Brentwood

Located 50 miles east of San Francisco, Shadow Lakes is a desirable, family-friendly community in Brentwood. The city of Brentwood started to populate as a more suburban area in the 1990s and early 2000s when people began moving to Brentwood and the Shadow Lakes neighborhood from San Francisco and Silicon Valley for more affordable housing. “The classic story is that a young couple gets married, buys a home in this area, starts a family and then the grandparents decide to move here,” says Brian Sharp, a Realtor with Sharp Realty with over 20 years of experience. “That’s why there’s also a lot of 55-plus communities here.” Aside from multi-generational housing offerings, residents also flock to Shadow Lakes for its proximity to one of the city’s popular golf clubs and its scenic residential placement, where both urban and suburban aesthetics are put on display. “People love the sight of Mount Diablo and the foothills to the west and the city lights of Brentwood across Highway 4 to the east,” Sharp says. The residential landscape in Shadow Lakes features softly winding streetscapes, often with backdrop views of Mount Diablo. The neighborhood’s well-kept and well-landscaped houses were built in the early 2000s and are typically priced between $650,000 and 1.2 million. The neighborhood has excellent walkability with paved sidewalks where residents can safely walk from one subdivision to the next. The residential streetscapes are also vibrant with greenery, with clusters of trees ranging from palms to pines and California bay laurels. The properties here are typically larger, featuring between 1,800 and 3,800 square feet of space and usually four to five bedrooms. The most common housing styles are traditional properties and contemporary homes, often with Spanish-style elements. “We generally call them California stucco boxes,” Sharp says, referring to the material used in the construction. Students can attend Loma Vista Elementary School, which receives a B-plus rating on Niche, followed by the A-minus-rated J. Douglas Adams Middle School. The A-rated Heritage High School features a state-of-the-art theater and a recording and broadcast studio. Highway 4 sits directly to the east for getting around and outside the city, while the Tri-Delta Transit operates bus routes in the Brentwood area with multiple stops along Balfour Road. Even though San Francisco is 60 miles away, the area is still a convenient hub for city commuters. “Most people here commute to the city,” Sharp says. “We benefitted when COVID began because the lean was to work remotely. That’s a trend that’s continued at least a few times a week.” With the traffic volume, it is important to note that this can often cause longer commuting times to downtown San Francisco. The Shadow Lakes Golf Club is one of the biggest recreational attractions in the neighborhood, which recently reopened after closing in 2018. The new course meanders through the neighborhood with 18 holes and is surrounded by residential houses. On the neighborhood's west side is the 6-acre Balfour-Guthrie Park, where residents can enjoy walking and biking paths along with basketball courts, a modern playground area and picnic tables for outdoor lunches. For smaller recreational offerings, the neighborhood’s half-acre Berkshire Park features a small playground and resting areas. Nearby, Lake Park provides an open green space, often populated by vibrant wildflowers, next to a small lake with an expansive hillside backdrop. There are some local dining and shopping options located within and just along the border of Shadow Lakes. Chill Coffee & Tea offers beverage varieties plus light eats in a relaxed, laid-back setting. This neighborhood joint is known to focus on community by hosting occasional open mic nights and frequently displaying artisan products from other local vendors. Across the street is the longstanding Digger’s Diner, which gets its name from one of the diner’s founders, who used to be a gravedigger. The eatery serves up classic American food within a retro-style interior space. On the neighborhood’s west side, near Balfour-Guthrie Park, is the contemporary designed Misaka Sushi for authentic sushi rolls and ramen, while next door, the popular Willy’s Bagels and Blends is the go-to spot for freshly baked bagel sandwiches and smoothies. When looking for grocery staples, residents can shop at the neighborhood’s McCauley Olive Groves gourmet grocery store or head a few miles east to the national chain Safeway located on Balfour Road. Residents can enjoy many community events a few miles away in downtown Brentwood. One of the biggest events of the year is Oktoberfest, with festive, family-friendly activities and a large selection of German pub fare and brews from local and international vendors. In the summer, locals come together for the Hometown Nights series, with an ice cream social, classic cars show and local vendor markets.

