Found 44 blog entries tagged as Oakland.

Mediterranean-style home at 630 Kenwyn Road on Haddon Hill in Oakland

Oakland's smaller hillside neighborhoods can be easy to overlook, but they contain some of the city's most interesting residential architecture. 630 Kenwyn Road is one example—a Mediterranean-style home on Haddon Hill that combines substantial interior living space with outdoor areas and a location close to Grand Lake and Lake Merritt.

When this property was originally featured on BruceWagg.com in 2014, it was marketed as a remodeled home of more than 3,500 square feet with four bedrooms and 4+ bathrooms. Rather than viewing the property simply as an old listing, it provides an interesting look at the larger homes, hillside settings and architectural character buyers can encounter in this part of Oakland.

Haddon Hill's location is a significant…

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You are searching for just the right Montclair home, and have already looked at a lot of houses.  Perhaps you are getting discouraged.  What you want, you may not be able to afford, or it might not be roomy enough.  To search effectively, it is time to take a break from the many good and bad choices that you may be making, and begin to focus. Here are some tips to help:

1.DETERMINE THE "MUST HAVE" ELEMENTS FOR YOUR FUTURE HOME--This may take some time, because there may be a lot of these to start with.  But, with some serious consideration, a list will develop that isolates these items for you.  It may start with a special school district-a real "must have", or it may be a minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, or a larger backyard.  Whatever the…

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As every Oakland resident knows, each Holiday season marks the lighting of the Christmas lights at the Oakland Mormon Temple, which is located high atop a prominent hill above the city.  This is an annual event that many wait for as a signal to start the beginning of the Christmas festivities.  This wonderful spectacle of celebratory lights is visible from much of the San Francisco Bay area.  Parking around the temple allows spectacular views of San Francisco and Oakland below, as well.

Arriving at the entrance, visitors are greeted with a a flowing creek that works up towards the temple, and runs between fountains splashing water. The creek is surrounded on each side by lush gardens and tall palm trees. These are highlighted with plentiful and…

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One of the most important events in selling your Oakland home is to have it inspected before the sale, so that both you, and the future buyers, know it's condition-both structurally and functionally.  Many future negotiations will revolve around the home inspection, so it is important that it be done correctly and efficiently.   

I am going to suggest that the most efficient time to have this home inspection is just before your put your home on the market.  While this may be a bit concerning to some sellers because of what may result, it really makes sense in many, if not most, cases.  Why?  Because knowing your issues ahead of time puts you in control of the direction that will be taken.  Here is why:

a. It puts you in control of what you can…

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While the Chabot Space and Science Center always has exciting things for nearby Oakland and Piedmont residents, these next few weeks promise more excitement as the Center prepares for the projected arrival of Comet ISON which is expected to trek around our sun in the near future. No matter what their age, children can be involved in learning about world of science and space.  Events include:

1. TYKE EXPLORER PROGRAM-Designed for 3-5 year olds, these Tuesday night presentations involve lessons from instructors, self-guided learning and hands on experimentation.  Advance registration is required, and this month's theme is "Flying Through Space".  There are three program presentation times scheduled each Tuesday to meet the needs of the little ones. …

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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 Trestle Glen area was built around transportation.  Before it was as you see it today, it was the heart of  railroad line which ran along Trestle Glen Creek (mostly underground, now), and was originally named Indian Gulch after the Huchiun Indians who lived in the area. That railroad ran through nearby Montclair, and back through the Oakland hills, carrying freight, passengers and tourists from 1893 to 1906 when it was rerouted and torn down. The next transportation influence to encourage growth and development was the expansion of streetcar lines which allowed homeowners in the neighborhood to travel the short distance from their newly built homes above Lakeshore Avenue to their jobs in downtown Oakland, or across the bay to San Francisco. 

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If there was ever a small town neighborhood within a larger town, it would be the Glenview District, in Oakland.  Located adjacent to the the Trestle Glen and Oakmore neighborhoods, it, like all small towns, has it's "main street" --in this case, Park Boulevard--which is filled with local shops and small merchants that serve the needs of its residents.  For most of these residents, these amenities are within walking or biking distance.  Many of the restaurant in the small complex are highly rated, the market is handy and well stocked, and an excellent coffee shop attracts Saturday and Sunday morning get togethers among friends.

Developed the 1920's and 1930's along the trolley lines running up and down Park Boulevard, it grew, as the areas around it…

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In Oakland, California, there is a neighborhood tucked into the hills called Montclair.  It is one of the most heavily forested neighborhoods in the city.  It reminds a visitor of Tahoe with its winding tree lined streets.  Views of San Francisco are available peaking through the trees at many locations, especially  among those Montclair view homes that are perched high atop the many canyons that are found descending from the high hills above. 

Immediately adjacent to the city of Piedmont on one side, and Oakland's Woodminster and Oakmore neighborhoods, it is the location of Montclair Village-an  enclave of small shops, and excellent restaurants which are visited by Oakland residents from throughout the city.  To add to the food flavor, the Village…

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Redwood Heights is an established Oakland neighborhood known for tree-lined residential streets, early 20th-century homes, hillside character, and a strong sense of community. Its history is closely connected to the old-growth redwood forests that once covered much of the Oakland hills and to the transportation routes that later helped shape the neighborhoods of East Oakland.

Originally published as a neighborhood history article, this guide has been updated to explain how Redwood Heights developed, what types of homes buyers will find today, and how the neighborhood compares with nearby Laurel, Oakmore, and other Oakland communities.

From Redwood Forests to an Oakland Neighborhood

The hills above Oakland were once covered by extensive forests of…

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