Once a rural area inhabited by ranchers and their cattle, the city of Orinda in the San Pablo Valley east of Berkeley retains its pastoral heritage as a community with wide open spaces. The city was named after 17th century poet Katherine Philips, also known as “The Matchless Orinda.” The natural beauty of the fog over the Oakland Hills creates an ethereal effect. The opening of the Caldecott Tunnel in 1937 boosted Orinda’s growth by easing access to employment centers, and a BART station built in 1973 further facilitated regional travel. Now, 20,000 people call Orinda home. While about 5,500 work within Orinda, the school district being the biggest employer, many others commute to Oakland and San Francisco for work in science and tech industries.
Schools are top-notch, and though neighborhoods are spread over the hills and valleys, the community is active and looking to the future with plans to revitalize downtown and outdoor spaces. "People want to live here mostly because of the schools and the proximity to San Francisco. Some people even commute to Silicon Valley, though that's a little far," says Realtor Vlatka Bathgate, an Orinda resident who's been selling real estate in the city for over 20 years. "We always have a shortage of inventory because we want to preserve the open spaces, but that's also what attracts people—because it's not crowded."
From old homes in Orinda Village to new construction in Wilder
Trees blanket Orinda and one- and two-lane streets run up and and down the hills. Homes sit on large lots, many with striking views. Orinda Village is one of the oldest neighborhoods, with homes built as early as the 1920s, and it includes the downtown Theatre District. In the Del Rey, Glorietta and Estates neighborhoods, homes were built between the 1950s and 1970s. The Wilder neighborhood has newer construction.
Many homes are midcentury modern in style with slanted rooflines in muted color palettes. Others are sprawling ranch-style homes with brick facades. Spanish Mission and Pueblo Revival-style homes are common as well. The median home price is $1.8 million, and home values in Orinda are about four times the national average. They range from about $900,000 to $2 million for fixer-uppers. Homes in good to excellent condition range from $2 million to $5 million, with rambling hillside estates at the upper end of that range. A few estates over 6,000 square feet exceed $6 million.
20th-century homes in Orinda reflect a blend of charm and history.
Affordable 20th-century homes showcase Orinda's diverse housing market.
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Downtown Orinda is ripe for revival
Orinda’s downtown has two districts. The Village District lies northwest of the Interstate 24 corridor. It has a suburban layout with buildings set back from the street and includes the town hall, library and some senior housing communities. The Theatre District, southeast of I-24, is centered around the Orinda Theatre, a historic Art Deco movie house built in 1941 that presents movies and live concerts. Shops and restaurants are walkable, including Casa Orinda, a restaurant with moose head décor that has been operating since 1932. The city is considering projects to further revitalize downtown by, for example, supporting the restoration of Phair’s Store, a historic 1925 building that is currently vacant. However, the city faces competition as a commercial center from thriving downtown Lafayette, 5 miles to the east, and Rockridge, a busy food and shopping district in Oakland, 5 miles west.
Come and enjoy the Orinda Village with its many retail shops and eateries.
The Orinda Theatre stands as an iconic beacon of entertainment, a jewel in Orinda's cultural
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Recreation and community life in the San Pablo Valley
Orinda Community Park, next to the historic community center, has picnic areas, playgrounds and pickleball courts, and is a primary location for community events. It hosts the city's Fourth of July celebration and a classic car show in September. Local produce and beef, pork and lamb are sold every Saturday year-round at the Contra Costa Farmers Market. The city is working to revitalize San Pablo Creek, which runs through downtown. A regional destination in the 19th century, the creek was eventually urbanized and neglected. Community groups have cleaned it up, and the next step is to make it accessible to residents for recreation while protecting the wildlife habitat.
Orinda is surrounded by regional preservation areas and recreational spaces, including the Siesta Valley Recreation Area, which has trails among the hills, and views of the bay and Mount Diablo. Orinda Oaks Park is another recreation option with scenic, interconnected trails that lead to the adjoining 110-acre Orinda Oaks Open Space Preserve.
At Orinda Community Park, there are Pickleball courts for all to utilize and enjoy.
A child plays joyfully in the sandpits at Orinda Community Park.
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ArtSpace Orinda and well-preserved history
The arts community is active in Orinda. There are 10 public murals, including one depicting local flora and fauna on a wall of the public library. ArtSpace Orinda presents over 30 public art installations annually. Historical sites include the Orinda Bridge Historic Landmark, built in 1920, and the Joaquin Moraga Adobe, the oldest building in Contra Costa County. It was built in 1841 on land granted by Mexico.
Great schools with Miramonte High School nationally ranked
The Orinda Union School District serves the city, operating four elementary schools and a middle school. The district gets a grade of A-minus by Niche. Students attend Miramonte High School in the Acalanes Union High School District. Miramonte is graded A-plus and U.S. News ranks it 217 nationally.
Glorietta Elementary is ranked #75 for excellent schools in California and has 437 students.
The main quad at Miramonte High School has serious school spirit.
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Easy access to Bay Area hot spots
Orinda's location in the northern part of the East Bay puts it near several major cities, including Oakland, Berkley and San Francisco. The city is dissected by California State Route 24, which is a designated Scenic Highway. Public buses stop in central Orinda, and there is a BART station downtown. The city has ongoing projects to improve bike and pedestrian features. Oakland International Airport is 17 miles south on U.S. Interstate Highway 880. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is 5 miles away in Berkeley.
Low crime and mild weather, but wildfire risk creates problems
Orinda receives a crime score of 1 out of 10 on the CAP Index, lower than the national average of 4. The weather is mild, a little warmer in the summers than Oakland, but with less fog. The winters are cool and wet. The entirety of California is dealing with a homeowners insurance crisis because of increasing wildfire risks, and Orinda has been hit hard, with more homeowners having their policies cancelled than any other zip code in the state. California regulators are working with the insurance industry to address the crisis.
A licensed Real Estate professional since 2001, with accolades that include the coveted title of Top Producer by the Solano Association of Realtors in 2005, as well as Top Ten Producer in 2006, Glenn opened My Local Realty Services to provide honest and excellent realty services to clients as well as provide fellow real estate agents the opportunity to reinvest their earnings into growing their own business by charging a simple flat transaction fee instead of taking a percentage of commissions. Glenn believes that investing in education, support and marketing for the My Local Realty agents will guarantee their success.
In addition to his 15 years of industry experience, Glenn has a Master’s Degree in Accountancy and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with extensive experience working as an Accountant for Real Estate Investors and Developers as well as experience managing business operations for New Generation Realty and Loans, providing supervision and training for several clerical support staff and real estate agents. Glenn is passionate about the way in which real estate is practiced and producing the best possible outcome for both buyers and sellers. He has the ability to position new ideas, provide insight to create better ways to help consumers maximize value and to strategize with agents to grow their business. As the Broker / Owner / President, of My Local Realty Services Glenn is always looking for ways to improve and outsmart the competition.
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