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Community information
The cities and towns that I serve are listed below. If you would like to find out about the latest homes that have become available in these communities, please contact me at 925-519-1082 or you can setup a Private Search!
Click on underlined cities to view a description of the city.
Located in the East San Francisco Bay area, Alamo is a small community situated between Walnut Creek, Danville, Mt. Diablo and Las Trampas Peak. Contra Costa County’s second oldest township, Alamo offers a unique combination of country estate living & small town atmosphere with close proximity to urban conveniences like shopping, restaurants & public transportation. Alamo is an unincorporated town; meaning county supervisors from the county seat in Martinez govern it.
Homes in Alamo are a mix of beautiful custom estates, ranch homes, horse properties and contemporary homes on generally bigger than average Bay area lot. Partly because of these qualities, Alamo is considered home for many business owners, physicians, professional athletes, executives and leaders of bay area industry.
There is plenty of recreational opportunity in Alamo. In addition to the area’s two public parks, there are miles of equestrian trails that connect the surrounding area neighborhoods, Las Trampas ridge, Mt. Diablo and the Bay Area ridgeline trail system.
Students in Alamo attend the nationally awarded and highly ranked San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Strongly supported by parents and the community, these students turn in achievement test scores, which consistently rank in the top percentiles among California schools.
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Blackhawk population: 6,199, affluent village with condos and custom homes near Danville. There are 18-hole golf courses, 20 lighted tennis courts, a 25 acre sports complex, and many clubs and social activities- Blackhawk Plaza, a museum, shops, restaurants and supermarkets are all nearby. Security gates surround the residential area. Black Hawk is a picturesque location with rolling hills and Mount Diablo in the background.
Developed by Ken Behring, former owner of the Seattle Seahawks NFL team, Blackhawk has been written up in many magazines for its quality architecture and its inimitable way of life. Blackhawk is actually made up of five separate gated communities with nearly 4,000 homes. Each community has its own different feel, but all are spectacular in their own way with amenities such as two 18-hole championship golf courses, incredible landscapes and views through hills and valleys. Blackhawk features magnificent tree-lined streets, country estates, and executive estates. It is home by many of the Bay Area's business leaders, professional athletes, and area entrepreneurs. Excellent shopping, dining, museums and services are at the edge of the development including Blackhawk Plaza as well as the many of options in nearby Danville, San Ramon and Alamo. Also close by is Behring Museum and a movie complex
Children in Blackhawk attend schools in the highly ranked San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Achievement test scores consistently rank in the top 10th percentiles among California schools. There is an association of Blackhawk children and they partake in a variety of games including soccer and baseball.
The Blackhawk Museum is one of the must see attractions in the area. Blackhawk Shopping San Ramon Valley Unified SchoolDistrict. For Contra Costa County School District Information For Contra Costa County School API Scores Information For Contra Costa County School SAT Scores Information For East Bay Regional Parks Information
Castro Valley is a friendly, peaceful unincorporated town, populated by about 60 thousand people. Castro Valley is located in the heart of the greater Bay Area of northern California.
Nestled in a quiet valley surrounded by tree covered rolling hills, Castro Valley residents, businesses, and visitors enjoy a rural atmosphere at the hub of California's cultural, economical and recreational heartland. Castro Valley boasts such natural amenities as an extensively developed park system, swimming lagoon, 315 acre lake, and a beautiful 18 hole golf course. Schools are top notch and the community is tight knit.
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Clayton is located just east of Concord at the base of Mt Diablo. A small, upscale town, Clayton feels spacious and country-like. A great town for equestrians, Clayton has lots of stables on its outskirts and there are many trails to be found.
Clayton is a family town where lots of professionals enjoy life. You’ll find both new homes as well as historic buildings in Clayton and the town are experiencing well designed growth.
With about 30 percent of its residents under the age of 18, Clayton has a lot to offer young families. The Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves the children and standardized testing scores rank in the top 25th percentile. All schools in the district have been recently renovated and there is a state university campus nearby in Concord.
