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	Photo: Pat Mazzera

Everyone has an opinion about Alameda's great neighborhoods, but generally speaking, residents feel proprietary about their own little patches of the Island.

It's easy to understand why. Alameda boasts spectacular views of San Francisco, San Francisco Bay and Oakland, and the Island's quaint tree-lined streets offer an architectural smorgasbord of housing stock. Schools are good, residents are friendly and more than a few neighborhoods are famous for their annual get-togethers. The Alameda lifestyle, it's safe to say, represents a strong departure from the anonymous living associated with larger urban areas.

There's a downright Norman Rockwellian atmosphere in most of Alameda's neighborhoods, including the four we're highlighting here. These four great neighborhoods are perfect examples of how Alameda puts the home in hometown.

West End Wonders

Alameda's West End is making a comeback.

"The West End is the up-and-coming area," says real estate agent Nancy Blom of Prudential California Realty.

Blom and real estate agent Wendy Sanda of Kane & Associates are currently smitten with a few blocks near Encinal High School, quiet areas perfect for growing families with school-age children. Part of what keeps the area calm is that traffic west of Fifth Street drops off, because there's no direct westward access on Lincoln Avenue. Webster Street shopping, the College of Alameda and easy access to Oakland also increase the area's appeal.

"It has a lot of cute homes," says Blom about the area. And Sanda says virtually the same thing about Santa Clara Avenue, exclaiming, "It's like the Leave It to Beaver neighborhood."

The singles, families and retirees who live in the cozy homes and cottages here enjoy large backyards. Salmon and tan stuccos with tiled roofs look equally in character as their low-slung frame counterparts that wave American flags. A few two-story shingled Craftsman homes also compete for attention.

Kathy Mischak owns a spruced up 1940s home on Santa Clara Avenue where she has lived since 2001. Hinting of the Mediterranean, the yellow-and-white house has plantation shutters, tidy porch planters running the length of her front windows and a neatly manicured lawn and slate walkway. A publisher, Mischak says Alameda's proximity to her San Francisco office prompted the initial interest. She came close to buying on the East End but fell for the sleepy, quiet Midwest charm of the West End and its easy commute options. The Main Street ferry terminal, says the frequent ferry commuter, is "two seconds away," and buses and carpools are near, too. The jewel of the neighborhood, Mischak says, is Ballena Bay, just a short walk south.

Mischak says some of her neighbors are long-term residents. "That's what good about it. It's stable. [Homeowners] stay," she says, noting that there have been few changes in the overall character of the area since she became a homeowner. "I've been happy."

Homes here--smallish by most standards and more on par with townhouses and condominiums elsewhere on the Island--range from the low $500,000s to the mid-$700,000s.

This area of the West End is bounded by Second Street, Pacific Avenue, Fifth Street and Santa Clara Avenue.

Neighborhood Attractions:
USS Hornet Museum
Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire
Rosenblum Cellars, Hello Wines and St. George Spirits

Gold Coast Grandeur

Anywhere in the Gold Coast seems an idyllic place to live.

Take, for example, the 1200 block of St. Charles, which borders the former coastline of Alameda. The estate-like homes here reflect the neighborhood's earlier grandeur.

"The homes are gorgeous and very well-maintained," says real estate agent Peter Fletcher of Windermere Properties.

Families flock here for Franklin School, Franklin Park, the treeshaded streets and the overall historic elegance, enhanced by Victorians, neo-classics, English Tudors, moderns and Craftsmans. It's a picture-perfect neighborhood.

"I like the architecture of all the different homes in the area," says resident Johanna Woolley. A lifelong Alamedan, Woolley has lived in the Gold Coast almost 40 years. "I like the convenience of the area, too," she says, citing nearby Pagano's, Central Cinema and local corner markets. Woolley also likes the strong connections she shares with her neighbors. "It's like an extended family here."

Lisa Zenner, another resident, appreciates the neighborliness, too. "Recently a new couple moved in, and everyone on the street came and had cocktails and welcomed them," says Zenner, who describes the neighborhood as the type of place where neighbors watch out for one another. "That was nice."

