Independence Dr, Marina Village

I bicycle to work every morning and my left turn onto Independence Drive is the highlight of my ride. As soon as I'm on the road, I drop the gear down to cruising speed and just enjoy the shade and trees. Hints of water peek out from behind homes and the road is flat and impeccably paved.

There's a friendly neighborhood vibe here. People are out walking their dogs and they smile or wave as I bicycle on by. There are lots of familiar faces just before 7am, as well as the familiar 9 MOS license plate and fancy automobile underneath its car cover.

This isn't a designated bike route, so sometimes cars will roar around bicycles are if they aren't allowed full use of the lane, but it's a great place to ride.

My parents live on Independence Drive. The area has increased in value but not a lot by California standards. The biggest surprise is that it sits on a Channel that opens up to the San Leandro Bay. Anything in California that is on the water is usually expensive. So this would be a great neighborhood to buy a house for a very decent price that is fairly close to the water. If you walk down to the docks you can see plenty of boats and the city of Oakland which is right across the channel. The docks are a lot more active than Independence Drive is. There is a lot of incoming traffic from Atlantic Avenue with people trying to access the Marina Parkway, so that makes it a little unsafe for kids at times. If parents keep a watchful eye on them, they are usually fine. Great street though to enjoy the quiet and downside of life.