Recreation is abundant in the area. Aside from hiking and equestrian trails, you will find a bowling alley, fitness club and the Oakhurst Country Club, which includes a swimming pool, restaurant, four tennis courts and a golf course. There is a waterslide park in Concord.
One of the lowest crime rates in the county, a quaint, historical feel, lots of recreation and many amenities all add up to making Clayton one of the county’s most desirable locations.
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Concord is in the north central part of Contra Costa County and is the county’s most populous city. Many first time buyers find Concord to be their city of choice as it offers a lot of affordable housing. A diverse city, Concord offers everything from historical homes to homes built around a lake to large, modern houses.
Concord has been rated by Zero Population Growth as the second best city in the state for raising children, due in part to its many activities targeted to the younger population. There are nineteen parks, 12 playgrounds and one of the best miniature golf courses on the West Coast. Plenty of soccer fields are in the area.
The Mt. Diablo Unified District serves children, which scores in the top 40th percentile in standardized testing. Schools have been recently renovated and were personally wired for high-tech in 1996 by President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. For those seeking advanced education, California State University Hayward has a satellite campus in Concord.
Commuters have it easy in Concord as many are employed right in their hometown. Bank of America is a major employer and there are many other large employers including Sam’s Club, Home Depot and several quality hotels. West of Concord you will find SunValley shopping mall. Those seeking to work outside of the city limits will find a BART station in downtown as well as two freeways and plenty of buses. There is an airport just outside the city limits.
Concord Pavilion has been expanded and offers first class entertainment from country and rock to jazz, pop and classical music. After the concert, enjoy any one of a number of great local restaurants or stroll the downtown. Concord offers something for everyone.
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For over 130 years, Danville's history has been one of change and growth. Often referred to as the "Heart of the San Ramon Valley.
Our Community with a population of approximately 43,250, Danville is known for its small-town atmosphere and its outstanding quality of life.
Danville's weather boasts nearly 300 days of sunshine every year. A great place for weddings, birthday parties, and special celebrations and with a small-town atmosphere. This coming summer enjoy our Music in the park concert series. OR, bring the whole family to enjoy Arts on the Green. Just click on the link below to check the calendar for the upcoming events. Click Here For More Community Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School District Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School API Scores Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School SAT Scores Information Click Here For East Bay Regional Parks Information
Diablo is a small community nestled in the hills between Danville and Blackhawk in Contra Costa County. Home to approximately 1200 residents, Diablo is an area of mostly estate homes with the Diablo County Club and golf course as it’s most prominent landmark.
As the residents here treasure the history of the area almost as much as the winding, tree-lined streets, a brief overview of the area’s past is in order here. As far back as 1876, the railroad’s “Big Four:” Collis Huntington, Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins owned the country club area. It passed from owner to owner until, in 1889, it became known as “Oakwood Park Stock Farm.” In 1913, a young farm manager turned real estate speculator and developer, headed a group which bought it for $150,000. The young man, Robert N. Burgess was Danville-raised and had a grand idea for the property. He would lure the rich among the hundreds of thousands coming to see the Panama-Pacific International Exposition that would open in San Francisco in eighteen months. Burgess bought the land abutting the northeasterly border of his Oakwood Park Stock Farm all the way to the top of Mount Diablo. He needed better transportation to get his prospects from Oakland and San Francisco. In 1914, he persuaded friends on the board of the new Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railway to extend its line to Diablo. He then convinced another friend, the president of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, to string his company’s line to the clubhouse he had made of the Billiard Hall and to the home sites he was offering for sale. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company also extended its 4,000-volt line the three miles from Danville. Burgess was then on his way. He began selling building sites and, by 1916, Diablo consisted of 14 occupied homes. In this year, a post office opened and the area was officially named “Diablo.” The golf course opened with nine holes and, a year later guests played the full eighteen Today, Diablo is still unincorporated but a self-sufficient and thriving community. It has grown from a fashionable summer resort to an area of suburban homes showing permanence with gardens matured by years of loving care, and a family club full of tradition. Click Here For San Ramon Valley Unified School District Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School API Scores Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School SAT Scores Information Click Here For East Bay Regional Parks Information
Dublin enjoys an enviable location at the intersection of Interstates 580 and 680 - two major interstate highways that connect points throughout the Bay Area. Dublin is a community that is growing in size and diversity, and we have something to offer anyone who wants to make Dublin their home!
