaurants, its neighbor is Rockridge, making it easy for residents to slip down on a Sunday morning to enjoy that city’s great restaurants and laid back feel. In addition, if you are more of a hiker and biker, the Highlands also borders Tilden and other recreation areas. Thus, it has a lot to offer.

In terms of crime, the neighborhood is very safe as far as Oakland goes. There have been no murders in the area in recent memory. In the last two months from the time of this writing there have been 11 burglaries and one auto theft reported.