Creekside Park is a small suburb of Brentwood, one of the more rural regions in the East Bay, with vast farmland, vineyards and untouched landscapes. The area has grown exponentially over the past 20 years, with places like Creekside Park presenting a desirable option for those seeking an escape from the big city. “It’s become a bedroom community for people who work in downtown San Francisco or Silicon Valley,” says Kayla Drake, a realtor with eXp Realty of California who grew up in Brentwood. “The prices are more affordable, and over the last few years, there’s been an influx of people moving here.” Because of the area’s newer popularity for commuters, the city now holds Tech Meetups for remote tech workers, an added benefit for locals looking to stay linked with like-minded Brentwood residents. Among its many perks, Creekside Park’s appealing housing options and tree-lined residential setting offers relaxed, country-style living without being fully removed from the more urban side of the Bay. The neighborhood’s streetscapes are populated with oaks and palms and have nicely paved sidewalks flowing from one subdivision to the next. Primarily built in the 1990s and early 2000s, homes in Creekside Park are typically spaced close together and have well-landscaped lawns. Contemporary and traditional are the most common housing styles, with 1,500 to 3,000 square feet of space and often featuring a three-car attached garage. Housing prices range from $700,000 to $1.3 million. The highest-priced homes are typically in Orchard Trails, the neighborhood’s newest housing development, opened in late 2023. Homes here have at least four bedrooms and 3,000 square feet of space. Students may attend R. Paul Krey Elementary School, which gets an A-minus rating from Niche or the B-plus-rated Brentwood Elementary School. Because the community is growing, it’s not guaranteed that children will attend the school closest to their subdivision. The area’s Adams Middle School and Liberty High School are both rated an A-minus. The high school offers career and technical education pathway programs and a public art and design academy. Multiple Tri-Delta Transit public bus stops are located along Balfour Road. One line takes bus passengers to Antioch, a stop for the Bay Area Rapid Transit train line that heads into downtown San Francisco or Silicon Valley. While Balfour Road is a main thoroughfare for getting around the city, Highway 4 is located west of the neighborhood for commuting to big Bay Area hubs. The large Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center is about five miles west in nearby Antioch, while Oakland International Airport, 50 miles south, is the closest airport for both domestic and international flights. Creekside Park is the neighborhood's namesake. “It’s one of our most popular parks in the city and also one of our biggest,” says Amanda Chaney, a recreation supervisor for the City of Brentwood. Surrounded by mature trees, it spans 46 acres and has shaded playscapes, basketball courts and soccer fields. The site also features ample green space, biking and walking trails and a large disc golf course. Extending directly north from the park to the Big Break Regional Shoreline is the Marsh Creek Regional Trail. This 6.5-mile trail winds along Marsh Creek through area farmlands and is popular among walkers, bicyclists and runners. Orchard Park is another neighborhood park with a shaded playground, a basketball court and large open green spaces. Brentwood Golf Club is just west of Creekside Park in the foothills of Mount Diablo. It has an 18-hole course open to the public, but club membership is also available. To the east of the neighborhood is a vast farmland region with many produce farms like Pomeroy Farm Brentwood, where locals can pick their own fruit. Balfour Griffith Plaza is the neighborhood's one shopping center with a few shops and local eateries, including Chapala Mexican, known for its carnitas enchiladas and grande burritos. Next door is Teaspot, popular for its bubble tea and Vietnamese-inspired sandwiches. Balfour Village is a small nearby shopping center with a Safeway for groceries and local counter-service eateries like Dim Sum Basket. Sand Creek Crossing Shopping Center is a few miles north for big box stores like T.J. Maxx and Home Goods. Numerous Brentwood wineries are west of Creekside Park, including Hannah Nicole Vineyards, offering wine tastings and outdoor live music on weekends. Creekside Park is less than a few miles from downtown Brentwood for many community events throughout the year. The Hometown Nights series is in the summer, with an ice cream social, classic cars show and local vendor market. Oktoberfest, one of the biggest events of the year, features festive, family-friendly activities and a large selection of German pub fare and brews.