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Hayward is almost synonymous with diversity. Whatever you are looking for, whatever your ethnic, political, economic, spiritual, educational or cultural background, you will find your niche here. Hayward is ideally situated in the heart of Alameda County with excellent freeway access to Bay Area markets. Hayward lies just twenty-five miles south of San Francisco by way of highways 101 and 92; fourteen miles south of Oakland by way of Interstates 880 and 580; and twenty-six miles north of San Jose by Interstate 880. The city encompasses 61 square miles ranging from the shore of the Bay eastward to the southern Oakland-Berkeley Hills. Additionally, Hayward's central location is easily accessible to more than 3.5 million persons residing within a thirty-mile radius of the city.
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Lafayette is considered one the East Bay’s best addresses. Offering an upscale lifestyle and a quality living environment, Lafayette is unquestionably a great place to live.
Good planning in Lafayette has allowed the town to grow effectively. There is a mix of apartments and condos, as well as single-family homes and many custom homes. Whether you are looking for something small or something opulent, you can find it here.
Schools in Lafayette are excellent with rankings among the top in the state. Quality academic programs are important to the families in Lafayette and it shows. Acalanes High School boasts graduates with admission to schools like Harvard and Yale.
Higher education opportunities are also available in and near Lafayette. St. Mary’s College and UC Berkeley are both close with all of the culture and sports they have to offer. For other recreational activities, there is the Lafayette Reservoir and a nearby regional park
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Livermore is the epitome of California living with its urban amenities and relaxed lifestyle. Surrounded by vineyards and golden hillsides, yet less than an hour from San Francisco - Livermore is ideally located for trips to the mountains or the ocean. Great hospitality, community spirit, and a sense of history with a tendency towards the futuristic - this is the image of California and an essential part of Livermore's appeal. For much of its history, Livermore has been an agricultural community. Vineyards and ranches continue within and around the city today.
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Martinez is the Contra Costa County seat. The town extends from the Carquinez Strait to Pleasant Hill.
Often noted for its industry, Martinez is much more than an industrial town. It is a lovely residential community with some very opulent homes. While oil and industry do employ some of the residents of Martinez, the biggest employers in this area are government and institutions. Major employers include the sheriff’s department, Merrithew Memorial Hospital. Kaiser, the local college district and the Veteran’s Clinic.
Martinez is interesting in that it really has two sections: a historic old town and a newer, suburban area. Both offer their own benefits and charm. Old Town, north of the Santa Fe railroad trestle, has a historic charm that many find appealing. The Main Street is lined with brick and the sidewalks are graced with old-time streetlights.
The newer section of Martinez is located south of the trestle (or Highway 4) and consists of homes built after 1950. Here you’ll find not only more than 10,000 homes but also two shopping centers, a movie complex and large discount stores.
The Martinez School District serves the children of the area and provides them with the ability to score quite high in standardized testing. College Park High School scores well into the 90th percentile. Elementary and junior high rankings come in way above the 50th percentile.
Recreational activities abound in Martinez. There are over e dozen parks as well as fishing, boating, soccer, cycling and jogging along the shore, baseball, movies, softball hiking, football and swimming. There is an annual art exhibit and many other cultural opportunities. The Martinez Museum offers photos and memorabilia. There is also a Shell museum and senior center.
Weather in Martinez is perpetually temperate, even in the summer. Breezes from the Carquinez Strait keep it so. Foghorns signal the arrival of winter fog.
