Shinebox

i would totally want to live here in relaxed california, until you get the tax bill that is. anyway. this is setback from el camino real, where supermarkets and fast food and restaurants are. If I lived this close to in and out burger, I'd be 500 lb. anyway, this street is about as relaxed as it gets. People are friendly, neighbord know each other, and there are plenty of walkers, joggers, and kiddie stroller. Excellent neighborhood. The houses are also well kept as are the landscaping in this established street.

Houses here are newer than some other blocks. This is a short culdesac off of iris ave. there is almost no traffic except those of the occupants or the occasional u-turner. Most houses have backyard pools and citrus trees. While the houses may not have the apparent luxury of a brand new construction, this is certainly full of vitality and soul. Very close to braly park.

This is a great street in sunnyvale. Lots of trees form this well established neighborhood. The street is quiet, safe, family friendly, and full of cute houses. While by no means fancy new constructions, these houses do have a lot of character. Many houses also have a backyard pool as well. That is awesome. On hot summer day, there is nothing better than a backyard pool bbq party, with a volleyball net setup on the front yard lawn. Love it.

Having to tolerate constant 18 wheelers delivering to the safeway next door is no way to live. Though close proximity to braly park is an added bonus, there is just too much noise here. This is also behind the strip outlet mall with a room full of snakes and other exotic creatures. I would not want to live anywhere close to this place. The houses seem to be in fairly good shape, There is also a row of apartments on calla as well.

lynxwood stems off of old SF rd and borders s wolfe rd. While the east end culdesac is noisy from wolfe rd, the west end culdesac is vey quiet. The street is across the street from the safeway supermarket and a stripmall with a pet store. There is a pretty good chinese restaurant that had pretty good take out. While we waited, we picked up some beer from safeway and went to the pet store. There are some freeky snakes in that petstore. I love watching snakes on tv, but this up close and personal is too much reality. Not going back for a while, though kids may like it.

braly park is pretty cool. It has facities for basketball, tennis, softball, and swimming. But if you just want to stroll the kids, that's okay as well. Plenty of greens. Just what this neighborhood needs. daffodil also borders on a fairly new condo development. While the HOA fee is no doubt high, the landscaping is impeccable, with a mini common area quad. Also borders a safeway supermarket at the end of the block. Who needs a car?

arbutus runs parallet to azara pl in the same quiet established neighborhood. Front lawns are kept up for the most part, and there are some pretty grown trees for shade on those hot summer days. Unlike SF, Sunnyvale as well as the rest of the south bay gets baked in the summer time, with an average of 10-20 degrees temperature difference from SF. The only thing missing is a small neighborhood park for kids to roam.

At least two house separated from s fairoaks ave, this is a pretty quiet street. People are friendly. Houses were built in the early 80's with garages that are now too narrow for most cars. So people park mostly on the street or driveways. Also lot sizes are fairly small, so many houses convert their teeny backyard into a parking lot to park more cars. Front lawns are kept up for the most part, with the exception of few houses. Trees are also fully grown. This is an established neighborhood that is family friendly and close to the ameneties.

Went to a friend's place in a gi-normous apartment complex on the corner of e old SF rd and s fairoaks. The amenedies are so so as these are traditional apartment complexes. You have to call up your host from the lobby and they buzz you in. Then you go into a tiny elevator. Once inside, it's not bad. shared coin laundry on the floor. You also get a private balconey. There is also a pool and 4 tennis courts. There are lots of Indian and Chinese people, about 70% Indian, and 30% Chinese. My first time, I thought I died and woke up in Bombay.

This is a fairly busy street off of el camino real. There is some traffic, and at times can get fairly noisy. At the intersection, there is a local discount store and a longs drug, now CVS. S fairoaks pass by some huge apartment complexes close to el camino real. Then it's mainly single family dwellings. The neighborhood is mostly established and populated by lots of Indian and Asian minorities. The neighborhood is very safe.

Houses here are pretty dull looking, unless you are passionate about garage doors. apparently the designers think that a proper front entrance is over-rated. The street also butts up again the train tracks. While there is a wall and maturing trees, the noise still comes through. The street also borders the ardenwook regional preserve, which apparently is a big patch of land capturing what it was like before all the cookie cutter houses went up. Here is a tip, there is nothing to preserve. keep building.

bordering on paseo padre pkwy, a busy street, and the railways. Complete the triangulation with a creek, this is a terrible place to live. Houses are very much like the community across the pkwy. With hardly any landscaping and no centralized park, this is not a very good place to live simply because of the noise. I pity the fool who buys a house here because across the railway is a vast piece of land waiting to be developed one day when real estate picks up again. bad investment.

This street is a half circle street that envelops fischer park, a neighborhoo park with a couple of playground and tennis courts. On the other side of the street are tons of newly constructed houses dating circa late 90's or early 2000's. This park servers as the neighborhood park for the newly constructed houses that surround it. Lots of dogwalkers and joggers on the weekend. It's a safe and pretty neighborhood, but it's just boring...

