South Shore / Shoreline

The aptly named South Shore/Shoreline neighborhood of Alameda stretches all the way from Crown Memorial Beach Park to Bay Farm Island Bridge which connects this main section of Alameda to the Harbor Bay/Bay Farm section island area—which is not actually an island like Alameda is. (It is connected to the rest of Oakland and is home on its southern end to Oakland International.)

On the northwestern end of South Shore is the Crown Memorial Beach, a historic beach that has been preserved by having sand pumped in and reinforcements constructed to keep the beach from eroding. It looks very much like a real beach and is a weekend destination for many on the few hot summer days that we experience. The bike trail that comes out from the beach is great too—a really great spot for a morning bike or jog, with fantastic views of the bay and the city.

There are some apartments in the area such as South Shore Apartments and Tennis Club, but don’t be tempted to move in there. I had a friend who lived there until recently and she says that since they are under new management, the apartment complex, a big 1970’s style apartment complex (kind of nice), has kind of come apart with a bunch of new rules, a rise in crime despite a whole new security detail, and a fair amount of neglect (like not cleaning some stairwells regularly).

Luckily that is only the biggest of the apartment complexes along Shoreline Drive. You will also find a number of other boxy 1970’s style apartments that stare out onto sand-dunes and the Bay. Apartments here run between $1100 and $1900 with 1-bedrooms and studios going for around $1200 to $1500, and 2-bedroom going for between $1350 and $1900 depending on the apartment complex.

Along the northern end of South Shore, there are a series of cul-de-sacs that extend like fingers onto an enclosed waterway, somewhat reminiscent of Foster City on the Peninsula. Most of the rest of South Shore looks like a pretty typical 1950’s style Ranch Home neighborhood with sidewalks and squarish lawns, except that when you look down the lanes you can see the San Francisco Bay where the streets end. The median home price here is around $550 K.

On the southeastern end of South Shore you will find a shopping complex that includes everything from a supermarket to a chiropractor’s office. You will also find an Old Navy, a 24-Hour Fitness, a Panera Bread, a Walgreen’s drugstore, and a Bed Bath and beyond. There are some fast food places and banks here as well. It is basically the full set of stores you expect if you were in the ‘burbs.

Wood Middle School and Lum Elementary are both in this neighborhood as well. Wood gets very bad ratings but Lum Elementary and the Alameda High School are very strong.

Overall, a pretty nice spot if you like living right by the edge of the Bay. You can count me in that boat, I wouldn’t mind that at all.

Some people who have lived in Alameda gripe about South Shore because of the construction and traffic, but what you're really getting is small town living with nice, suburban amenities. Having the new shopping center available means you have access to groceries, restaurants (independent ones like Loard's ice cream and Sushi House, as well as chains like Chipotle and Daphne's), Trader Joe's, Kohls, and a whole lot more. You're also within minutes of Park Street for other local shopping, and just a short drive from BART and the Oakland Airport.

You can walk on the beach or go windsurfing, or just enjoy a picnic at the Crab Cove park. There are also community sports like softball and a dog park, all within walking distance. The homes are lovely, and while they are pricey for the United States, they're much less expensive than the rest of the Bay Area. Furthermore, home values have stayed much stabler locally than they have for the rest of California, so buying a house in the South Shore neighborhood is a sound investment.

I would love to live in this section of Alameda while the entire city does have its charm it was this section that really wowed me. The waterfront views are such a knockout. The area is kept clean and the real estate might surprise you with how low these prices actually are. I would be moving here in a heartbeat if I had the money. It was a charming wonderful neighborhood that I am renting a house in this summer. I cant wait to spend more time here. This would also make a great vacation home spot but I think you'll want to be here all round after you spend some time here.