As for price, well, as the saying goes, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it. Homes here aren't likely to come up too often, and when they do, think millions, not hundred-thousands. This area of the Gold Coast is bounded by Dayton Avenue, Grand Street, Encinal Avenue and St. Charles Street.

Neighborhood Attractions:
Robert Crown Memorial Park
Alameda Dog Park
Crab Cove Visitors Center

East End Enchantment

If you are thinking of moving to Liberty or Thompson avenues, you better not be an introvert.

Come holiday season, Thompson Avenue becomes Christmas Tree Lane, a legendary row of decked-out homes. And the closeknit collaboration doesn't end there--on this block, neighborhood spirit is year round.

Greg Koubek grew up on this enchanted street. "If I had to pick just one block as the best block, I would pick Thompson Ave., Christmas Tree Lane. My father ... called Thompson Avenue an All-American block." Koubek's memories match that description. "Thompson Avenue is the type of block where you know your neighbors," says Koubek, a real estate agent. "This is the type of block where you create great life-long memories."

Liberty Drive's shining moment comes at a different time of year. Liberty's annual Fourth of July block party is a well-known annual tradition.

"When we bought a home on Liberty nine years ago, the neighbors came over and introduced themselves. They brought us dinner and a bottle of wine," says Blom, who has since moved. "There are a lot of kids and a lot of helpful neighbors."

The neighborhood's zeitgeist is best captured by the "mayor" of Thompson Avenue, David Peterson, who for more than half a century has been involved in the very lifeblood of the neighborhood. But he was not always a fan.

"My daughter, then 5, wanted to live on Christmas Tree Lane," he says. It was just after World War II, when they found a home for sale on Thompson Avenue. His wife and daughter were elated; he was not. "I thought the price was too high," he says. "But I was outvoted, 2 to 1."

It didn't take long for Peterson to be won over. "It's the best bargain we ever had, of course," he adds. "You have to pay more for a car today than we paid for the house."

When Peterson moved in, there were "54 kids in 54 homes," representing the height of the post-war baby boom. Families are returning in larger numbers to the area now, too.

Thompson Avenue schedules an annual Easter egg hunt, haunted houses on Halloween and its own Fourth of July parade. The neighborhood also holds an annual block party at Lincoln Park each year.

"Everyone stands up and gives a little talk about themselves," Peterson says. It's a way of breaking the ice that is never really allowed to form in the first place.

Prices on both blocks range from the mid-$700,000s and up. Look for a wide variety of modern, Victorian and Craftsman homes. This area of the East End is bounded by Thompson Avenue, High Street, Liberty Avenue and Fernside Drive.

Neighborhood Attractions:
San Leandro Bay
Lincoln Park
High Street Bridge

Bay Farm Island Beauties

If Bay Farm Island has a Gold Coast component, Promotory Pointe is it.

Situated on San Francisco Bay, these elegant, modern mansions running alongside Sea View Parkway have views, views, views. "It would be as if you had picked up a home from Pacific Heights in San Francisco and just dropped it into the ideal setting, with no other homes nearby and amazing views," says Fletcher.

The largest homes on Bay Farm Island, these high-end, architecturally interesting, two-and-three level hulking pieces of prime real estate are in the 4,000 to 5,000 square-foot range with stunning glimpses of San Francisco. Herringbone-patterned private drives, a couple palm lined, and a red brick wall define the Seaview Parkway boundary, while fencing puts distance between the homes--many outfitted with towering balconies, curves and arches or glass galore for optimal viewing--and San Francisco Bay.

Residents can play the links at nearby Chuck Corica Golf Course or be at the Oakland International Airport within minutes while easily maintaining their private lifestyles. Families here can enjoy the small-town amenities of Alameda plus the big-town excitement of Oakland but then come home to a peaceful setting that feels miles away from everything.

All of the homes in this enclave are custom built--unusual for Harbor Bay where most homes follow set floor plans--so when these homes go on the market, which is rare, generally prices begin in the $2 million range.

This area of Bay Farm Island includes the homes on Ennis Place, Tullamore Place, Castlebar Place, Killarney Place and Callan Place.

Neighborhood Attractions:
Shoreline Park
Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal