Real Estate in the East Bay: Piedmont

A house in Piedmont
Photo by Kathie Berg: Real Estate in the East Bay

Why Live in Piedmont

- some of the most upscale homes in the Bay area
- tightly knit and exclusive community
- excellent schools
- easy commuting options to all parts of the Bay area

About Piedmont

The history of Piedmont begins with the earthquake of 1906 and the subsequent interest in development of the East Bay. In January of 1907, two men, Hugh Craig and James Ballentine, filed papers with the State of California to incorporate a new city which was 1.8 square miles in size. They called this city Piedmont. Homes - and mansions - were erected rapidly after the formation of the city; the opulence was funded by the readily available cash of the pre-depression era; Piedmont was well established as the most exclusive part of the East Bay by the twenties; it supposedly boasted the largest percentage of millionaires per square mile in the entire United States at that time, and earned the moniker, "City of Millionaires".

Today, Piedmont's reputation as an exclusive and expensive town is intact. While the city is almost entirely residential, Piedmont Avenue, and the shopping areas on Grand and Lakeshore Avenues, are easily accessible. Lower Piedmont ("Baja Piedmont" is the term used in real estate) is considered especially desirable by residents who want to be near the shopping; Central Piedmont, includes the City Hall and a low-key downtown area.

The homes vary in size and price: sprawling homes are interspersed with smaller, bungalow-type houses; there is a mix of Victorian, Craftsman, Tudor and Mediterranean-revival styles.

Piedmont is known for having excellent schools. There are three elementary schools - Wildwood, Beach and Havens - a middle school and a high school. The city has numerous recreation programs with camps, after-school programs and activities for seniors.