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Moraga is a secluded bedroom town in the southwestern part of Contra Costa County about 18 miles east of San Francisco. It is considered one of the more prestigious cities in the county. With scenic trails that wind through gently rolling hills it is a lovely place to stroll on a summer evening or weekend.
Featuring upscale homes on tree-lined streets, Moraga boasts an easy country feel. Residents feel strongly about limiting growth in their area and protect their rural atmosphere vigorously. Close to freeways and BART stations, yet far enough away to be “hidden” Moraga is perfect for those who want convenience and open space. Right in the center of town, you’ll find a 20-acre part where there are summer concerts. Also on the edge of town there is a redwood grove where you’ll find remnants of California’s old growth redwoods.
Moraga is known for being one of the safest communities in the State. There have been relatively few major crimes in this area. Roads into town are well monitored and Moraga boasts its own police force, which is intent on keeping the town’s excellent reputation.
Another things that Moraga is known for is its excellent school system. Students in the area score very high on standardized testing and many of them end up in the best colleges. Parents are happy to support their schools through bonds and parcel taxes
Brief History Moraga is named for Joaquin Moraga, the grandson of Joseph Joaquin Moraga who was second in command of the Anza expedition of 1776, the founder of San Francisco, Mission Dolores and the founder and first commandant of the Presidio. Joaquin Moraga, who also served in the military with his father Gabriel Moraga at the Presidio of San Francisco, left the Army in 1819. He and his cousin, Juan Bernal, received a 13,316-acre land grant from the Mexican government in 1835.
The original land grant, known as Rancho Laguna De Los Palos Colorados (Ranch Of The Lake Of The Redwoods), included parts of Orinda and Lafayette and the communities of Canyon, Redwood, Rheem, and Moraga.
Joaquin Moraga built an adobe on a hill overlooking the Moraga Valley in 1841. The adobe still stands on a knoll in Orinda above Miramonte High School with a tree-lined driveway going up to the house. It was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1954. It is probably the oldest existing building in Contra Costa County.
By 1912, most of the area was purchased by James Irvine. He started the Moraga Land Company. It was during this period that the Moraga Company headquarters was established next to what now is The Moraga Shopping Center.
Much of the early real estate development for the Moraga Company was in what today is Orinda. Moraga extended to and included The Crossroads. Some of the developments along Moraga Way were Moraga Oaks and Encinas De Moraga. In 1927, The Moraga Company offered 100 acres free to Santa Mary’s College. They felt a college would bring culture and people to a very barren area and help the Moraga Company sell homes. St. Mary's College accepted the offer and bought an additional 300 acres.
Most of the homes, roads, and businesses in present day Moraga were built since 1960. For many years, The Rancho was owned by a single person and used for farming, agriculture and cattle grazing. Only 20 farm families remained on The Rancho for many years.
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Orinda is probably the most prestigious town in Contra Costa County. Located on the east side of the Oakland/Berkeley hills, Orinda is a semi-rural valley that offers a serene setting in contrast to the more urban existence of the surrounding area.
Orinda is situated immediately east of the Caldecott Tunnel on Highway 24 and offers one of the best commutes in the area. There is a BART station in the downtown, very near the freeway. Schools in Orinda are well supported by the community, which recently approved a bond to renovate and a parcel tax to avoid cutting programs and personnel.
High school seniors can take advantage of higher education right on their doorstep at UC Berkeley, although many seem to enjoy traveling a bit and attending UC Davis.
UC Berkeley, however, offers many cultural activities to the area and also has high level sporting events. Other recreational activities in Orinda include Tilden Regional Park with trails, lake golf course and botanical garden and two reservoir parks within a short drive. The Community Center sponsors lots of activities for young and old alike. In addition, there are many clubs and a lively society scene.
Orinda also sponsors a Shakespeare Festival and a popular Independence Day celebration. Orinda has approximately 6600 homes, most of which are single family. There is very little new construction in the area, with the exception of a new area f luxury homes around the golf course. Orinda watches its development and works to keep the area serene. Click Here For More Community Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School District Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School API Scores Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School SAT Scores Information Click Here For East Bay Regional Parks Information
The area that is now the City of Pleasant Hill grew from farmland into a bedroom community during World War II. Residents voted to incorporate in 1961.
