East Bay Neighborhoods

The East Bay, which is our territory, is anchored by Berkeley and Oakland. It also includes the island of Alameda, the ungated “gated community of Piedmont, the annex of Emeryville, the village of Albany and the Berkeley adjuncts of Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond, and the southern outpost of San Leandro.

Barbara made her first move to the East Bay nearly 20 years ago straight from a Noe Valley in San Francisco. Many friends thought she was crazy to leave San Francisco. But there was something alluring about the grass and trees and flowers of the East Bay–not to mention a healthier dose of sun. And as Jerry Brown, former mayor of Oakland, liked to claim, “You can reach a place in San Francisco faster from the East Bay than you can from the City itself.”

Over 120 languages are spoken here. In the 100+ square mile area that comprises Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda, there’s a 3 ½ mile-around lake-Lake Merritt; one of the finest universities in the country -UC Berkeley; over 4,000 acres of forest–part of Tilden and Redwood Regional Parks; hundreds of parks, sandy beaches, a zoo with over 300 animals-the Oakland Zoo; one of the best transportation systems in the country-BART … and the best vistas of San Francisco Bay bar none.

There’s every kind of house from early 1900’s Victorians, to Maybeck Craftsman, to mid-century marvels, to 21st century architectural experiments. And, of course, the quintessential California bungalow. In this burgeoning melting pot, it’s no wonder the East Bay has been home to some of the most creative minds of the century – from Gertrude Stein to Jack London to Alice Waters.

And even though people talk about San Francisco being the most ideal city in the world, we can’t help but think, “Well, they just haven’t made it across the Bay yet.”