Thousand Oaks / Solano

Thousand Oaks is a neighborhood at the base of the Berkeley Hills that reaches toward the bay along Solano Avenue.

To blend their construction into the surrounding environment, the area’s builders left granite boulders and trees where they found them, and laid down roads that follow the contours of the low rolling hills. Parks, landscaped walking paths and bay views from higher up the slopes add to the old world charm.

Thousand Oaks Recreation

Like other East Bay communities, the vast expanse of the Tilden Recreation Area is literally just over the hill. Solano Avenue offers its own entertainments, including the Landmark Albany Twin movie theater near San Pablo. Just a bit farther, you reach the secluded woodland of Albany Hill Park, and past that, the regional parks along the bay shore.

And who could forget the Solano Stroll? Each September the main street is closed to car traffic so that thousands of Bay Area locals can stroll down the road to visit street vendors and the local stores beneath the warm, late summer sun.

Thousand Oaks Shopping

Solano Avenue is the main shopping drag — a wide, tree-lined boulevard that feels small, cozy, and international at the same time. Dining options range from Tibetan to Californian, Japanese to Indian, Chinese to Italian. Family-owned grocery stores specialize in Italian, Middle Eastern, or Asian foods.

Thousand Oaks Transportation

One of the area’s major architectural landmarks is the Fountain at the Circle — a picturesque fountain inside a large traffic circle that was restored in 1996 to its original grandeur by a collaborative public and private effort. Six major streets converge here like spokes from a hub, and many smaller tributary streets join them just outside the circle.

From here, the major routes connect you to all directions: toward Berkeley, into the hills, and toward the bay along Solano Avenue, through the heart of Thousand Oaks to San Pablo Avenue and the freeway. You’re also close to BART stations in Berkeley and El Cerrito.

Thousand Oaks Schools

Thousand Oaks High is the local high school.

Thousand Oaks Housing Styles

• Spanish
• Tudor
• French Provincial revivals