Emeryville

Occupying the eastern part of the former industrial city of Emeryville is the mixed-use urban center of Emeryville North. One thing that makes this East Bay neighborhood unique is its converted warehouses, which offer trendy housing options while also celebrating the neighborhood's industrial past. “A lot of people like Emeryville because it has a lot of warehouse-to-loft units,” says Thomas Garabedian-Cone, a Realtor at Red Oak Realty. Garabedian-Cone has been selling homes in the Bay Area since 2017. Emeryville North is less than 4 miles from the San Francisco Bay’s eastern shore and Bay Bridge, giving residents easy access to San Francisco. Most amenities are also within reach since parks, shops and restaurants flood the streets. The 2.1-acre Doyle Hollis Park is centrally located and offers residents access to a waterslide, picnic tables, lawn space and a playground. Hollis Green Park is also popular. It sits near Temescal Creek’s underground footpath and has a large lawn space and stage. Emeryville Greenway Park is located in the center of East Bay. It was once the home of a railroad spur, but today, it functions as a bicycle and walking trail. The trail runs from Berkeley’s 9th Street Bike Boulevard to Emeryville’s Horton Street Bike Boulevard and connects to other bike paths in Oakland. The Bay is also a big part of life in Emeryville North, making McLaughlin Eastshore State Park a popular destination. This mixed recreational facility and conservation ground spans 8.5 miles along the East Bay shoreline. It is less than 3 miles away. Emeryville North is densely populated, making small townhouses, condominiums and lofts the most popular housing options. One- to two-bedroom units start around $400,000 and can sell for over $1 million. Single-family and multi-family houses are available but don’t stay on the market long. “For Condos, when there are several units in the same style, they move slower. But when you get a single-family house, they sell quickly because they are rare,” Garabedian-Cone says. Single-family four-square and craftsman-style homes sell for between $700,000 and $1 million. Contemporary multi-family units with up to nine bedrooms sell for between $800,000 and $2 million. Emeryville North offers year-round local events, including an annual art exhibition in the fall, movie nights at Doyle Hollis Park in the summer, 5K runs and seasonal festivals. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is in nearby Vallejo, and the Hurricane Harbor waterpark is in Concord. Bay Street Emeryville shopping center is a popular retail and dining destination with over 65 businesses, including H&M and Shake Shack. Powell Street Plaza shopping center is across the street and has a Trader Joe’s, Bath & Body Works, and more. Dozens more shops and restaurants dot the streets, giving residents access to diverse goods and cuisines. Emeryville is home to major corporations, and the Pixar Animation Studio is just south of town, offering residents ample employment opportunities. The major employment hubs of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose are also within commuting distance. Kids may attend schools in the Emery Unified School District. They can begin their education at Anna Yates Elementary School, which serves kindergarten through eighth-grade students. It received a C grade on Niche. They can continue their schooling at Emery High School, which boasts a 12-to-1 student-teacher ratio and was graded a B-minus on Niche. There are also several private school options, including Pacific Rim International School. Pacific Rim serves as a daycare for infants and a school for prekindergarten through 12th-grade students and offers a bilingual and Montessori-based curriculum. California State University has an East Bay campus in Alameda County, and the iconic University of California, Berkeley, is less than 3 miles away. U.S. Interstate Highways 580 and 80 sit just outside the neighborhood. I-80 connects to the Bay Bridge, making it easy to travel into San Francisco. Amtrak has an Emeryville Station connecting to the entire West Coast. The Emery Go Round shuttle bus also runs to nearby Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations. Alameda-Contra Costa County Transit bus stops are along Horton Street. Emeryville North is close to two major international airports. Oakland International Airport is 14 miles south, and San Francisco International Airport is about 22 miles away.

