A quiet Bay Area community with some nice parks
Fairview is a bedroom community just south of Castro Valley. The area offers a quiet residential environment with convenient access to shopping, dining and, importantly, Interstate 580. It's about equidistant to the tech hubs in San Francisco and San Jose, so many residents commute. “Fairview has a very relaxed atmosphere, but it’s still close to Oakland, San Francisco and other Bay Area cities,” says local Realtor Janella Anguiano of Century 21 Real Estate Alliance. “It’s known for having more open space than Hayward, and for its beautiful views of the surrounding hills.”
Midcentury and contemporary housing options
Housing in Fairview is mostly made up of midcentury ranch-style homes, along with pockets of two-story contemporary homes in the hillsides in the eastern part of the community. Modern townhouses can also be found in a few neighborhoods around town. The median single-family home price in Fairview is just over $1 million, with midcentury homes generally selling for considerably less than their contemporary counterparts. The Hayward Police Department oversees policing in Fairview, but does not release data on crime rates in Fairview specifically.
Swimming and Don Castro Reservoir
Fairview is home to some of the premier green spaces in the area, including the Don Castro Regional Recreation Area, which offers a large dog park and swimming at the Don Castro Reservoir. Five Canyons Open Space on the east side of Fairview and Green Belt Park to the south both offer miles of hiking trails and scenic hillside views. “The outdoor spaces are one of the big perks of living in Fairview,” says Anguiano. “A lot of residents can just walk from their house to the nearest trailhead and go for a hike.” Meanwhile, neighborhood parks like Lakeridge Park provide open green spaces, playgrounds and athletic fields. Like most of the Bay Area, the community has a relatively mild climate throughout the year, with warm summers and cool, rainy winters.
Retail and restaurants in neighboring Hayward
Although Fairview itself does not have a centralized commercial district, its location near Hayward and Castro Valley means residents have easy access to a ton of retail and dining. Most residents are within a mile of a major supermarket. Just west of Fairview, downtown Hayward is home to an array of local shops and restaurants, including a number of highly rated Japanese eateries. It’s also home to the local movie theater. Less than a mile to the north, central Castro Valley offers a similarly diverse selection of shops and restaurants.
Hayward Unified School District oversees the schools
Fairview is part of the Hayward Unified School District, which has a B-minus grade on Niche. California State University, East Bay, is located just south of Fairview and has an enrollment of around 14,000.
The Castro Valley Fall Festival
Fairview doesn’t have much of an event calendar, but residents regularly participate in festivals and events in Hayward and Castro Valley, most notably the Castro Valley Fall Festival, a two-day event with food, music and more events. The Castro Valley Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday morning in downtown Castro Valley, less than a mile north of Fairview.
Getting around via the I-580 and the BART
Transportation in Fairview primarily relies on personal vehicles, with major thoroughfares such as Interstate 580 and Mission Boulevard connecting the community to the broader Bay Area. It’s a 20-mile drive to Oakland and about 30 miles to San Francisco and San Jose, while Fremont is just 15 miles away. Public transportation is overseen by the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District; however, only a small portion of the neighborhood is within easy walking distance of a bus stop. Additionally, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system has stations in nearby Hayward and Castro Valley, which makes commuting to San Francisco and Oakland easier.
