Via Farallon, Orinda

As the name indicates, Orinda Country Club is the area of Orinda that surrounds the country club. It is just off Orinda Village, the heart of Orinda proper. In a town known locally for its affluence, Orinda Country Club is especially opulent. First, there is the country club itself. On its northern end, it is a sprawling golf course that uses the slightly rolling topography to its advantage. In the middle of the neighborhood however, is the Club House with its tennis courts, pools and dining halls. It was built in 1924, is in the Spanish Mediterranean style, and includes a banquet hall lavish enough that those who can afford it often choose it as a wedding venue. On its eastern end there is Lake Cascade which although shaped to look like a natural lake and complete with ducks that cross it (and occasionally the road that circles it) is actually a reservoir. (It dates back to 1921.)

Around Lake Cascade and the country club, the large, almost mansion sized homes stare down over the water. The area is very hilly and woody, and given to picturesque mists and fogs. When it rains, the disturbed water takes on dark hues, and when it is sunny one feels as if you are in a small town.

The northern border of the neighborhood is Miner Road, somewhat of a straight away that residents use as their own personal racetrack. Some of the homes that sneak off to themselves in this section are large Prairie style constructions with attractive wrap around terraces.

Many arteries ramify out from the lake road, Camino Sobrante. These homes often are not as large and lavish as those right around the lake (with some exceptions), but they are still quite large and beautiful by any standard. Many continue the Spanish Revival style of the Country Clubhouse.

On the far south of the neighborhood where the hill rises to its greatest heights, there are a number of smallish town homes in beautifully manicured complexes overlooking the Highway 24 traffic as it heads to and from the Caldecott Tunnel. These small dwellings are by far the most affordable of the neighborhood though I suspect most would find them out of their range financially.

About a quarter of all the residents of this neighborhood are white collar managers of companies—often CEO’s and CFO’s. They are about the only ones that can afford the million dollar homes here.