San Leandro

Named for the Oregon ash trees that initially populated the area, the small 2-square-mile community of Ashland, California, got its start with the arrival of agriculture pioneer William Meek. It continued to expand with the introduction of the Oakland-San Leandro-Hayward Electric Railway in the early 1890s, spearheaded by his son, Horry. The track — originally called County Road — has since blossomed into the bustling East 14th Street/Mission Boulevard commercial corridor where multicultural dining and retail shopping thrive. “Ashland is kind of up-and-coming, and it’s got a lot of investment in street infrastructure, landscaping, lighting, etcetera,” says Louis Heystek, an East Bay Realtor with Compass. While the neighborhood may be small in size, Ashland is a vibrant community that continues to grow as it welcomes new residents just by the San Francisco Bay. While Ashland is considered a suburb of Oakland, it maintains an urban feel that gives residents the best of both worlds. Cozy homes dating back to the 1940s lace the residential streets of the neighborhood, with bungalows being the most prevalent style. Contemporary options can also be found, along with townhouses and condos, and energy-efficient new builds are joining the fold as the community continues to grow. Price tags can range from $700,000 to $900,000, with new builds starting at just over $1 million, making Ashland an excellent area for entry-level, first-time homebuyers, according to Heystek. Meek Park brings a certain vibrance to the area while maintaining ties to the past. Named for William Meek, referred to as the county’s first farmer, the park sits on the grounds of Meek’s historic mansion. Park visitors enjoy going for early morning jogs and walking their dogs while admiring the sights and sounds of their surroundings, including the classic and decorative fountain in the center. Children can enjoy the intricate play structure, and there are several grill and barbecue areas for outdoor gatherings. The REACH Ashland Youth Center is a neighborhood staple for youth and young adult engagement. Priding itself on bringing no-cost Recreation, Education, Arts, Career and Health Services to Ashland residents ages 11-24, the center regularly holds programming that falls under each of these five categories — including boxing, coding and a food lab — along with seasonal celebrations. One of the biggest events residents can look forward to is the Ashland/Cherryland FamFest Spring Event. Held in May of each year, the day-long festival provides attendees with live music performances while they visit food trucks and sample craft beers from local eateries and breweries. The event also has designated children’s play areas with arts and crafts stations, games with prizes and local vendors for a little small-business shopping. While the festival itself happens in May, it’s also paired with a 5K run that takes place every October. There are several favorite food spots around the neighborhood to frequent. According to Heystek, Angry Fish is a go-to for sushi, while Crabby Crabby gives a nice mix of seafood boils and Asian fusion sides. For fresh produce, locals prefer to pop over to the San Leandro Farmers’ Market at Bayfair Center, open Saturdays year-round, where live music only enhances the shopping experience. Fashion Faire Place and Fairmont Square are two area shopping centers that resident can visit for their retail needs. One of the first malls in the East Bay, the very popular Bayfair Center has been a one-stop shop since the 1950s. Now, with the Bay Fair Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Plan being discussed over the last few years, San Leandro is looking to create a new mixed-use community in the area. “The interior of the Bayfair Mall has already begun being converted to office space for research and development companies,” says Lars Hall of the San Leandro Community Development Department. “It’s a good reuse of the interior while retail remains on the exterior.” Target, Kohl’s and Old Navy remain open as anchor stores, and the Cinemark Century Theatre is still in business. The potential new community would include retail, housing, green space and much more focused around the proximity of the Bay Fair BART Station. BART bus routes are conveniently located throughout the Ashland neighborhood, with the Bay Fair Station located on Hesperian Boulevard providing daily service to cities like Richmond and San Jose. The neighborhood is also bisected by East 14th Street/Highway 185, bound by Interstates 238 (just past the San Lorenzo Creek) and 580 and has immediate access to I-880. Oakland and San Francisco are about a 20- to 30-minute drive from Ashland, and San Francisco is about 30 minutes, and both cities have BART access. Several nearby healthcare and technology companies have an easy commute to