This is one of the nicest townhouse complexes I've seen. There are lots of greens and landscaping that is relatively mature. There is also a pool and several tennis courts - must be the envy of the neighboring new constructions. And sure you will have to share a wall with another tenant, but hey, it's worth it having an onsite pool and tennis courts. Very nice complex. Highly recommended.

This is the inner circle in a awesome townhouse community. Lots of immaculate landscaping and there is small park with two pools in the middle of the buildout. Nice place. Sure beats those small new construction houses near the highway. Also if you want a bigger park or want to play tennis, there is a larger park across deep creek rd due west. Very quiet and friendly neighborhood.

These house are build circa late 1990 and/or very early 2000's. Houses are 3-4 small bd, with a 2 car garage that is really meant to house one car comfortably. every conceivable sq ft is dedicated to a house, leaving the community barren of landscaping. Creekwood follows the creek and has a retaining wall on the side faing I-880. There is still considerable noise coming from the highway. Overall, the neighborhood is not very lively and has a sterile cookie cutter feel to it.

I like this neighborhood much better than the endless clusters of new homes being churned out west of 880 highway. Though the houses are smaller, this street and this neighborhood is full of charm. All the landscaping is mature, so you get some magnificent trees. And the neighborhood is vibrant with life instead of endless rows of cookie cutter repetition. The only drawback is that the closest neighboorhood park is abit of walk away. But overall, this is a warm friendly street.

This street is charming. On the surface, it's just another boring culdesac street with ranch styled houses and boring old landscaping. However, the end of the culdesac joins other culdesac ends via a path and that end up in a small playground. I love this design because it showed that the planners really cared about community. Instead of squeezing every last sq ft of real estate for another house, they chose this warm and inviting design. I really like this, and my kids had a blast here. This is a safe quiet neighborhood.

Chaucer stems off of darwin and snakes through the suburbia maze. It runs paralle to paseo padre, a busy street. Branching off of chaucer are streets that end in culdesacs. Avoid all the streets that end in "place" as they are all on the side of chaucer that is closer to paseo and are noisy. Don't live there. Instead, choose the streets that end in "court," as they are all on the quiet side. Houses are not new, and they are small ranch styled houses. Neighborhood is generally clean and the lawns are in order. Close to the community park across paseo.

Ranch 99 is a chain of asian supermarket across the US. I've been to the ones in CA and one in Atlanta, GA. It's awesome and is a food lover's dream market. All kinds of fresh fish and seafood combined with meats, some exotic. The fremont ranch 99 is on the corner of darwin and fremont blvd. This particular location is actually one of the smaller ones. I like the one in El Cerrito and Millipitas. Other than this one stripmall, Darwin street snakes through the typical suburban maze. More on this follow on nearby street reviews.

Alderbrook is a short street, with a culdesac, and is prelude to possibly the newest and nicest neighborhood in CV. Houses are pretty large and spaced out, no claustrophobia here. For runners, there is a pretty good stretch of hills up columbia dr. Overlooking the cull canyon forests, it's a pretty good view into the valley. Lawns are generally well manicured. This is a small deadend street that feels like a warm and friendly neighborhood. not much traffic comes in and it's very quiet.

Houses here are large and pleasant to look at. They are somewhat still cookie cutter in design, but they are not so closely packed, so they give the illusion of a much more relaxed neighborhood. Most houses have 3 garages. Good amount of hills in this neighborhood, so you will sweat when you run. Also close to deerview park - not much of a park other than a huge peice of green. lots of dogs walker there.

Another established street in CV with nice large houses. Lot sizes are approx 8000 sq ft, and there is even a little space between the houses. Oh my, such a rarity in CA houses. Most houses have 3 car garages, and the backyards are copious, some with a pool and a backyard. Pretty quiet street without too many street level activities. Street is on a hill overlooking the valley. Pretty good place to live if you can get in.

This is a well established street with hoses that look like they were built in the late 80s and early 90s. The houses are pretty big, probably 4-5 br at least. Many houses have 3 garages. Houses are on the most part ranch styled, though there are also several colonial styled houses there as well. Lot sizes are pretty big for CA standards, roughly on average 10,000 sq ft. And the streets sit on top of a hill, so the view into the valley is spectacular. Definitely great for an end of a run.

Walking along remco reminds of the typical suburban streets in Pleansant Hill. The houses are kind of plain old ranch style, but the neighborhood is established and safe. Front yard are generally well landscaped. There are some kids on the street skateboarding when I walked there. Other than that, people are friendly, and it's a good street to stroll the kids and walk and jog.

There are lots of houses built in the 80's and several built in the 90s. Some houses even share a common driveway that turn into double garages on either side. A most curious design back then. The houses with the garages have a court yard of concrete that looks and feel like a motel design. Landscaping is generally well kept in this neighborhood, although some houses prefer the extra parking in front of the house as they convert the front lawn into extra parking spaces. Interesting to jog by. safe neighborhood.