Every morning, residents of Watergate wake up to the sound of the tide from the San Francisco Bay hitting the sides of docks and shores, boats turning the engine to head out on the water. With premium dining and shopping, access to fantastic schools and plenty of waterside parks, it’s a great place to settle for those who want to live bayside. This condominium community is situated on the Emeryville Peninsula, only 4 miles southwest of downtown Berkley. Watergate’s recreational-residential space is a world of low-rise condominiums. A bird’s eye view will reveal the many carefully interlinked buildings that make up the Watergate community, spreading over 26 acres of manicured grounds. Originally built as apartments, the units of Watergate were converted into condos by 1979, and they’ve been meticulously maintained since then. The condominium complex is a one-stop shop for amenities, offering its residents the luxury of a gym and recreation center, pools and saunas, 24-hour security – and the list goes on. Of course, half the appeal is that the housing is directly on the water, the property built upon the peninsula. Residents get a daily view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the rolling rise of distant hills and mountains. The median selling price for a one-bedroom condo in Watergate is $440,000, while two-bedroom units spike up to $645,000. Many public institutions are served by the Berkley Unified School District, though some fall under the Emery Unified School District. There are several schools that children may attend in the area, so choices are plentiful. If following the Berkeley pipeline, they may start at Berkeley Arts Magnet Elementary, referred to as BAM. Touting an overall A grade from Niche, BAM provides cross-disciplinary education, believing that a blend of both rigorous academics and access to art expression is the key to well-rounded learning. Students move on to Martin Luther King Jr. Middle, which takes home yet another A from Niche and is placed in the top percentile for middle schools within California. They provide a newcomer program for children arriving from other countries or learning English as a second language. The final step of primary education may happen at Berkley High, graded with an impressive A-plus by Niche. A genuine effort to close the achievement gap between the diverse student population began in 2000. Berkeley High stays committed to providing all students with a full range of progressive academics and rigorous college prep. Watergate is bordered by the major artery of Interstate 80, making car travel quick and simple. The neighboring area of Emeryville has an Amtrak station that has transfer hubs to San Francisco, and there are several lines of the AC Transit bus you can hop on. Watergate has a substantial commercial center covering bases from shopping for clothes to stopping for a movie. With big names such as IKEA and Trader Joe’s next to international hotel chains and medical centers, everything you may need for daily life or a weekend out is right within the neighborhood. Residents also have access to several locally owned restaurants, from the freshly sourced seafood and dim sum offerings at Hong Kong East Ocean to the Indonesian rack-of-lamb that’s smoked in Chinese wood-fired ovens at the fusion eatery of Trader Vic’s. Watergate’s position on the Emeryville Peninsula means close and personal interaction with the San Francisco Bay, and the parks for the neighborhood guarantee you’re never without a stunning view. Take the kids over to the sandy grounds of the Davenport Park Playground or jog along the paved Marina Park Pathway that winds around nearly the entirety of the peninsula. The Emery Cove Yacht Harbor and Emeryville Marina are constantly busy with enthusiastic boat lovers, and the marina offers trips out to catch fish and crabs. The Watergate residency provides a wealth of other amenities to keep you busy, from tennis courts to in-ground swimming pools. For bayside living with all the built-in convenience, check out Watergate.

Pacific Park Plaza is a 30-story, 700-unit residential building in Emeryville, overlooking the bay. Standing at a towering 318 feet, it's the tallest building in the Bay Area outside central San Francisco and Oakland. It towers over every building for miles, offering some of the best views in town. Buyers pay a $600 monthly HOA fee to live in one of the most sought-after spots in Emeryville. “I call it the prestigious Pacific Park Plaza. We get a lot of east coasters because it’s a high-rise that feels less Californian, with the doorman and extra facilities,” says Robin Leineke, Realtor at JTS Realty and 20-year local. Under Pacific Park Plaza's HOA agreement, residents can enjoy building amenities, including the heated pool and spa, tennis courts, a fitness center and a lounge. Pacific Park Plaza condos start around $350,000, which buys a 600-square-foot one-bedroom. Buyers with a $500,000 budget may get an extra 100 square feet and water views, while $700,000 or more affords a second bedroom and newer renovations. Most Pacific Park Plaza listings find new owners within a month on the market. “We’re in a real estate bubble because it’s a Bay Area. There’s so much growth here,” Leineke says. Kids living in Pacific Park Plaza can attend school within the Emery Unified District. Many begin at Anna Yates School, where they stick around through 8th grade. Rising students continue to Emery High to wrap up their studies. Each school has an overall C score or better on Niche, and each is walkable for many locals. The district is known for its economic and racial diversity, and 70% of students receive a free or reduced lunch. Several charter and private schools are nearby for buyers interested in exploring alternative education options. Emeryville is full of pocket parks and shoreline activities. Christie Park is one of the closest outdoor escapes for Pacific Park Plaza residents, steps away from home. The small spread houses a playground and a paved loop often filled with dog walkers. Doyle Hollis Park is also a few blocks away – a larger space where the kids can stretch