Ashland, most notably Kaiser Permanente Oakland Med, PeopleSoft and Dell. Part of the San Lorenzo Unified School District, Ashland residents can send their children to Hillside Elementary School and Edendale Middle School — both with C-minus scores on Niche — to prepare them for studies at East Bay Arts High School, which scores a B-minus. As part of the school’s quarterly projects, all East Bay Arts students participate in Expressions, where they create and present their own art project based on that year’s theme. An entire school day is dedicated to these presentations as students see what their classmates have been working on. With an average overall CAP Crime Index of 5, Ashland has a relatively average crime rate. Motor vehicle theft in the area scores a 7; however, because of its unincorporated status, the community receives direct services from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

Perched on quiet, winding streets in the hills of San Leandro, the suburban oasis of Bay-O-Vista offers a wealth of mid-century homes with views of the San Francisco Bay and San Leandro Hills. It’s placed at the precipice of Lake Chabot, a blue lake surrounded by a sprawling natural preserve. “The name says it all. People there want to enjoy views of the Bay," says Realtor Antonio Cardenas of Real Estate eBroker. "And the most prestigious views are those of the San Francisco skyline. That’s the one everyone wants." The homes in Bay-O-Vista were built in the 1960s on curving streets and steep slopes. Sturdy ranches on mid-sized lots come with attached garages, landscaped yards and the occasional glimmering backyard swimming pool. Larger custom homes are peppered throughout the neighborhood, and many of these dwellings have large front windows to take advantage of the viewshed. “From some homes, you can look out from your kitchen window and see the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge,” Cardenas says. Homes in the neighborhood typically sell between $600,000 and $800,000 or $1 million and $2 million, depending on the size of the house, the view and whether it’s been renovated. For outdoor relaxation and activities, locals head to Hill Crest Knolls Park, a community park with a wide-open green space, basketball courts and a playground. At the other end of the neighborhood, residents can take advantage of the leafy hiking trails at Chabot Park, a 10-acre woodland park with towering trees at the edge of Lake Chabot. To the east is easy access to hiking and biking trails around Lake Chabot Regional Park, a massive, 5,000-acre preserve with eucalyptus- and chaparral-covered slopes surrounding the glistening blue lake. For an afternoon by the pool, residents bring sunblock and beach towels to Bay-O-Vista Swim & Tennis Club, a family-owned facility with a pool, tennis courts and a gym. Students can attend Roosevelt Elementary School, which has a B-plus rating on Niche, followed by Bancroft Middle School, which earns a B-minus. Students at Bancroft can enroll in the school’s Dual Language Immersion Program, which allows students to complete their core curriculum while simultaneously learning to speak, read and write in another language. High schoolers can attend San Leandro High School, which has a B on Niche and is ranked in the top 100 high schools in the San Francisco metro area by U.S. News and World Report. Bay-O-Vista may have little in the way of retail or restaurants, but it's only a 2-mile drive to downtown San Leandro. Locals can buy groceries and everyday items at Safeway and CVS or grab a bite to eat at any of downtown's restaurants and breweries. At Fieldwork Brewing, locals gather at happy hour to enjoy a craft beer with friends. Nation's Giant Hamburgers & Great Pies serves residents oversized specialty burgers and all-day breakfast, while Café Sorriso is a cozy neighborhood dive offering coffee, pastries and Vietnamese sandwiches. For retail shopping, natives either stay around downtown or drive about 3 miles south to the Bayfair Center shopping mall, which has a movie theatre and many brand-name shops, like Target. For some San Leandro history, locals head to the district's northern edge. The corner of Estudillo Avenue and Hays Street features some of the city’s oldest landmarks, including the Little Brown Church, built in 1867, and the San Leandro History Museum. Some Bay-O-Vista residents commute to Oakland and Greater San Francisco for work, which are 13 and 22 miles away, respectively. Bay-O-Vista is near Interstate 580, also known as the MacArthur Freeway, making for an easy drive around the East Bay. The nearest BART stops are San Leandro station, about 2 miles away, and Bay Fair station, about 3 miles away. For out-of-state travel, San Francisco International Airport is 30 miles away. The neighborhood is also home to Kindred Hospital, an acute care hospital.