Real Estate in Berkeley: Elmwood

Why Live in Elmwood

- Elegant traditional architecture
- Vibrant shopping area along College Avenue
- Easy access to Highways 13, 24 and 580
- Walk to Rockridge Bart
- Close to UC-Berkeley and its cultural and educational offerings

About Elmwood

The Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley is located south of the UC Berkeley campus; to the East lies the Claremont hotel and to the south is Oakland´s vibrant Rockridge neighborhood. At the heart of Elmwood is a busy shopping district on College Ave.; this is surrounded by calm side-streets lined with large, elegant homes.

Housing Stock and Architecture

Most of Elmwood was developed at the turn of the century and many of the homes were designed by noted architects; some have been designated as historic landmarks. Homes in Elmwood are large, built on spacious lots and can be quite expensive; those associated with famous architects can cost a small fortune! The predominant architectural themes are from the Arts and Crafts period; the basic style is the 2-storied brown-shingled home, although other styles are found sporadically.

Architecture enthusiasts should check out Julia Morgan´s design of the original St. John´s Presbyterian (now The Julia Morgan Center for the Arts) and John Hudson Thomas´ Jeffress House on Elmwood Court; the Ayers, Dickman, Wiley and Jennie Smith homes on Benvenue are all sensational and definitely worth looking at. Also impressive is the Jeremiah Burke house on Russell, which is now the Judah L. Magnes Museum of Jewish life and culture. (photographs and links courtesy of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association - BAHA).

Eating Out and Shopping

Part of the allure of living in Elmwood is the near-perfect combination of tranquil, residential living and ready access to one of Berkeley´s most robust shopping district. The shops are confined to a 2-block stretch along College Ave. and Ashby (no sprawl here!); the smaller streets that make up most of Elmwood have been left entirely residential.

A very short walk brings you to cafes and restaurants that easily rival those in Berkeley´s Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood:

- Filippos, Locanda Olmo and Trattoria La Siciliana offer excellent Italian food.
- A.G. Ferrari is a great high-end Italian Deli.
- La Mediterranee and the Holy Land Restaurant serve good middle-eastern dishes.
- Shen Hua is easily one of the best Chinese restaurants in Berkeley.

- Espresso Roma and the Beanery are good cafés that always seem to be bustling with activity;
- Nabolom bakery serves up terrific goodies.

- And no mention of food options in Elmwood is complete without mentioning Ozzie´s Soda Fountain. Located inside Elmwood Pharmacy, Ozzie´s is something of a Berkeley landmark - walk in and you will transported back in time to the 1920s when the local pharmacy was the place to hang out and sodas and sundaes were in vogue. Read about the history of Ozzie's here.

There are plenty of good retail establishments that make Elmwood commercially self-sufficient, almost all of them small and owner-operated: - Mrs. Dalloway´s on College Ave. and Lewin´s Books on Ashby both have good selections (Mrs. Dalloway´s stocks a particularly good collection of gardening books; Lewin´s specializes in "metaphysical" literature).
- There are numerous clothing stores - Cotton, Elements, Jeremy´s - as well as good clothing resources for children.
- The recently refurbished Elmwood Theater and Videots are a draw for movie buffs.

Links and Resources

To see a comprehensive list of all shops and restaurants in Elmwood, click here.

- Those looking for a variety of cultural offerings - dance, theater, concerts and opera -should check out the happenings at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts.

Those interested in knowing more about Elmwood should check out:
- Tales from the Elmwood: A community memory by Burl Willes, published by the Berkeley Historical Society.
- Also invaluable is Picturing Berkeley: A Postcard History (various authors).
- A good SF Chronicle write-up about Elmwood.
- A write-up about Elmwood from the Berkeley Daily Planet.