Realtor Thursday

A conversation with Pacita Dimacali, REALTOR and e-PRO at Alain Pinel Realtors, Located in Alameda, California.

This article was originally posted on August 25, 2011.

Ala-what? Ala-where? These were the typical reactions people have when I tell them I live in Alameda, CA. Their knowledge of this fabulous island town is so limited – perhaps compounded by the fact that in San Francisco Chronicle’s weather map, Alameda is nowhere to be found. Star Trek buffs at least got an inkling of where or what Alameda is when it was mentioned in the movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

 

 

 

History

Alameda is a gem of an island town, just a bridge (or tunnel) away from Oakland CA, and a mere 15 miles away from San Francisco. It wasn’t always an island. It was originally a peninsula connected to Oakland, and served by trolley cars. In 1902, a canal was dredged through the marshes separating Alameda from Oakland, to allow expansion of shipping facilities. Hence the island was born.

More land changes occurred in the late 1950s when a landfill created the area now known as South Shore, home to Alameda’s largest shopping center and several condominium /apartment complexes and tract homes overlooking San Francisco Bay.

 

The People

It’s very amusing to walk into the local Trader Joe’s organic grocery store to hear the various languages and accents. It’s like a mini-United Nations in there. The 2010 census reports that Alameda has nearly 74,000 residents. The make-up of the population shows 50.8% white, 6.4% African American, 31.7% Asian/Pacific Islander, 11% Latino of any race, and others. Essentially, the diversity in our island town reflects what it’s like in the nearby metropolitan cities.

Of the approximately 30,000 households, 30% had children under the age of 18. Here’s the approximate breakdown in ages

· 21% were under 18

· 7% ages 18-24

· 29% ages 25-44

· 30% ages 45-64

· 13% ages 65 or older

· Median age is 41 years old.

Real Estate in Alameda

Besides being a semi “bedroom community” where residents have an easy commute to San Francisco and nearby cities for work?

It’s a lovely, historic and picturesque island town. For architecture buffs, Alameda presents a wide array of architectural styles, starting with Victorian homes that comprise 9% of all homes. Craftsman. Mediterranean and bungalows abound. There are several homes in the historic register, including the storybook Tudor cottages in the aptly named Stonehedge development.

It’s a peaceful quiet town. Most of the streets are tree-lined. Don’t look for skyscrapers. We have none. One of the tallest building is City Hall (it would have been taller had they not removed the belfry) which is one of the oldest and still operating city halls in the country, and is a historical monument. The weather is incredible. Compared to San Francisco, Alameda is almost always sunny. We enjoy the same cool weather year round without the fog— it’s like living in an air-conditioned city.

Alameda Attractions

The restored art deco Alameda Theater downtown features eight movie screens. It’s a fabulous restoration that harkens to the days of incredible theaters. This designer, Timothy Pflueger, also gave us the historic Oakland Paramount Theater and San Francisco’s world-famous Castro Theater.

Believe it or not, we have several musical and theater venues. Altarena Theater for plays and musicals. Roosters’ for big band gigs. Rhythmix Cultural Works for a myriad of art media and live events. High Street Station for music and comedy club.

Alameda is home to many ethnic restaurants. Just walk downtown on Park Street shopping district and one can choose from Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Indian, Burmese, Cambodian, Mexican, American. Greek, Mediterranean and Vegetarian restaurants. Boaters have their choices of marinas. And once a year, they can participate in the Holiday Lighted Boat Parade where they can decorate their boats in the most colorful colors and themes.

Adults will enjoy wine tasting from two home-grown wineries, Rosenblum Cellars and Rock Wall Company, located in Alameda Point where the naval base used to be, and near the Alameda ferry to San Francisco. There is also vodka tasting at Hangar One.

Besides Crown Memorial State Beach, the city is dotted with many mini parks that offer playgrounds and where local sports leagues hold their mini-tournaments.

During the year, we have local arts and wine festivals, lighted boat parade, sand-castle building competition, outdoor summer concerts, legacy tours and walks through historic buildings. And on July 4, we boast the country’s 2^nd longest July 4 parade!

Our Town

Besides having a wide selection of vintage and new homes in various architectural styles, easy commute to neighboring cities and fabulous weather, parents select Alameda because of the schools’ high ratings according to the Academic Performance Index.

Another reason is for the fairly low crime rate compared to other cities. And compared to San Francisco and Marin counties, Alameda on the East Bay offers more affordable housing although other homebuyers may still consider Alameda higher-priced. Just put things into perspective.

 

Real estate market values were affected like the rest of the country, at approximately 20% less than where they were at the peak of the super-heated market in the mid-2000s. However, this should not lull homebuyers into thinking it’s a buyer’s market because we still experience multiple offer situations in properly priced and attractive homes. Average days on market for single-family properties are less than 60 days – so this should be an indication of how quickly real estate properties sell in Alameda.

Although we’ve had our share of foreclosures, Alameda real estate market seems to have picked up judging by the number of sales and properties in contract. It’s enlightening to see the movement by comparing the Alameda real estate activity 2008 to 2011.

Final Words

Having lived in several cities in several states, I can say with conviction that I love living in Alameda — this may be my “forever” home. I like the small town atmosphere – not so small that we’re in the boondocks, but enough variety of entertainment, fabulous restaurants, many parks and local events.

When the rest of the country is roasting or freezing, I am quite comfortable, thank you. I like being able to walk my dogs at night, and feel perfectly safe (of course, it helps that one of my dogs is a German Shepherd).

Life is good in Alameda CA.