These houses are more of the blah design where the front of the house is the garage, and the front door is a small entrance by the side of the garage. Aweful design, but effective and efficiently pack all the houses like they were jigsaw puzzle pieces. Houses are small, about 1400 - 1900 sq ft, and they are relatively new (within the last 6 years). There is almost no landscaping, and there is no where to escape to in the backyard. Not only are you butted up against another yard, the nighbor's house can see directly into your yard. Hate it. Stay away if you can

culdesac, culdesac, culdesac. That is one way to have a small personalized feel in a huge development plan of essentially cookie cutter houses. Overall feel is very blah. But in the state of eternal sunshine and no humidity, who really cares. Houses in castrol valley are much nicer than the more ghetto neighboring town of san leandro. It's worth the extra 10-15 minute drive out here. Much quieter, safer, and with better schools.

Swallow ct is another residential street with a culdesac. House backyards butt up against each other, a required feature because the garage face the same direction as the front door. Typical quiet neighborhood in east bay. And because it is closer to the bay than say walnut creek, it does not get as hot. Not a bad location, next to the community park where there is tennis and basketball courts and baseball diamond and a indoor pool. very children friendly place.

There is nothing special about this street. It's full of typical surburban houses that were contructed about mid to late 90's. Average lot size is about 5000-6000 sq ft. You can have either a good back yard or a inground pool, but not both. I suppose you can have a redneck above ground pool, but that's in vogue in the left coast. Anyway, garages mostly face the same side of the house as the front door. A feather that is common for cookie cutter developments back then.

This is another island street, much like marlin ct, except these are condos or townhouses. Spinnaker forms the left half of the complex with a pool in the middle. There are no cool culdesacs to speak of. just townhouse after townhouses. There are also private docks, so that's a plus. If I had a preference, I 'd take the houses on marlin ct.

admiralty place forms the right half of this townhouse filled island street. While the concept is cool, townhouses are not. I suppose it's only there to ensure that marlin ct houses never depreciate. Anyway, there is a tennis court in the middle. Why? when there are two courts over in marlin park 2 minutes walk later. Doesn't make any sense. Should have built something more memorable.

This is the coolest street ever. It's a one street island with a culdesac at each end. On each culdesac, there is a huge tree in the center. I pride myself in living on an island - Alameda, but this street is rediculous. Flanked by closed arranged houses on both ends, this is definitely one of a kind. My friends who like across the waterway on newport circle said that they've never see a house for sale during the 5 years that they've been there. Of course that was before the recent financial catastrophe. so who knows?

Ever since moving out to SF area, I have made special trips just to check out the corporate campuses of my favorite companies. This campus, for EA sports, is no exception. I really like this campus. Its central courtyard is huge and is shaped like a par 3 golf course. And the buildings flanking the courtyard make it feel like a college quad. That's one way to retain the old college spirit. Also i heard that very much like some other bay area software companies, they offer free soda. Wow, I can double my salary working for company that offered free soda.

I visited friends here. Passing by Oracle headquarter buildings to get here, I was struck by its beauty. Lots of channels that empty out into the bay make great waterfront views. lots of lake activities, and there is a small neighborhood park on which the party was held. Though it was too windy, so we moved inside. One oddity, we had to park on the curb. I guess that was pretty conventional. newport circle wraps around the entire community. Lake front houses often have private docks. The house I visited did not, however. My friends felt lucky to have gotten into this community. The lake front houses hardly ever go listed.

Another street in this community that is on the inside of the newport circle. As a result, no docks. However, it is pretty quiet. And since there is only one entrance / exit for the entire community, it's fairly closed off, and it is very safe. The community is also surrounded by mature trees which block out noise from the neighboring shell pkwy. These houses are a relative bargain, and they hardly depreciate due to the close proximity to the major companies in SF.

On my way back from the birthday party in shoreline park, I asked my friends about the houses near island dr. After nearly insulting my frinds's place on newport circle as "condos." I was shocked to learn that these house units on island dr are actually condos. Sure enough, after a detour, I realized that I was fooled by its immaculate landscaping, surely as a result of its skyrocketing high HOA fees. There are no garages, but with plenty of parking.

I drove down marine pkwy and out of respect, drove the length of oracle pkwy just to get a view of this campus. While it does not have the quirkiness of the double helix patio walkway like DNA way (Genentech), it is nonetheless a breathtaking campus, with a pretty cool water fountain out in front. Buildings are tinted bluish mirror finish, and looks like there are also some small parks in between the buildings as well. Cool place to work.

The neighborhood is very quiet, and on weekends there are dog walkers, joggers, and baby strollers. Though it can get windy at times, the temperature is usually slightly higher than SF proper. The landscape is full of matured trees, and the beautiful foliage is offset by the waterfront views. Neighborhood Shorebird park has many picnic areas as well as several tennis courts. I have a friend who worked for Oracle down the street and he loves it because he can walk there.

Houses are very similar in this development. Everyhouse pretty much has a white picket fence. lot size is pretty good for houses of this size, mostly 3 br, but fairly small. There is a living room with a high loft ceiling, and a small dining area. And the garage faces an alleyway out to which every one backs out. I don't like houses that have the front door on the same side as the garage. The houses are built in the early 90's, and are starting to show its age a little. But most of the houses are kept up. Lawns are also well kept.

