Pleasant Hill

College Park is a small suburban community within Pleasant Hill, a city that dubs itself “the Bay Area’s backyard.” The region is known for its overall park-like aesthetic with vast oak woodlands and open valley surroundings. “College Park is a quaint area,” says Lindsey Little, a Realtor with Keller Willams Realty who has sold in the area for 13 years. “While you may not get that small-town feel like the city of Martinez nearby, there is still plenty to do from heading downtown or enjoying one of the nearby parks.” Along with numerous outdoor recreational possibilities, from hiking and biking trails to golf courses, College Park draws in residents with its winding streetscapes, well-rated schools and family-oriented community. The neighborhood's softly curving streetscapes are lined with well-maintained sidewalks shaded by mature oak trees. Properties are often placed tightly together and feature compact front yards, garages and fenced-in backyards. A few subdivisions have larger homes that sit further back within more heavily wooded areas, while some subdivisions surround the Contra Costa County Club’s golf course. The most common housing styles include craftsmans, mid-century ranches, colonial revivals and Spanish-styles. Prices start at around $780,000 for a three-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot home and can go up to $1.6 million for a four-bedroom, 2,551-square-foot property. College Park also features contemporary townhouses ranging from $600,000 to $800,000 and condos priced from $300,000 for a small one-bedroom and up to $800,000 for a two-level townhouse-style condo with three bedrooms. Students can attend Valhalla Elementary School, which gets a B-plus rating from Niche or the B-minus-rated Gregory Gardens Elementary School. The school lineup continues with Valley View Middle School, rated at a B-plus followed by the A-minus-rated College Park High School. The high school offers special career elective courses in zoology, sports leadership and biotechnology. For higher education, Diablo Valley College has a campus in College Park. This community college offers associate degrees and certificates and serves over 28,000 students. Interstate 680 is located directly east of College Park, an auxiliary highway encompassing the area between San Francisco and San Jose. Numerous public bus stations are populated along Contra Costa Boulevard to the west of the neighborhood, while the Pleasant Hill BART Station is less than four miles west at the Contra Costa Centre. The closest airport for domestic and international flights is Oakland International Airport, about 30 miles south. The oak tree encompassed Paso Nogal Park is the largest park in the neighborhood. It features 63 acres of hiking and biking trails where deer and coyote sightings are common, along with rest stops that look out to open valley views. The park also includes a playground, baseball fields and an extensive fenced-in green space for dogs to play and run off-leash. College Park has other smaller recreational spaces, including the kid-friendly Shadowood Park, with a basketball court and playground. Frank Salfingere Park, which connects to the Pleasant Hill Community Center, features short walking trails, a central gazebo and vibrant garden displays. Located on a gentle, oak-shaded knoll is the popular Contra Costa Country Club. This private club offers an 18-hole golf course, a pool, clubhouse and bocce courts. A few miles west of College Park is the 6,117-acre Briones Regional Park, offering expansive hiking, biking and horseback riding trails within rolling grassy hills. College Park has a few shopping corridors, including Pleasant Hill Shopping Center, with service shops, a Safeway grocery store and big-box retailers such as Target and Home Goods. Sunvalley Shopping Center, along the western side of College Park, has even more offerings, with national chain stores like Macy’s Backstage and Nordstrom Rack, plus dining spots like BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. Close to Sunvalley is The Giant Chef, considered the city of Pleasant Hills' oldest diner, with classic American breakfast and lunch plates. Breakfast and brunch items with an Asian twist can be found at The Hangout, with popular items such as Thai basil chicken with sunny side eggs. College Park’s Starbread bakery on Contra Costa Boulevard serves up bread and pastries, while a few miles north in downtown, the upscale Crescent Bistro dishes out red wine braised short rib paired with specialty wines or craft cocktails. The neighborhood’s Pleasant Hill Community Center hosts some public events throughout the year, including a popular annual Super Holiday Boutique. It’s considered Central Contra Costa's largest holiday shopping experience, where locals can shop from various arts and craft vendors, home-based businesses and commercial retailers. Less than a few miles south, the city’s Pleasant Hill Park is home to numerous community events. The annual Pleasant Hill Blues and Brews Festival in July draws in crowds with live music, craft beer tastings and a kids' zone, while the annual Fourth of July Celebration brings the city together for a festive parade, 5K and Kids 100-Yard Dash event and a closing fireworks show.

Picturesque suburban streets and ample amenities are what you’ll find in the Fair Oaks neighborhood of Pleasant Hill, California. Situated 25 miles east of San Francisco, Fair Oaks offers residents an attractive balance of residential, commercial and green spaces. “People like this area because it’s a really convenient location to the downtown Pleasant Hill area, where there are lots of great restaurants, shops, theaters, parks… you name it,” says Jill Cherne, realtor with Keller Williams Realty, who grew up in the area and has been selling real estate there for over 18 years. Cruise along the leafy, tree-lined streets of Fair Oaks, and you’ll find a range of architectural styles, including ranch homes and spacious contemporary homes, perched on level lots that range between a quarter and a half-acre. Many of these lots boast neat, verdant landscaping, often featuring a range of succulents and other drought-resistant flora. Most properties feature paved driveways that lead to multi-car garages, with overflow parking available on the street. In Pleasant Hill, you can get a three-bedroom ranch home for around $750,000 or a three-bedroom contemporary home for around $1 million. “Inventory is fairly limited right now,” Cherne says. “It has been for a little while, but it won’t be like this forever. With interest rates and other factors, it’s always changing.” Residents attend school in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, which receives an overall grade of B-plus from Niche. These schools include Fair Oaks Elementary School, which receives a C-plus from Niche, Oak Grove Middle School, which receives a C-minus, and Ygnacio Valley High School, which earns a B-minus. Ygnacio Valley High has a robust International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which allows students to take advanced courses and earn college credit while still in high school. Fair Oaks is near many parks and natural spaces that make it easy and accessible to enjoy the outdoors. For fresh air and exercise, head to the Iron Horse Regional Trail, which borders the eastern edge of the neighborhood. The trail, which spans a total of 32 miles between the towns of Concord and Pleasanton, is popular for running, walking and biking. For a park with a playground, head to Pleasant Hill Park, located on Gregory Lane. This 16-acre park hosts many events throughout the year, such as the Pleasant Hill Brews and Blues Festival, and features picnic areas, an expansive play area for kids and a range of athletic fields. For dining out, you’ll find a few restaurants scattered throughout Fair Oaks, with many more just west of Interstate 680 in Downtown Pleasant Hill. Head to Back Forty Texas BBQ Roadhouse & Saloon on Coggins Drive for smoked ribs and other classic barbecue dishes in a fun, western-themed atmosphere. Get your caffeine fix at the neighborhood Starbucks on Buskirk Avenue. Pick up groceries at Sprouts on Geary Road or Safeway on Contra Costa Boulevard. The Downtown Pleasant Hill area is packed with large and small retailers, so you can get all your shopping done close to home. At Crossroads Shopping Center on Buskirk Avenue, you’ll find more familiar big box stores like Kohl’s, Dick’s Sports Goods and Best Buy. Most Fair Oaks residents travel by car, but the area is also served by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, making public transportation an accessible option. The nearest station is Walnut Creek Station, located on Ygnacio Valley Road. When you want to get out of town or into the heart of San Francisco, proximity to Highway 24 and Interstate 680 makes it quick and easy.