October 19, 2007

Notes On A Neighborhood: “Chabot”

First off I should clarify that I have made up the name of the neighborhood of which I speak. Realtors would probably refer to it as Rockridge or North Oakland, maybe Claremont Borders. I even heard one suggest it was The Elmwood which is far-fetched.

Call it a micro-neighborhood if you will. The area under discussion is an almost triangular space north of Highway 24 and east of College Avenue bisected by Chabot Road — hence the name. It’s very gemutlich with lots of mature trees, good-looking architecture and friendly faces.

On Chabot itself there’s a historic educational building which gives the surrounding area a pleasant collegiate feel; further up the street is Chabot Elementary School about which I hear good things; and we’re talking high walkability scores here — always a good thing for me.

Prices are marginally lower than in next door Claremont but you do need to factor in proximity to the freeway — some streets dead-end into 24 which is too close for comfort in my opinion.

An elegant home has just come on the market at 6475 Florio Street (below) in the heart of what shall henceforth be known as “Chabot”. I’ve been inside and it’s very very cute. Walk score: 83/100. Price: $1,695,000.

Other posts in this series: Notes On A Neighborhood: “Everything On Your Doorstep” Rockridge