Northbrae

Panoramic views of bay and hills

Overlooking the sparkling waters of the San Francisco Bay and snugly nestled in the Berkeley foothills, Northbrae is sheltered and protected from the heat of summer and the chill of winter. Designed as one of the first planned residential parks, we love Northbrae for its broad, curving roads, five rock gardens, pink sidewalks, panoramic vistas, lush foliage, and street names elegantly carved in stone pillars.

Northbrae’s original developer, Duncan McDuffie, was a member of the Sierra Club who promoted environmentally sensitive development and made sure that the natural landscape worked in harmony with the surroundings. Streets are laid out in graceful curves along the contours of the hills, in a general northerly and southerly direction, thus giving every house an unbroken view of the Bay on one side and the Berkeley Hills on the other. Today, these homes still consist of variations on the Craftsman bungalows and period revival homes.

Northbrae has a number of its own and nearby community gems, including Indian Rock Park, Cedar Rose Park, Arthur Putnam’s sculptured bears in the Arlington Circle Fountain, and the beautiful Peralta community garden where families can be found picnicking on the benches around its lovely pond. Residents also enjoy public tennis courts, play areas, a swimming pool, and a track as well as a well-stocked branch library housed in a lovely Julia Morgan building. There are also a plethora of interesting shops and restaurants nearby.

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