Carla Dela Zoppa and Geri Stern

Community Information

Community information

The cities and towns that we serve are listed below. If you would like to find out about the latest homes that have become available in these communities, please contact us at 800-818-4005 or you can setup a Private Search!

Click on underlined cities to view a description of the city.

Albany
El Cerrito
El Sobrante
Hercules
Kensington
Pinole
Richmond

Albany TOP OF PAGE

Albany is located on the Eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, across from the Golden Gate Bridge.

The city lies in the northwestern corner of Alameda County, bordered by the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond on the north and the City of Berkeley on the east and south sides. The terrain is mostly flat, except for Albany Hill, which rises to 338 feet above sea level.

The Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge is just a few miles south of Albany, off Interstate-80, which runs along the western edge of the City. AC Transit bus lines and a BART station in neighboring El Cerrito provide easy accessible transportation service to San Francisco, Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland and beyond.

City of Albany Website

Albany Unified School District Information

El Cerrito TOP OF PAGE

El Cerrito is a city with numerous positive attributes-great location,pleasant climate, stable residential neighborhoods, good transit and highway access, numerous parks and recreational facilities, and involved residents. El Cerrito is located just accross the bay from San Francisco, and the hilly areas of El Cerrito provide spectaacular views of its famous neighbor. The Silicon Valley, Berkeley, and Sacramento are within easy reach. El Cerrito is strategically located along Interstate 80 and is less than 30 miles from 2 major airports. Its extensive transportation system includes 2 BART stations. Located on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, this 3.9-square mile city is blessed with a pleasant climate year-round. It residents enjoy the 80 acre tree-lined Hillside Park open space, as well as 45 acres of parks, 18 acres of school and recreational areas, and 38 acres of other amenities. These amenities include the Ohlone Greenway, a pleasantly landscaped area which runs alaon the BART right of way the length of the city and is popular with walkers, runners and bicyclists.

City of El Cerrito Website

West Contra Costa Unified School District

El Sobrante TOP OF PAGE

El Sobrante is located in a scenic little valley west of the San Pablo Reservoir parkland. It is surrounded by Richmond, San Pablo, and Pinole and has beautiful views from the hills. It is an unincorporated area of about 12,000 residents and is governed by two agencies: the county government and the City of Richmond.

Since the 1970s, El Sobrante has been experiencing some residential growth. Ranches and farms have been giving way to homes. The community, however, is very interested in retaining El Sobrante’s rural atmosphere and is making sure that their home is not overly urbanized.

Since El Sobrante is only about 14 miles from the Bay Bridge toll plaza, the commute is not difficult. The Eastshore Freeway has been improved and San Pablo Dam Road leads to Central Contra Costa and many jobs.

Children are served by the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Scores in standardized testing hover around mid-range.

After work and school, residents will find lots of recreation in the El Sobrante area. There are regional Parks as well as San Pablo Reservoir, which is open for hiking and fishing. El Sobrante is also close to Tilden, which is one of the Bay Area’s favorite regional parks. El Sobrante is also just a few miles from the bay.

West Contra Costa Unified School District

Hercules TOP OF PAGE

The town of Hercules is located Contra Costa County along the I-80 corridor and is within minutes of San Francisco and Sacramento. It is a bedroom town that has experienced a spurt of growth and now boasts about 19,000 residents. Hercules began life as a company town, surrounding California Powder Works when it first began in 1881.

During the 1960s, the plant stopped producing black powder and began making fertilizer. Because buffer zones were no longer needed for dynamite production, the company decided to create a new city on the land outside of the plant. After two years, a general plan for a city of 22,000 residents by the year 2000 was adopted by the City Council.

The plant closed permanently in 1977 due to economic factors. It remained idle until 1979 when it was purchased by a group of investors. Hercules is now a historical area with gorgeous views of San Pablo Bay. It is a planned town with parks in every neighborhood and homes buffered from traffic. Those who need to commute to work will find it relatively easy, being about 17 miles from the Bay Bridge. The Interstate has been widened and Highway 4 runs through the center of town. There are BART stations nearby.

Children in Hercules attend schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Schools are modern and the interest in children and their education shows in their quality test scores. About 30 percent of Hercules residents are under 18 so that means there are many parks and family activities in and around the area. There is also a golf course nearby, a community center and a swim complex.