Early on, community leaders expressed concerns about the deteriorated condition of many properties developed decades before around the intersection of Contra Costa Boulevard and Monument Boulevard, two main roadways through the community.
At the same time, it was envisioned that this central area could be transformed into a focal point of community identity, providing a gathering place for residents and strengthening the community’s “sense of place.”
The early 1970’s, the City explored various ways to achieve its vision and, in 1974, adopted the Pleasant Hill Commons Redevelopment Plan for the area, as authorized by the state Community Redevelopment Law.
The Redevelopment Plan provided a framework for future decisions about the type and amount of new development to be allowed, put into place the administrative powers needed to implement the plan, and established the financial resource of property tax increment revenue to fund public improvements and subsidize private sector redevelopment efforts.
The goals of the Redevelopment Plan were strongly supported by the citizens of Pleasant Hill. However, it would be nearly twenty-five years before a new downtown, fulfilling these dreams, would be born.
The first design concepts prepared for the 129-acre redevelopment project area were for a suburban, low-rise, campus-style development of offices and retail uses interspersed with large green spaces, encircling a central lake.
However, with little property tax increment revenue in the early years, the City Council, sitting as the Redevelopment Agency, was unable to financially support such large-scale projects. As a result, for a number of years only smaller, individual redevelopment projects were undertaken, around the edges of the redevelopment project area, while the 33-acre core area was reserved for the “dream” project.
In the early 1980’s, with easy money from the deregulated Savings & Loan industry, many developers wanted to build high-rise hotels and office buildings, and many community residents believed that such high intensity development of the core area would be necessary to fund the high costs of redevelopment. One large floorplate, six-story office building was approved and constructed in the core area.
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Pleasanton, the jewel of the Amador Valley, is located in the eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our geographic location has been one of the major factors in shaping our past and will continue to shape our future.
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Eagle Ridge a part of Rossmoor, an active adult community, located in the Tice Valley area of Walnut Creek, California.
Consisting of 235 condominiums, Eagle Ridge (Mutual 68) lies on the eastern ridge of the valley in the shadow of Mt. Diablo.
This site is for the residents of Eagle Ridge. A place where they can get neighborhood news, check for upcoming events, view pictures of past events, read past copies of our newsletter, etc. Basically it's a meeting place on the Internet.
Please enjoy this website. If you see anything wrong, want to make corrections or just want to comment on something please contact Vickie Hipkiss, your friendly, neighborhood webmaster
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Today San Ramon is a dynamic young city, one of California's outstanding urban villages. It has a variety of homes, parks and stores and a major employment center --- all in a setting of remarkable beauty.
It was once home to the Seunen Indians, Ohlone/Costanoans who lived adjacent to the valley creeks. After 1797 it was Mission San Jose grazing land; later it included Jose Maria Amador's 16,000 plus acre Rancho San Ramon. San Ramon Creek was named after an Indian vaquero, Ramon, who tended mission sheep here. In an 1855 land title case, Don Amador explained that "San" was added to the creek's name to conform to Spanish custom.
American settlers first came to San Ramon in 1850 when Leo and Mary Jane Norris purchased 4,450 acres of land from Amador. Other early landowners were William Lynch, James Dougherty, and Major Samuel Russell. In 1852 Joel and Minerva Harlan bought land from Norris and built a house on what became the Alameda-Contra Costa County line in 1853.
Many of San Ramon's founding families are remembered today because their names grace various canyons, hills and streets. Some of these pioneers were Norris, Lynch, Harlan, McCamley, Crow, Bollinger, Meese, Glass, and Wiedemann. Both the Harlan home (1858) at 19251 San Ramon Valley Blvd. and the Wiedemann home (1865) near Norris Canyon still stand in their original locations. The Glass House (1877) has been moved to Forest Home Farms.
