My Piedmont and Oakland Real Estate Adventures. History, Architecture and Homes - Oakland Montclair Village

Why Choose Oakland For Your New Home?

Actually, the question should be "Why not choose Oakland?". As a city, it's central location on the coast makes an ideal departure site for nearby San Francisco or busy San Jose.  It is short distance from scenic coastal towns like Monterey or Mendocino, or the nearby wine country of Napa and Sonoma counties.  
Looking for your own personal scenic views?

  The hills above Oakland gives you a panoramic view in every direction. Enjoy water sports? The Oakland estuary offers everything from small kayaks to sailboat racing on weeknights, to the bright white Coast Guard cutters making ready for long offshore trips.
Enjoy mountain views?  The Claremont and Montclair neighborhoods have streets lined with ecalyptus, pine, manzanita and fir trees, causing you…

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Oakland's Montclair Park Offers Ducks and Horses(?).

One of the most popular parks in Oakland is Montclair Park.  Located in the heart of Montclair Village, it offers a quiet place for lunch break under a tree, while listening to the water spray from the fountain in the center of the pond.  This gentle, scenic pond is often seen with ducks floating on the water, and settling in amid the greenery around the edges. 

This park is truly designed to serve Oakland residents, especially if they have a sports inclination.  There are basketball courts, tennis courts, a softball field, and training during the year is available for youth softball and flag football.  The little ones are not left out, and play structures designed for them are available, and used on a daily basis.  One of the most popular…

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Oakland's Montclair Village's Historic Railroad

While many Montclair homeowners travel to San Francisco by car and BART today, they had another option just under a century ago--The Sacramento Northern Railway (SNR).  Beginning in 1928, the SNR provided service for both passengers and freight, going from San Francisco through Emeryville and Oakland, and then through Montclair, and on into Contra Costa County. Montclair residents can conduct their own mystery tour throughout the area to locate the actual path of the train through the village.  Clues are still visible in some areas.  The first clue is what is called "Shore Line Pocket Part" at Thornhill and Moraga.  To get there, the line passed by Lake Temescal, came along what is now Highway 13, and crossed the impressive trestle built at that…

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When Oakland's Montclair Village Met Hansel and Gretel

While long term Montclair homeowners know about this unique structure, and are used to seeing it daily as they drive around the Village, newcomers are often truly surprised by this very unique structure on Moraga Road, adjacent to Montclair Park.  It is in fact, the old Montclair Firehouse, and when built, fit very nicely into the unique "Storybook" or "Hansel and Gretel" style of architecture that was developing in the area.  Built in 1927, by the city of Oakland, it was designed to replicate the German forest of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale.  In fact, the style was so popular, the city developed the same basic look for the Montclair Public Library just around the corner on Mountain Boulevard which still operates today, and is especially…

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