$1,789,176Average Value$1,059Average Price per Sq Ft2Homes For Sale
A thriving neighborhood
Less than two miles from downtown Berkeley is a neighborhood known as Northbrae. According to local and Compass Realtor Andrea Gordon, Northbrae is lively and full of activity. “It has always been a really popular neighborhood. It’s walkable and there are wonderful stores along Solano Avenue, Hopkins and Monterey,” she says. With its many local businesses, top-rated schools and more, Northbrae takes the best qualities of the Berkeley area and puts them together to form one charming neighborhood.
Hopkins Street is a smaller commercial center popular with walkers.
Solano Avenue is made up of mostly independent businesses.
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Pastries, produce and plants
Running along the northern edge of Northbrae is Solano Avenue, a bustling thoroughfare lined with shops and restaurants. Patrons can enjoy European-style goodies at the Lavender Bakery & Café. For groceries, Monterey Market offers sustainable produce, including seasonal fruits and veggies. Andronico’s Community Markets carries thousands of local and specialty products, many of them made right in the Bay Area. Berkeley Horticultural Nursery provides plenty of plant life to spruce up living spaces and gardens.
Andronico's in North Brae has amazing produce.
Lavender Bakery & Café provide European style pastries for the Northbrae neighborhood
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The parks of Northbrae
Northbrae residents need not venture far to find places to enjoy the outdoors. Live Oak Park includes courts for volleyball, basketball and tennis as well as an amphitheater. Jewel’s Terrace Park is a family-friendly park with specially sized playgrounds friendly for both small and big tots.
Northbrae children enjoy basketball at the Live Oak Park
Northbrae residence enjoy a casual game of tennis at Live Oak Park.
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Discovering Northbrae
There are plenty of things to do in and around Northbrae. All year, locals can visit the North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library to check out materials and attend events like clubs, workshops and movie screenings. During the warmer months, the Berkeley Rose Garden boasts dazzling floral displays. With its 1,500 rose bushes and 250 different varieties, the garden is considered by many to be the finest rose garden in this part of California.
The Oaks Theater is a landmark along Solano avenue.
Northbrae residence enjoy the fully bloom roses at the Berkeley Rose Garden.
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Houses selling quickly in Northbrae
“The housing market is incredible for sellers. Everybody wants to live there because it’s one of the most popular neighborhoods in Berkeley and it’s near schools, shops and fun things to do. It’s basically the heart of Berkeley,” Gordon says. Such is why homes here typically sell after about 11 days on the market. Housing styles one can expect to find in Northbrae include bungalows and Craftsmans, many of which were built in the early twentieth century. These homes sit on moderate to large lots shaded by tall, mature trees and separated by winding streets. Although there are occasionally outliers beyond this range, home prices typically run between $1.4 million to $2.2 million.
Winding streets and tall mature shade trees are hallmarks of Northbrea.
Varying design between neighboring homes help give Northbrea a distinctive look.
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Berkeley Unified School District
Students in the Northbrae area can attend schools in the Berkeley Unified School District. Thousand Oaks Elementary School earned an A-grade rating from Niche while Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School received an A-grade. Berkeley High School earned an A-plus rating and offers several rigorous academic programs, including Arts and Humanities Academy, linking students' interest in the arts to wider aspects of their educational experiences. The University of California – Berkeley is less than three miles away. With around 400 degree programs available, the college is ranked as the number-one public university worldwide by U.S. World News & Report.
Thousand Oaks Elementary serves the elementary aged students of Northbrea.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle offers tennis, a pool and track & field.
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Northbrae's roads then and now
Northbrae’s streets once served a different purpose. “A lot of pathways to the neighborhood were originally built as shortcuts to stops for the streetcar lines, which don’t exist anymore,” Gordon says. Today, Northbrae still has lots of ways to get around. It is served by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) through public bus transportation and its several streets are navigable on foot. Additionally, with Albany to the west and downtown Berkeley to the south, Northbrae has access to larger surrounding cities. Interstates 80 and 580 are significant highways that connect from Northbrae’s local streets to beyond the area.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Are you familiar with the Northbrae neighborhood?
to let others know what life in this neighborhood is like.
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Northbrae
US
Homicide
1
4
Sexual Assault
1
4
Assault with Weapon
1
4
Robbery
3
4
Burglary
3
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
2
4
Larceny
2
4
Crime Score
2
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Northbrae Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Northbrae, Berkeley sell after 13 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Northbrae, Berkeley over the last 12 months is $2,417,000, up 40% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
One story 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom Craftsman with permitted ADU studio & permitted detached bonus room! Nestled in the highly sought-after Northbrae neighborhood, this beautifully remodeled one story Craftsman sits proudly on a sunny corner lot just two blocks from Monterey Market and the vibrant shopping district filled with local shops, cafés, and eateries. Classic Craftsman details - welcoming
1296 Monterey Ave isn’t the kind of place you notice right away. It’s tucked back behind another house, almost like it wants to stay a little hidden. That’s part of the charm—once you find it, you feel like you’ve discovered a little retreat. A creek runs nearby, adding just enough of that calming background sound to remind you nature is close, even in the middle of Berkeley. The living room is
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