This is a very urban neighborhood. I went to the southgate mall with my family. My kids loved it because they got to ride in a toy train that went in a loop inside the mall. I didn't mind it because it had a pretty good food court with local specialties, and not as many known franchises. There was even a sit-down noodle restaurant inside the mall. My wife hated it because the lines were long, and the stores (mostly penney's) was not very organized, and everything was piled like a yard sale. There was alot of people with a heavy hispanic population. Parking was difficult to find. All in all, not our favorite mall.

Tanforan is a great mall. Not only does it have the usual sears, penney's, etc. It has great peripheral restaurants, like BJ's, which has quite a selection of beers on tap and a vibrant atmosphere. Try the beer sampler, preferably not on an empty stomach. There is also a walled in area with padded animal statutes for toddlers and children to climb and play while the parent rest their weary feet sitting on the padded benches. There is even a post office in the mall. And there is a BART stop (san bruno) behind the mall for shoppers from afar. Great mall.

Very nice houses with 3 car garages adorn this short residential street ending in a culdesac. Mostly 4-5 br houses with at least 2500 sq ft. Lot size is adequate for the size of each house, which means is large for new constructions. Usually houses are packed like sardines so the developers can squeeze in another house. Not these. Close to all the shopping centers and malls, this is tucked back far away from the el camino real noise. Excellent location.

This street is hilly and has some typical urban dwellings. Houses are small but not crowded. You get some land way back when these houses / apartments were build. The street does slope down from el camino real. I parked on this street looking for a place to eat on New Year's eve, and happened to discover new mandarin garden on el camino real between second and orange ave north bound. Food was great, and hearing other people's bad kareoke was priceless. The laughter definitely aided the digestion.

Sonora is the other street in the middle of this development. While some of the houses are not as nice as portola avenue, people parking RVs in the front, people with carports. it is nonetheless a good neighborhood and a quiet street that is setback from the busy and noisy el camino real. Though houses are relatively old, they are kept up and the entire neighborhood has a vibrant retro look. Excellent for families with kids.

Good neighborhood that borders the SSF high and is close to San bruno. Very close access to BART and the mall at Tanforan and several close shopping centers on el camino real. Houses are medium, approximately 1500-2000 sq ft. Developed around the 80's, the houses sit on a small hill. Wilms ave is relatively quiet unless you are close to the el camino real end. Then some street noises. Very good neighborhood. people are friendly.

Portola is in the middle of this patch of housing development that is sitting on top of a hill. People are friendly, and the houses are well kept. Lot sizes are fairly large for the size of the houses given that it is SSF. Lawns are well kept. Most of the people park on driveways or street. Given the age of the houses and the widths of modern cars, garages have become a glorified storage shed in stead of a place to rest a car. Mostly quiet neighborhood, but still close to everything.

Gateway blvd houses many office buildings and office parks and is home to Genetech's gateway campus. There are periodic shuttles to transport different DNAer's to different buildings. The street is lined with a plethora of trees, and it's very pleasant to walk and job. Lunchtime is a great time to go for a run, and usually by then, the sun is out.

Grandview street continues DNA way and constitutes the southern portion of the Genetech campus. This is the company that single-handedly started the biotechnology field. If you are lucky enough to visit this street, you are on sacred grounds. Be sure to check out the double-helix walkways in the courtyard (next to DNA way). You are definitely among some of the most innovative people in the world.

Oyster point blvd is a very wide street. It is in the center of the biotechnology companies. Flanked by Amgen off on Veterans blvd and Genentech off on gateway blvd on either side, the street passes through some new buildings just completing construction. The street narrows down to two lanes and eventually meanders by a small park and ends up by the marinas. good walk also on marina blvd to see the sail-boats.

This is a small street that run between hotels. There is nothing exciting about the street unless you are a runner / walker. There is also a foot bridge that runs SW of the street that connects you to the residence inn and courtyard marriott. The footpath runs around the bay, so you get a fabulous view of the waters to the backdrop of the SSF mountains. Have to pace yourself - the path does not meander back, so at some point, you will have to turn around.

These are posh luxury condos overlooking SF golf club. This is a very exclusive club, and a very consistently highly rated golf course. Also if you are not satisfied, you can always cross lake merced drive to get to Olympic golf course or continue north to go to harding park golf course. lake merced hills are exclusively club property and there is no tresspassing. Overall, a golf lover's dream location.

This is a loop street in the southern end of sunset district. It features all single family houses that do not share walls. The houses are not so close together, and they are comparably newer houses as well. Lots of things to do around the area. This is within walking distance to the SF zoo. Also very close to harding park golf course, home of the 2009 president's cup later on this year. The area is lake bound. a beautiful place to live, though not very close to highways.

