Jackie Care

Unique and magical street with charming older homes and a nice sense of community. Considered to be in Maxwell Park by many of the locals. Most homes decorate with Christmas lights and the neighbors drive to see the street lit up at night. Commuting to SF is not bad with the Transbay bus along MacArthur. Mills College campus is close by.

So you’re moving across the bay from SF to get more room, a garden and warmer weather!

But… you also want close proximity to transport, walkability, a charming older home with more than 2 bedrooms and you realize you’re priced out of Rockridge.

When buyers are looking for older charming homes and what I refer to as “the latte factor” the Glenview is a wonderful option.

The very active casual car pool scene on Park Blvd offers a convenient commute to SF. There are several lines of carpoolers waiting to go into San Francisco in the morning, and many residents take the express AC transit bus back in the evening and walk to their parked cars or home.

The view is much better than being underground on BART!

The streets are pretty to walk around and bordering the Glenview is Dimond Park, complete with rec center, swimming pool, playground and trail access to a delightful walk along Sausal Creek.

A testament to the attractive homes, popular community and convenient location is that home prices have now risen above their previous highs in 2007.
Most smaller homes are now selling well into the $600s, with a budget of $750-$900K giving you more options for a 3/2 in this area, and several larger homes topped $1M in 2013.

The Dimond, ( no “a”) ! sometimes referred to as the Fruitvale since the shopping area and freeway exit is on Fruitvale. In general the area is not large and at the top runs into lower Lincoln Heights , and on the South side the Laurel.
Many of the homes are Charming 1920s and 30’s craftsman, albeit modest in nature. There is a main shopping strip and the 580 freeway is close by. Some streets succumbed to a rash of multifamily units, built for function not form!
A desirable characteristic of this neighborhood is that prices are more moderate than in other Oakland neighborhoods boasting similar amenities.
The main shopping streets are McArthur and Fruitvale. The last few years have seen a concerted effort by the local merchant and resident community to attract more business and beautify the area.
There is a large Farmer Joes supermarket, La Farine bakery, several coffee shops and a wide selection of multi cultural stores and restaurants. Dimond Park with swimming pool and tennis courts, a Safeways , a local branch library and a post office are all pluses for those looking for neighborhoods with higher walkability and transportation options.
HeadRoyce and Montessori schools are nearby, as is the popular Sequoia elementary public school.
I lived here after escaping the SF fog and commuting to work was very easy, with a casual car pool and express buses.
No BART nearby, but the view from the bus on the Bridge is way better anyway!

If you like the idea of being within easy reach of an urban lifestyle coupled with superb access to miles of hiking and biking trails check out Woodminster!
Several streets back onto Parkland and there are various access points for walking, a dog park, some trails which are open to bikes, and a children’s playground with slide and swings.
Technically many of the streets are zoned for Montclair schools, and some of the streets closest to Montclair think of themselves as part of that community.
One big plus is some of the streets have sidewalks, and the corresponding neighborliness which seems to accompany being able to walk your block.
There is also a small selection of shops and restaurants, Monaghans bar and Round Table pizza, nothing fancy but very convenient. On the other side of Joaquin Miller you head towards Butters Canyon, winding roads shaded by huge Bay trees and Oaks, opening out onto some of the best panoramic views in the Oakland Hills.
Housing is a mix, mostly post 40s, more spacious homes than the California bungalows a little further down the hill, and some grander housing stock of mixed vintage often with larger lots taking advantage of the Bay views.
Woodminster may not be so well known, but definitely worth checking out the pluses in this area!