San Ramon had several names in the nineteenth century. It was called Brevensville (for blacksmith Eli Breven), Lynchville (for William Lynch) and Limerick (for the many Irish settlers). The first village developed at the intersection of today's Deerfield Road and San Ramon Valley Blvd. In 1873 when a permanent post office was finally established, it was called San Ramon.
During the 1860s the village became a hub of community activity. In 1864 a stage line established by Brown and Co. ran from San Ramon through the valley to Oakland. A church was dedicated in 1860, the general store was built in 1863 and students left their home-based classrooms to attend the San Ramon Grammar School beginning in 1867. Saloons, a jail, Chinese washhouses and blacksmith shops lined County Road No. 2 (later San Ramon Valley Blvd.). With the arrival of the San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific in 1891, other changes took place. The name "San Ramon" permanently replaced references to "Limerick." Crops and passengers could travel in and out of the area, no matter what the weather.
Until 1909 San Ramon was the terminus for the line and boasted a two-story depot, the engine house and a turnaround for the locomotive.
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Sunol is a rural community of 900 to 1200 people located in Alameda County between the south San Francisco Bay and the Livermore Valley. The total land area designated as Sunol encompasses 86 square miles - about the same size as the city of San Francisco.
The area now know as Sunol was originally settled by the Ohlone tribe about 5000 years ago. The Ohlone lived in small villages with well defined territorial boundaries. Their culture was highly developed and stable in this plentiful land teeming with wildlife and other resources. A bountiful yield of plant and animal foods was ensured by careful management of the land. Controlled burning of extensive areas was carried out each fall to promote the growth of seed-bearing annual plants as well as to increase the grazing areas for deer, elk and antelope. Acorns from the many oaks were a staple plant food. When the Mission San Jose was established by the Spanish, the Ohlone population fell from about 10,000 to 2,000 within 60 years, mostly as a result of contracting European diseases.
In the mid 1800's, Antonio Maria Sunol and Maria Bernal Sunol gained ownership of 14,000 acres of Rancho El Valle de San Jose. One of their sons (also with the name Antonio Maria Sunol) build a complex of ranching support buildings near the present-day Sunol Water Temple. A larger community was created as disappointed gold miners settled as farmers.
This brief history is only glimpse into the essence of Sunol. It doesn't explain why there are bed races, how a community theatre group flourishes, or who would have a dog for a mayor. If you are interested in learning more, A Place Called Sunol is good starting point, or simply strike up a conversation in the Olde Townhouse Cafe.
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Walnut Creek was first known as "The Corners" -- where the two roads leading from Pacheco and Lafayette converged. Today those "corners" are at the intersection of Mt. Diablo Boulevard and North Main Street. The area's first settler was William Slusher, a squatter who built the first roofed abode on the bank of what was then known as "Nuts Creek" in 1849 (in the area of Liberty Bell Plaza).
In 1855, Milo Hough of Lafayette decided to develop The Corners and built a hotel called the "Walnut Creek House." A blacksmith shop and a store were soon built nearby. A year later, Hiram Penniman (who would later build the ranch house now used as the Shadelands Ranch Historical Museum) laid out the first town site and realigned what is now Main Street.
Growth in Walnut Creek accelerated with the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1891. By March 1913, regular passenger and freight service was operating between Walnut Creek and Oakland. The popularity of train travel waned quickly, however, and as a result, regular commuter railroad service ended in 1934.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, approved by Bay Area voters in1962, returned train travel to Walnut Creek, where a BART station was established at Ygnacio Valley Road and Interstate 680 in 1973. The block of 146 small, post-World War II houses to the north of the BART station was gradually converted for mid-rise office buildings and became known as the "Golden Triangle. Click Here For More Community Information Click Here Walnut Creek School District Click Here For Acalanes Union High School District Click Here For Contra Costa County School District Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School API Scores Information Click Here For Contra Costa County School SAT Scores Information Click Here For East Bay Regional Parks Information
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