Moulton street spans from buchanan and steiner streets. It's a small street that is residents use to back out of their garages. The street is in a safe neighborhood. This is a 90% residential neighborhood, fairely tucked away from the main streets. There are some light shops but not worth mentioning. Close to moscone recreational center to play tennis. Very boring street, but safe.

short street that runs between leguna and webster, it's a street onto which residents back out of their garages. Pretty much 90% residential. There are some convenient stores but not worth mentioning. There is some street parking, usually occupied by residents. Very close to the moscone recreation center, good place to play tennis. Also a close downhill walk north on leguna to the marina where the ocean view to angel island and alcatraz is spectacular

This is a street to look for street parking (on both sides of the street, on the weekends to visit the golden gate fields. It's within walking distance to deyoung museum, one of the museums offering free admission if you have a BoA account. It's also close to the newly finished california academy of sciences, offering a planetarium, aquarium, and an enclosed rainforest all under one roof. Great place to take your kids to.

Fremont street is the first exit off of bay bridge coming into SF from east bay. It's in the heart of the financial district. There is also the home of the greyhoud bus stop at SF, always an indication of a not so wonderful neighborhood. Walking after dark is definitely not recommended. Also lots of homeless people around as well.

This is essentially a parking lot for visitors to north beach and marina areas. This offers an excellent view of the golden gate bridge, alcatraz, and angel island. There is also a huge green, probably three football fields back to back to back. Plenty of people to fly kites, play football, walk their dogs, pay with kids, frisbees, and scooba dive, etc. Also be aware that people change in their cars. Be sure to look away when some unplesant nudity is forced upon you.

Long avenue is a fairly steep hill and can be a bit challenging for the beginner jogger or cyclist. Going from marine drive, it's a one-way street to pick up 101 North and the golden gate bridge from the crissy field area by taking a right. Taking a left goes into the presideo forest area. Otherwise, it's a pretty uneventful street.

For us locals with visiting families that want the obligatory tour of the golden gate bridge, this is the perfect place to find parking. There is a small parking lot that is never full, even on the busiest tourist days. The people who park there are never tourists but hardcore cyclists who bike the presidio mountains. From there on, it's just a short stroll onto the bridge to join the rest of the tourist hell waiting hours for parking in the designated vista parking areas. This street is closed off for automobiles, and it provides some of the most spectacular views of the bridge, sans tourists.

I came to this street by accident looking for parking. My first impression was that all 10 or so houses on the street look exactly the same. I mean clones. The houses are not big, probably 3-4 bd, 1800 sqft. lot sizes look pretty large. very well manicured front lawns. Hoffman st is pretty quiet, no traffic except for the people who live in the cloned houses. very close to the foot of the golden gate bridge but hidden by the trees. My guess that if one of the houses ever go on sale, they would be snatched up in a heartbeat and never depreciate. A hidden gem in the NW corner of the SF peninsula

I came to this area en route to QQ Noodle on Thornton and Moraine. The restaurant was pretty good. Very unpretentious, fast, good, noodles with traditional sechwan appetizers. The prices are pretty good as well. Unlike many if not most chinese restaurants, nothing is deep fried. I have visited many times. As far as neighborhood goes, very average. lots of ranch styled houses, average 20-30 years. lot sizes are pretty large, mostly due to the age of the houses. back then, they still got some land with the properties. large hispanic and asian populations.

I am reminded of the quote from Frasier everytime Stanford is mentioned. While I am partial to the snowy Ithaca falls, I do admire Stanford and the beautiful campus that it has. The houses at college terrace are mostly occupied by either old money or people affliated with the school. The neighborhood is quiet, and has an intellectual feel, much like some neighborhoods in Cambridge, MA. These houses are not new, but because of the close proximity, it's a comfort to know that these properties will never depreciate in value, provided that they are kept up. Once every so often, a house in this neighborhood comes on the market. Snatch it up, people. It's a great way to save.

these are beautiful newer constructions in this neighborhood. Houses are generally 3-4 bedrooms, but lot sizes are small. And these houses are far enough from the BART tracks that you are not distracted by the train noise on a regular basis. Excellent neighborhood. Close proximity to shopping centers, and an excellent Korean BBQ on Davis. The only thing lacking is a small park nearby, other than small patches of grass.

I got lost in this suburban maze and had to pull out my iphone and use the gps to guide myway out of there. As a result, I saw lot of this neighborhood, some street more than once. Overall, the neighborhood is quiet and friendly. Close to highways and shopping centers but not noisy, provided you live in the middle of the donovan dr. Houses are fairly small and tend to be ranch styles. Heavy hispanic population and some Indian as well.

The houses here are circa late 1990's, and they are mostly 3-4 bedrooms. Private driveways. Lots are fairly small, but compared to the outer perimeters, these houses are nice. There is also a wall that separates these houses from the small houses. Very small street that deadends into a culdesac. people are friendly, and the neighborhood is fairly safe. Heavy hispanic population. Very noisy. Next to BART train tracks, and can get noisy at times. Wall and trees help absorb some noise, but not all.