their legs and locals gather for gatherings. Many homeowners walk 15 minutes toward the bay to visit Shorebird Park to walk along the sandy beach. “Everything is inland - when you're on the water, it feels like a completely different world. It’s nothing like Oakland or Berkeley,” Leineke says. There’s a lot to see and do in this commercial-dense area. “We have outdoor shopping, indoor shopping, cafes, bars and restaurants,” Leineke says. Public Market is a local food hall and a one-stop shop for meals, shopping and events. The community hot spot has an extensive directory of restaurants serving global fare, from ramen to soul food and Indian cuisine. Crowds funnel in on the weekend for live music and on Tuesdays for trivia. Visitors can order ahead to eat in the industrial hall or to pick up food to go. Homeowners can also peruse Bay Street's shops in their free time. The retail enclave houses name-brand clothing stores like Urban Outfitters and Levi's, located around the corner from IKEA, Target and other shopping centers. Trader Joe's is also nearby, a popular grocer among other local favorites like Berkeley Bowl. There's a lot to explore in this culinarily rich area. Doyle Street Café is the go-to for a casual, hearty breakfast, and Los Moles is known for its variations on its namesake sauce, served buffet-style. The Pixar headquarters is in town, the region's top employer, feeding a creative environment. Several colleges are within about 15 minutes of town, including the University of California- Berkeley. “The accessibility is outstanding, we're one exit off the freeway,” Leineke says. With excellent transit options, Pacific Park Plaza's location is conducive to car-free lifestyles. Residents here can take the Emery Go-Round, a last-minute, fare-free shuttle service around the city. The AC Transit direct bus service connects locals to San Francisco, downtown Berkeley and West Oakland. The nearby Capitol Corridor provides commuter train service to Sacramento, San Jose and everywhere in between. Residents can also find a Bike Share Fleet for a vehicle-free ride around town.

Also locally known as "Star Intersection" or "South Point," The Triangle is an evolving community 3 miles north of central Oakland, within the larger Emeryville area, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. It's a storied neighborhood, where abandoned buildings splashed with wall-to-wall graffiti and timeworn motels sit catty-corner from punchy million-dollar Victorians and cozy bungalows. Several eras of political and economic instability have shaped this enclave into the quirky place it is today. Nowadays, homeowners embrace a diverse residential landscape, informed by historical upheaval, progressive local stakeholders and positive change. The Emeryville Historical Society website markets itself as "The Little City that Could." An architectural and economic dichotomy is evident in The Triangle's mixed residential landscape, featuring contemporary cottages and prairie-styles on busy streets that open to large condo and apartment buildings. Market trends highlight the community's influx of upscale listings, selling well into the $800,000 and $900,000 range. San Pablo Avenue and several busy intersecting streets lodge expansive affordable housing complexes reserved for families whose income is at or below the area's median. The city invested tens of millions in the early 2020s in ongoing efforts to address regional displacement and homelessness. The results are a blended community, packed in tight within this northern slice of town. "It's a crazy market – premium properties are taking longer to sell as more people are spending money on the lower priced spots," says Robin Leineke, Realtor at JTS Realty and 20-year local. Kids living in The Triangle can attend school within the Emery Unified District. Many start learning at Anna Yates School, where most stick around through 8th grade. Rising students continue to Emery High to wrap up their studies. The high school is known for its powerhouse athletics, consistently making volleyball and cross-country championship appearances. Each school has an overall C score or better on Niche, and each is walkable for many locals. The district is known for its economic and racial diversity, and 70% of students receive a free or reduced lunch. After school, the kids hang out at Joseph Emery Skate Spot to unwind on the halfpipe. Dog walkers circle Dover Street Park's grassy grounds, and younger kiddos can let loose at the Temescal Creek Playground. Bushrod Park is also nearby, one of the largest in the area. Residents visit for youth sports at the soccer and baseball fields. Lots of folks also gather here on Tuesdays for informal pickleball matches. There are plenty of walkable shopping and dining destinations in and around The Triangle. "A lot of people think they don't know where it is until you tell them what's there, like IKEA," Leineke says. Residents can head west toward the bay to visit big box stores like Target and Home Depot or Bay Street's extensive, Main Street-style shopping strip. Residents can also peruse the East Bay Bridge Shopping Mall stores in their free time. Trader Joe's, Safeway and Berkley Bowl are within minutes of town for weekly grocery shops. With an abundance of retail comes a wide selection of dining options. San Pablo Avenue houses a dynamic collection of restaurants featuring flavorful fare across several cultures. Locals can dine on Ethiopian eats at Café Colucci, traditional Mexican dishes at Cassave and Lebanese meals at Wally's Café. Wolfhound Bar is the hot spot for late-night drinks and jukebox jams. The Triangle's proximity to San Fransisco, the Bay Bridge, Silicon Valley and the University of California, Berkley, puts residents in an excellent location for business travel. Pinned between the region's major metros, Berkley and Oakland, this economic engine is home to power players like Pixar Animation Studios and a growing number of software and tech companies. Lots of residents travel on foot to work, and BART buses make stops along all major roads, helping locals who live a car-free lifestyle.

