to Orinda Real Estate in the San Francisco East Bay Area

As with the nearby communities of Lafayette and Moraga, Orinda is a small town with a prestigious address and highly rated schools. Orinda is the closest of the three communities termed "Lamorinda" to the Caldecott Tunnel through the Oakland hills to Oakland, Berkeley and across the Bay to San Francisco. Buyers shopping for real estate in Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda will find that the three communities share much in common although each community is unique in itself.

The terms that most closely characterize Orinda would be prestige, affluence, beautiful settings, understated, close commute to SF, history, and excellent schools. The community attracts many professionals and executives who work in San Francisco, Oakland, the University of California at Berkeley or in the Walnut Creek/Diablo Valley area to the east.

There are two main shopping areas in Orinda. Hiway 24 intersects Orinda and delineates two areas: the Country Club side and the South Orinda side. The Southern side is highlighted by the Theater Square Complex pictured above. The beautiful Orinda theater, the centerpiece of the complex, was declared a Historical Landmark and was restored to its original Art Deco style and reopened to the public in 1989. The upper levels of the Square include business offices and the first level features retail space. There are restaurants, an outstanding florist, Impressions and a number of other small businesses. The northern side has the Village shopping area which is near the Orinda Country Club fairways. A new multi-million dollar library and community center complex is also nearby.

It is a truly beautiful community with rolling hills studded with California's native oaks particularly in the northern section. To the south the land becomes a little flatter although still with many hills. Another advantage of Orinda, as with Lafayette and Moraga, is access to hundreds of acres of open-space parklands. Orinda adjoins Tilden Regional Park with trails, playing fields, merry-go-round, golf course, and a botanical garden.

With Orinda's proximity to Berkeley and San Francisco, there are lots of cultural activities available. There is also the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda that is open from June to October. It's located near the Gateway area of Orinda.

The top rated schools continue to be the top draw for buyers who move to the area. The Orinda schools score very well in state testing and the community is extremely supportive financially of the schools through various school fund raisers each year.

Orinda is also a convenient commute with a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station right next to the freeway. However, commuting to San Francisco during rush traffic can be slow, so many people enjoy the convenience of BART. The only issue there is getting a parking spot at BART!

Need a real estate agent to assist you in the Orinda area? Contact me today. I sold homes here for 15 years. Now I help buyers and sellers find top local real estate agents to assist them. I would be glad to recommend 3 very experienced local agents for you to interview as your agent. Contact me today and I will e-mail names and details.