One of the few new housing developments in San leandro. Houses are beautiful, and location is conveniently close to san leandro blvd. Landscape is impeccable if not lacking green. There is a central payground / park. The prices are not unreasonable. Houses go for probably mid $400k. The problem with this development continues to be the noise. You either get the automobile noise from blvd to the east or the railroad noise to the west. The trees planted around the outer periment of the development will be more effective as they grow and age. Until then, noise continues to be prevalent.

This is one of newer house development projects in san leandro. very beautiful houses, and family friendly. lot sizes and backyards are still fairly small, especially for the size of the houses around these parts. The development is missing a neighborhood park. Even though there is a small pasture to the east and the Siempre verde park across san leandro blvd. It's a busy street always, and you have to go out of your way slightly to get there. not very convenient. Street noise is also a concern.

Busy street that bring you into the Walmart strip mall. There is a home depot. Althogh fairly small, it nonetheless is well stocked. Lacking in outdoor stuff, like plants, etc. There is also a TOGOs, averge sandwich shop in the mold of subways and quiznos. There is also a sports authority there, often selling overpriced sports gear. The hawaiian fastfood O'Hambras is not bad. Walmart is always busy, especially with a mcdonalds inside. There is a huge hispanic population represented.

I went to Orchard Supply hardware and passed through this street. It is a busy street. Lots of traffic. OSH is a california based hard ware store that sold to Sears awhile back. So in addition to the stuff that you can find in Home depot, it also stocks Craftsman brand. There is a city -block housing development behind OSH. Houses are small, and lot sizes are miniscule. Back yard is pretty much a joke. There is, however, a communal pool. Also within walking distance to Floresta park. That's where the wife took the kids and kept them busy on the jungle gym and I spent some quality man-time alone in the hardware store.

I had to visit a software company, OSIsoft, in San Leandro, and was pleasantly surprised that it was very close to a BART station. Martinez street is clean, and neighborhood is busy but seems safe. The neighborhood is near the commercial center of town. For lunch, we went to Fifth Wheel up the san leandro blvd. it's one of those hole in the wall places that only locals knew about. It was excellent. I like breakfast food any time of the day. And for lunch that day, it was most fitting.

Visited some friends who were renting there. Houses were small, generally 3 bedrooms or less. Lot sizes are generally small as well. Fairly large minority population, predominantly hispanic. Though I did see some indian people as well. neighborhood is clean, safe, and generally orderly. kids playing stickball on the street during the day, and it's pretty quiet at night. the neighborhood is like a typical suburban maze. Once you drive in, you either need a trail of bread crumbs or a GPS to get out. If you have neither, then you will go in circles. close to sobrante and cleaveland parks, and very close to shopping district, but recessed from busy highway and davis street to hear noise.

Phillips Lane is the entryway to Costco, wholesale club, with its own gas station out back. It's definitely the cheapest gas in town. However, if you don't have a membership card, there is a shell station out front that is generally 10 cents more per gallon compared to costco gas. The Shell station is attached to a burger king, and it has one of the cleanest bathrooms for a convenience store. The neighborhood is generally light commercial. There is a walmart and home depot across the street, and residential neighborhoods out back behind costco. houses are generally small and one level. Pretty safe neighborhood.

North beach, Crissy fields is my favorite place in all of SF. I visit it frequently. Lots of pedestrians, dog walkers, and friendly people to walk to and socialize. All with the backdrop of Angel Island, SF Bay, and oh yeah, that Golden Gate Bridge. Forget taking the highway and waiting for hours to park in the vista areas. That's for chumps and tourists. Take marine drive west bound until you cannot anymore; ditch the car, and have the walk of your life. the scenary is absolutely stunning. And when you are ready to leave. just drive south and get lost in the meandering roads in the presidio area. You would be rewarded richly with the coastal views (a prelude to highway 1 driving), and the by stark contrast quiet solitude of the forest. It's indescribably rich and different. I love it.

Overall quiet residential neighborhood. Lots of rolling hills. Lots of houses closely packed in, though lot sizes are larger than other northern SF areas. Some duplexes. Safe neighborhood. Parking is aplenty. SSF high school is smack in the middle of this neighborhood. Very good football and track field, and plenty of tennis courts. Mall at Tanforan is to the south and is a typical mall. There is a BJ's restaurant there that serves up pretty good food and has a big beer selection on tap. The mall is also toddler friendly, with a walled off area full of toy statues and indoor jungle gym for the infants and toddlers and padded benches for the weary parents. BART is fairly close. Just to the east is the industrial heart of SSF where biotech giants Amgen and Genentech reside.

I took my family to the tech museum of innovation in downtown san jose last winter to see a special exhibit of machines built after Da Vinci's designs. The exhibit was absolutely fascinating. The rest of the museum was most excellent, full of hands-on exhibits to keep the kids busy. There is also an imax theater there as well. We were also blown away at how clean the downtown area was. At the time, there was also a large christmas tree in the center square in front of the museum. There was also a merry go-around at that time as well as a manger scene. It was as festive and Christmassy as a CA town is going to get. There were lots of shops and restaurants in the area as well.

I come here almost every weekend. Like most Americans, I am addicted to Costco. However, there is a walmart and Home depot across the street. It's not a super walmart. They stop short of selling fresh produce. Home Depot is on the small side, but still stock full of essentials. Talk about a one stop shopping. Overall, this is a charming residential neighborhood. Small houses make up most of the neighborhoods. There are some new constructions up, but they are very closely packed together. Very small yards, even by CA standards. Across the highway on Davis street, there is a korean BBQ restaurant. Excellent foods, even proclaimed by my Korean friends.

This is the oasis in an otherwise urban dump called Oakland. This lake has breathtaking views. There is a walking path surrounding the lake. On a warm sunny day, the park is usually filled with kids and joggers, and people relaxing and having fun. On occasion, you may also find wedding parties taking photos. This is definitely the scenic jewel in Oakland. Children's Fairyland is there as well. This is a wonderful amusement park for kids. It brings fairytales to life. There is also a train that goes around the park. great place for kids young and old. Offstreet parking is rare, but for just $3, you can park in a safe location. There are also plenty of restaurants nearby as well. My favorite are Noah's bagels and Rolling Dunes, serving up NY style bagels and contamporary american cuisine with a island flare, respectively.

Bay place separates the more urban oakland from the residential portion of oakland. And there is a wholefoods where I get my designer vegetables. The street is pretty quiet, narrow and windy. Street parking is absolutely horrendous. Thankfully Wholefoods has a parking garage. The houses seemed small, and very compacted together. Not much land, even by CA standards. Seems relatively safe in the daytime.

Water street is a pedestrian only street in the heart of jack london square. You can walk amongst the great restaurant. I recommend the chicken and waffles followed by a much needed short stroll to ben and jerry's. There is also a movie theater nearby as well for those playing hookie from work. You can also walk along the bay and enjoy the water view. Overall fantastic way to spend a day with or without the family.

7th street is a very long street that spans half of oakland. At the west end, you get a spectacular view of the bay bridge from the relatively abandoned docks and i guess what used to be a very industrious part of oakland. Going east, you pass through some of the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. That's when you roll up your window and pray you don't get shot. Going further east, you pass through Oakland's Chinatown. It's relatively dirty, but it's very festive during the day, and you get some good eats there. Going further east, it finally ends up in Laney College.

High Street runs SW to NE. It seems that high street gets nicer and more suburban the farther it gets from oakland center. That is true for both ends. SW direction ends up in Alameda, a very nice neighborhood. NE direction ends up higher in elevation, and the street becomes more suburban and family friendly, and the houses become nicer. Traffic is relatively heavy because it's near the 580 pickup. But at night, a pretty good view from the hill.

This is the road that leads to the Sports epicenter of Oakland. It takes you to Mcfee park where the A's and Raidars, and the Warriors play. The surrounding areas are pretty unspectacular, as are the sports teams that play there. On the weekends, there is a huge flee market nearby that is visible from the highway. The Oracle arena also has concerts there as well. I got dragged to a Yanni concert there recently, kicking and screaming, but they have more contemporary shows, like byonce, etc.

Harrison street is on the southern fringe of Oakland's Chinatown. It's not the cleanest street, and it's not the quietest street. But it does border the Lincoln street recreational park. There are some basketball courts there if you are interested in watching some competitive street ball. There is also a playground with a jungle gym shaped like a dragon boat, most excellent for toddlers. Parking is sparce, and walking alone at night time is not recommended.

To get to Ikea and bay street shopping from Alameda, one can either spend up to 45 minutes on the 80/580 where it's always congested, or take Mandela pkwy to get to the same destination in about 20 minutes. This is a relatively new street built after the great earthquake in 1989, and there are alot of urban renewal initiatives motifs. It's a pretty street in a relatively poor neighborhood. Walking at night, alone or not, is absolutely not recommended.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the state of Fallon Street when I was looking for street parking for the oakland museum. It was very scenic with relatively new apartment / condo complexes. The street is clean, and there is a strong urban vibe. Its proximity to the oakland museum is also a plus for those interested. There is a natural history portion, art museum portion and asian art portion. Great place to spend an afternoon

When we go to breakfast by Lakeshore avenue, we always find parking on Wesley Way. Now that the Wachovia bank closed, you can usually park in their garage for free. There are some local favorites there. I prefer Noah's Bagel for some authentic east coast bagels on the left coast. There is also a great restaurant called Rolling dunes. The font looks like the rolling stone magazine font. They serve a wide variety of crepes. I recommend the Nutella crepes with cream.

Perkins Street is a residential street mostly. On the south end, it faces Lake Merritt, a very pretty part of Oakland. Great place to jog or stroll with the kids. It also borders Children's fairyland, a small park for toddler and up. Kids love that place. Free parking is pretty sparce, but if you pay the $3 for parking, you don't have to worry about your car being stolen, and you get a spectacular afternoon's time spent by the lake.

Harrison street is on the southern fringe of Oakland's Chinatown. It's not the cleanest street, and it's not the quietest street. But it does border the Lincoln street recreational park. There are some basketball courts there if you are interested in watching some competitive street ball. There is also a playground with a jungle gym shaped like a dragon boat, most excellent for toddlers. Parking is sparce, and walking alone at night time is not recommended.

West End Alameda is not the best neighborhood in Alameda. However, it's still Alameda, and much better than the neighboring towns of Oakland, San Leadro, etc. When compared to the east end alameda, the houses are smaller and cheaper, schools are not as good, and crime is higher. There are less smaller parks scattered across the west end. There is Washington park, a large park by the bay, with plenty of picnic areas and tennis courts and a dog walking park. There is fantastic Chinese food in the west end on Webster street. There are two dimsum restaurants that are always fantastic. So be sure to show up early on the weekends or be prepared to stand in line. There are also new houses in the area as well. Bayport development community is absolutely stellar, with some of the best new house communities in all of the SF Bay area.

Well as suburban as living CA gets, anyway. People are friendly and everyone's lawn is kept in tiptop shape. Common areas are always always clean and inviting. There are a total of 4 small parks within the bayport area, in addition to the centra park that is located in the center of the development community. Great place to walk pets or kids and check out the latest in landscaping. Very quiet, warm and inviting neighborhood. Great place to raise kids. And very close to the ferry to go to SF.

Mariner square drive is a hidden gem in western Alameda. It constains one of the best restaurants in Alameda, Pasta Pelican. It is a contemporary Italian restaurant with a California touch. Wine selection is vast, and the food is always well prepared. Service is always excellent, and the restaurant is never crowded. However, the best part of the restaurant is the location and the view. It is a two story restaurant sitting in the SF bay across from Oakland's Jack London Square. Getting a table by the window is never a problem. Enjoy the view.
There is also a retirement community, supposed to be very good as well.

Otis Street is a busy and scenic street that runs east-west in southern part of Alameda. The street passes by Will C. Wood school, an excellent middle school. The houses along the street are picturesque and have interesting architecture. The manmade lagoons are also unique. Eastern part of Otis Drive is the Alameda town center, the shopping center of Alameda. There is a Trader Joe's there. Woohoo. There is also a borders, walgreens, and a plethora of good restaurants. There is also lots of local stores as well, like Loard's ice cream. Also in the summertime, there are free concerts given in the town center. Wonderful street.

Panoramic rim is a hidden jewel in Alameda. It sees traffic mainly during the fourth of july where the Alameda insiders gather to watch fireworks launched from Oakland's Jack London square across the narrow estuary. Ever since the naval base closure in 1997, this area, full of empty warehouses, has been abandoned. While the city has been talking with developers to put in a golf course and a wild life preservation area, there has not been any actions taken yet. As is, the street offers wonderful views of the bay bridge and SF bay. If you ever need a quiet place to escape to think, this would be it.

Overall, 3rd street is not a very interesting street. A north-south running street in the western Alameda, it is full of smaller houses and apartment clusters and complexes. There are some interesting front yard landscaping to be found, The street is fairly quiet. While it does cross some questionable mini-neighborhoods, by and large it is safe. Good street to jog or take your kids on a stroller ride.

Buena Vista Avenue is one of handful of street that run lengthwise across the entire east-west span of Alameda. The street is on the north end, or the industrial poration of the island. It does not have the large Vistorian mansions bordering man-made lagoons found in the central portion of the island. The street is filled with smaller houses. There is even a stretch of abandoned warehouses by Little John park that serves as a reminder of the more industrious days past. Lots of trees and interesting architecture to look at. A very good street for jogging.

Willie Stargell Avenue is undergoing an expansion. It is going from a two lane street to four lane street in Q3, 2009. This is part of the Alameda Landing development project to modernize the western part of Alameda. There is also new housing being built for the low income currently as well. It is a happening street, and will be busier when it is finished as it will redirect some of the exisitng webster tube traffic off of Atlantic avenue and main street.

Marina village pkwy is sort of the commercial center for the western part of the Alameda island. It has a large strip mall with supermarkets and drugstore as well as a plethora of quality fast food restaurants. Behind the strip mall is a vast array of office park buildings that is within a stone's throw to the ocean. It is not too busy during the weekdays traffic-wise, and it is a pleasure to walk by the ocean or visit the fountain during the weekend.

Smack in the middle of the new "Bayport Community" development, Jack London Avenue is a picturesque street that borders a large soccer field, playground, and Alameda's newest elementary school - Ruby Bridges. There is some noise from the traffic because this is one of the busier streets in the community. However, the beautiful landscaping, and the vastness of the open field more than make up for any disadvantage the noise brings.

Glenview Street is on the western fringe of one of Alameda's newest residential neighborhoods, Bayport community. The short street within the development is full of houses of diverse architecture, drawing inspirations from French, Spanish, and American colonial elements. Even though Glenview borders Main street with traffic, there is not much noise because it is recessed by a mini green belt park and growing trees. And the landscaping is kept in tip top shape by the residents. Overall, this is a quiet and pleasant residential street.