Orinda Neighborhoods? (Mill Valley, Piedmont: houses, school district, to live in)

[NH2008]

Hi, lurking here from another board - obviously, NH! My husband and I used to live in SF and now live in Silicon Valley. We were planning on moving to NH this summer, but now a job opportunity has come up in SF that my husband is interested in. We have good friends in Orinda so we have been there many times, and based on the reputation of the schools and proximity to the city that's probably where we'd end up. I have a bunch of questions about Orinda that I don't want to ask our friends since I don't want to discuss the job possibility with them before we decide to do it, so if you have any insight I'd love to hear it.

- Our friends in Orinda (we have a few) all live on basic suburban cul de sacs. I'm hoping we could find a house that has a prettier view - maybe of the hills, woods, or something a little more natural. Does such a neighborhood exist in Orinda? Do any of the other towns that share the Orinda school system have a less "burby" feel?

- We're hoping to find a less cookie-cutter house...my traditional/old-fashioned taste is one of the reasons I wanted to move to NH...but I haven't seen any on the Orinda MLS. I know it's a fairly new area. Are there any more traditional houses, or am I just dreaming?

- Are any of the elementary schools considered better than the others?

- How would you compare Orinda to Piedmont or Mill Valley?

Thanks!

[Ultrarunner]

The two areas are rather different...

One person who lived in both described it like this:

Piedmont is as close to and East Coast Upper Class neighborhood in the East Coast Tradition that you will find in the East Bay.

Orinda is the typical upper class suburban California that one thinks about when thinking of California.

Piedmont has few "Cookie Cutter" homes and most of the homes are much older than you will find in Orinda.

Orinda homes will generally have larger lots than typical Piedmont Homes.

Check the specific School Ratings... but both areas have excellent public schools with Piedmont having just about the best in the State last time I checked.

Both have their pluses... so it mostly comes down to preference...

[NH2008]

Thanks...I've been to both cities and thought Piedmont was really beautiful. I guess what I'm wondering is, is it much more expensive than Orinda? (Our friends seem to migrate to Orinda to raise their families, senior management from dh's job seem to move to Marin and Piedmont.) So I was wondering if it's more expensive/an older crowd. I'm not really a modern, suburban gal, but want the most house we can get for our buck within a great school system...thanks!

[Jedimook]

The school system in orinda is great... i've always been partial to Glorietta Elementary school, but del ray and the new Wagner Ranch (Wagner Ranch Elementary School) are also top notch. Some of the "deadwood" in orinda is starting to be cleared out... but still fairly homogeneous. BART is great to commute from Orinda into SF -- the public transportation options are less appealing from marin. Hope this helps!

[NH2008]

Yes, I know it would take my husband longer to get to work from Marin but it is just so beautiful there...I guess there is always that trade-off between affordabilty (cruel joke around here anyway!), convenience and charm. Thanks for the feedback.

[fishstix3]

Public schools in Orinda are much better than Piedmont, but in that, Piedmont has some top notch private schools in the area if you are planning that route (but quite pricey). I grew up in Lamorinda area and have to say that Orinda has always had the least "neighborhood" feel of the 3 (lafayette, orinda, moraga) towns, mostly because of the hills that make up Orinda. The town area is divided up by the freeway, which contributes to its sort of disjointed feel. It is quite pretty, however.

[kimadrew]

Fishstix3:

What is your basis for the statement that "public schools in Orinda are much better than Piedmont". I deciding between these two towns, based in large part on school district quality. I know many people who would dispute your statement.

[twins4lynn]

Just based on Greatschool information, academically you can't loose with either school district.

Orinda
California schools - CA elementary, middle and high school information

Piedmont

California schools - CA elementary, middle and high school information

[mburns]

Our friends in Orinda (we have a few) all live on basic suburban cul de sacs. I'm hoping we could find a house that has a prettier view - maybe of the hills, woods, or something a little more natural. Does such a neighborhood exist in Orinda? Do any of the other towns that share the Orinda school system have a less "burby" feel?

Hi, I'm a Realtor in Orinda and there are many wonderful homes that are set in a woodsy natural setting with beautiful views. Many of them are in the hills on the left side of El Camino Pablo.

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Best,
Mary
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