As the aspiring homeowner population in San Francisco bursts at the seams, many may discover that their hearts really belong to Oakland. And even if they can afford the most famous of the city’s single-family-with-yard neighborhoods, like Rockridge and Montclair, they’d be smart not to limit themselves to those magnet areas. Oakland harbors several under-the-radar, charming neighborhoods with homes that are crazy bargains by San Francisco standards—a 2,000-square-foot home in Glenview (like the one pictured above) costs a mind-boggling $600,000 less than a comparable one in Noe Valley—and offer access to well-rated public elementary schools. Talk to the people living in the five hoods on the following pages, and they’ll tell you: life on this side of the bridge is no compromise.

Laurel District/Redwood Heights
Sunny diversity for the middle class and up

Laurel district and Redwood Heights residents are a bit smug about the fact that they live in a banana belt. The fog hangs farther up the hill, leaving them smiling at the sun. In the Laurel, you’ll find mostly neat, boxy, little two-bedroom bungalows with postage-stamp lawns. It’s a great starter hood for singles and young families, with prices from the $450,000 to the $600,000s. And demograph­ically, it’s what the world should be: a bona fide salad bowl of ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations.

Just up the hill is Redwood Heights, with some sweeping bay views, larger homes, and eclectic architecture ranging from Spanish Mediterranean to post-WWII ranch, traditional to Tudor. It was once populated by massive redwoods, but they were chopped down for lumber in the late 1800s. There’s a silver lining, though: the logging left space for this neighborhood to grow. Many houses here—ranging from $550,000 to about $800,000—date back to the early 1900s, and you’ll never mistake yours for someone’s down the street.

“You’re in a city when you live here, but you’re really not,” says Redwood Heights resident Marilyn Beardsley, a real estate attorney. “It’s old-fashioned—my street has a block party every September. People roll their barbecues out, and one side of the street makes salad, one side dessert.” Across Highway 13 is verdant Joaquin Miller Park, where the poet planted 70,000 trees that locals enjoy as they walk their dogs or hike in the woods after work and on weekends.

For shopping, there’s a Farmer Joe’s for organic produce down on MacArthur, and Montclair Village is only two freeway exits away. And both the Laurel district and Redwood Heights take advantage of a great new recreational center on Redwood Road, where kids can attend ballet while their parents head to yoga. A nearby casting pond (sans fish) is also popular on Saturday mornings, and moms and dads like to hang out and shoot the breeze at the community park on Jordan Road and Bennett Place while their kids fly on the swing sets.

Piedmont Pines
Nature for folks with serious cash

For people who want rivetingly beautiful bay views, Piedmont Pines is one of the prime locations in the Bay Area. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with the municipality of Piedmont; the neighborhood tucked in the hills on the other side of Highway 13. But even if you never set foot in the parklands, the trees are thick on every street—as the pines gradually die off, they’re being replaced by California natives and oaks. “At my house, it feels like I’m in Tahoe,” says resident Jay Ward, CEO of the African American social networking site 1stFridays.com. Homes are nestled into hillsides along the twisty streets, and few sidewalks exist. Ward, who migrated to Oakland from San Francisco’s Twin Peaks in 2001, says he can’t imagine ever moving back to the city.

Updated ’60s-style ranchers prevail, although a few Cape Cods, Craftsman, and Tudor specimens are sprinkled throughout. Homes here tend to be very large and not cheap: every once in a while, you can find an 800-square-foot fixer-upper in the high $700,000s, but the higher end of the range is more common and can reach $2.3 million.

Neighbors work together to constantly upgrade the community, brainstorming on the active neighborhood association’s website about such issues as emergency preparedness, utility undergrounding, and lost orange tabbies. Shopping, cafés, and restaurants are an easy jaunt away at Montclair Village, just down Mountain Boulevard.

This quiet, elegant neighborhood does have its quirks. By tradition, people paint a set of rocks at the entrance to Piedmont Pines with birthday messages, wedding tidings, and other salutations. The only rule is that you have to be cool with the fact that someone else will soon paint over your message.

Crocker Highlands
Truly historic homes

For those who want to live in a big, gorgeous historic home surrounded by trees, but also want to be near a thriving urban center, Crocker Highlands (next to Trestle Glen) is the ticket. The main catch is that the starting price is $800,000 or so, and prices go up to almost $2 million. (Still, these are bargains compared to what you’ll find in Piedmont next door.) If you’ve got the scratch, the neighborhood can deliver natural beauty, peace, and a huge Tudor, Mediterranean, or Monterey Colonial with a giant backyard. You’ll also have access to the shops, restaurants, and bars on busy Lakeshore and Grand Avenues—including the beloved collective Arizmendi Bakery and the Grand Lake Theater, with its Mighty Wurlitzer organ—just a short walk or drive away. In addition, the neighborhood boasts a powerhouse homeowners association (the oldest HOA west of the Mississippi), with regular business hours. And don’t forget nearby Lake Merritt for evening strolls or rows.

In recent years, families with young children have infil­trated the hood, so strollers are everywhere. New residents learn quickly that Crocker does have a few rules: you can’t remove trees over a certain size, and if you want to upgrade your home, you have to check with the HOA first for architectural approvals. This protocol may seem daunting, but it’s helped make Crocker one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Oakland, and possibly the prettiest near downtown.

Glenview
Craftsman architecture and a mix of neighbors

Some real estate agents refer to this eclectic district, bisected by busy Park Boulevard, as the next Rockridge. One attraction, as in the Laurel district and Redwood Heights, is the sunshine: “The fog makes a doughnut hole over Glenview,” says Christian Downer, who lives and sells homes in the area. Her neighborhood is big on Craftsman architecture, with houses built in the early 1900s starting at $650,000 for a cozy two-bedroom and going up to the $900,000s and occasionally $1 million. Front yards are generally small, although there are some bigger ones out back.

Glenview’s commercial district is just a few blocks long, but definitely cute and friendly. The Blackberry Bistro serves shrimp and grits and other southern specialties, and there’s a burger joint, a Thai place, a Mexican place, the Cheshire Cat vet, and a coffee shop. (Caffe Trieste, take note: Glenview wants you.) Glenview residents often pop over to Montclair Village or hit the big Farmer Joe’s on Fruitvale.

Glenview citizens have replaced the local watering hole with Glenfriends, a Yahoo group with a moderator where they bandy about such topics as city politics, babysitters, garbage lockouts, and where to find silkworms for their kids’ science projects. Just about everyone with a computer signs on, and there’s a nice mix of people. “You might have a judge living next door to a plumber,” says resident Michael Gabriel, who works in nonprofit housing, and whose wife, Barbara, runs a ballet school. “It’s not at all pretentious. The people down at the grocery store know your kids, and neighbors look out for each other in a casual way, without being busybodies.”