City of Hercules Website

West Contra Costa Unified School District

Kensington TOP OF PAGE

Kensington

Tucked into the East Bay hills just north of Berkeley, Kensington enjoys a small town atmosphere,proximity to Berkeley and an easy commute to San Francisco. Nestled between the El Cerrito Hills and the Berkeley Hills,this affluent and close knit community offers a taste of small town living. Its winding roads and narrow streets reveal homes with breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay.Many local homes were built in Tudor, Mediterranean or modern styles creating charming neighborhoods with interesting architecture. Populated by middle-aged professionals and families, this town stays quiet at night. Two local shopping areas serve the neighborhoods with small markets, restaurants, a drug store with postal service and other conveniences. The local elementary school is highly rated and there are several good preschools in town. Kensington is close to Tilden Park with its excellent hiking and biking trails, the antique Merry-Go-Round and the Little Farm, Nature Area, Lake Anza and pony rides.The Blake Estate, a university owned property is open to the public on weekdays for self guided tours of the beautiful gardens. Kensington also has its own library and community center, and fire department.

West Contra Costa Unified School District

Pinole TOP OF PAGE

Pinole is a quiet, middle class bedroom town in the west of Contra Costa County, on the shores of San Pablo Bay. Starring at San Pablo Bay and moving back in a rectangular shape into the hills, Pinole offers many good views and nice neighborhoods. West of the freeway and south of Pinole are unincorporated neighborhoods that match the area. The city has a good reputation for the way it is run.

The City of Pinole has a land area of more than four square miles; much of the land has gently rolling hills with steeper hills paralleling on the north and south. Elevation in the City ranges from sea level to 500 feet above sea level.

Pinole has an old town, which the city has improved and made into a nice attraction. There are many historic residences in this area, all of which were built for people who worked in Pinole or at the Hercules Powder Plant. From Queen Anne Cottages to Hip Roof Cottages and Bungalows, these homes are simple in character and remain in excellent condition.

The City of Pinole enjoys abundant open space and natural resources. In an attempt to create an open space system that links Pinole with surrounding open space resources, that provides walk able connections from the city center to other parts of the community, and meets both the active and passive recreation needs of City residents, several open space projects are under way. The Bay Trail is a partially completed network of trails that will encircle both the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays and provide beautiful, recreational and cultural amenities for residents of the Bay Area to enjoy. Both the City and the East Bay Regional Park District have acquired parcels along the Bay Shore to contribute to the extension of the Bay Trail from Point Pinole Regional Park in Richmond to Pinole's Bay front Park. The climate is perfect for enjoying this very livable area. It is mild, with no extremes of temperature, rainfall or humidity. Lowest and highest temperatures are in the narrow range of an average low of 40°F in the winter to an average 85°F in the summer. Families thrive in this area and school scores reflect that. Students, who are school in the West Contra Costa Unified School district, score generally above the 50-60th percentile.

City of Pinole Website

West Contra Costa Unified School District

Richmond TOP OF PAGE

Richmond was already an established industrial town when it incorporated as a city in 1905 it had a population of only 2,150 at that time. By 1910 the town numbered 7,500. Within a few years Richmond saw a number of substantial industries start to relocate within the city limits. Town sites began to emerge around these industries, as Rancho San Pablo's grain fields were subdivided into city lots. As the City of Richmond grew during the 1920s and the 1930s, Richmond's Downtown emerged as the City's business and retail center. The elegant Carquinez Hotel (later renamed Hotel Don) opened its doors in 1925 and soon became the center of Richmond now covers 56 square miles and has a population estimated at 93,000. The area’s economy is currently undergoing a major transition from its former heavy industrial character toward more high technology and light industrial Richmond is located on the San Pablo Bay in western Contra Costa County. It is the second most populous city in the county.

Richmond has had some major developments since 1960, Marina Bay, Hilltop Shopping Center, the new Knox Freeway, and the Richmond Parkway. The transformation of Richmond's geography as well as its economy has been evident within the last 10 yrs. Starting in the mid-1900s the Harbor Redevelopment Project on the city's South Shoreline led to the transformation and reconstruction of the old Inner Harbor Basin (the site of the wartime shipyards) into the Marina Bay development, a 350-acre master-planned waterfront community that will eventually consist of 2,100 residential units, 650,000 square feet of commercial space, several restaurants, a 1,500-berth pleasure boat marina, and a chain of lagoons, parks, and waterfront promenades companies, and new business parks accommodating light industrial land uses. Biotechnology has developed as an important new part of Richmond's growing economy.

Today, Richmond is a growing maritime, industrial and residential community with a thriving and changing economy, a dynamic business environment, and a strong potential for further growth.

There is an excellent choice of housing in Richmond. There are less expensive older homes as well as quality newer construction. The town is close to the University of California Berkeley and Contract Costa Community College in San Pablo. BART stations are in nearby El Cerrito and there is a transit center near Hilltop. Overall, Richmond is an excellent choice for those seeking affordable housing with many amenities.

City of Richmond Website

Point Richmond Website

West Contra Costa Unified School District

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