A small slice of the greater city of Emeryville, Emerybay Village sits right in the heart of the Bay Area. With sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge, Emerybay Villages provides a suburban lifestyle against the backdrop of a populous, bustling city. With a diverse housing stock, Emerybay Village provides options for homeowners of all sizes. The headquarters of Pixar Studios, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Clif Bar and several well-known technology and software companies, Emerybay Village residents not only don't have to go far for work but could be neighbors with extremely creative people. Emerybay Village is sandwiched between Berkeley and Oakland. Emerybay Village's streets feature single-family homes built in the early 1900s, warehouse lofts, condominiums, and new construction residences. No matter what kind of residence locals live in, they can enjoy sidewalk residential streets with large, coast live oak trees providing shade. The city has an ongoing street tree planning project to beautify the area even more, absorb air pollution and lower summer temperatures. Strolling through Emerybay Village, you'll notice most residents who live in single-family homes park on the street, while the occasional home has a two-car garage. Single-family homes built over a century ago feature the styles of quaint bungalows with large front windows and Victorian row homes. There are also studio loft apartments and traditional condominiums for sale. Most of Emerybay Village's new construction is in the Temescal Village Estates section of the neighborhood. Temescal Village features Craftsman-styled homes with fireplaces, leaded glass windows and Wedgewood stoves. Most properties are priced between $350,000 and $700,000; however there are some outliers in the millions, like a three-bedroom, two-bath Victorian home for $1.25 million and a former industrial factory turned into a two-bedroom loft condo for $1.9 million. The Emery Unified School District serves the neighborhood. Local children can first attend the Anna Yates Elementary School, which has an overall C rating from Niche. Students then can attend Emery High School, located on the same campus as the elementary school. With an overall B-minus rating from Niche, Emery High offers after-school tutoring and a learning center. At the learning center, students can receive additional academic support for classwork or projects and or take exams in a small setting. Emerybay Village is also home to the East Bay German International School, is a private dual-language immersion school teaching preschoolers through eighth graders. Emerybay Village residents can enjoy the great outdoors on land or in the water. At Temescal Creek Park Playground, little ones can run around on the playground while four-legged pals can hang out in the dog area. Near the high school is the Emeryville Center of Community Life Pool, where residents can swim laps, take swimming lessons or join the swim club. Dover Park, roughly 2 miles away, has a large meadow for play and an organic garden. Emerybay Village is about 3 miles from the Emeryville Marina Park where residents can set sail or get their steps in on the walking trail. Year-round community events are frequent, including an annual art exhibition, summer movie screenings and seasonal festivals. Emerybay Village has many small, locally owned eateries that are neighborhood favorites, like Wally's Cafe. This hole in wall spot serves authentic Lebanese dishes. Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe is another beloved local spot, serving retro comfort diner food. Safeway is the neighborhood grocery store for Emerybay Village residents. Less than 2 miles away at the Powell Street Plaza shopping mall, residents can grocery shop at Trader Joe's and shop for clothes at big name brands like Old Navy, J.Crew Factory and Banana Republic. There are even more clothing, cosmetic and shoe stores on Bay Street. While Pixar is the biggest employer in Emeryville and there are several other corporations that employ a lot of locals, residents can also easily commute into the nearby major employment centers of Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose. For getting around the San Francisco Bay Area, there's Interstate 580, which runs north to south, or Interstate 80, which connects to the Bay Bridge. There's also the Emeryville Amtrak Station, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) rail or the Alameda-Contra Costa County Transit bus system.