South Shore / Shoreline, Alameda

South Shore has a bit of an old, roughened beach town feel to it. For one thing, it’s prime real estate. The neighborhood is located on the banks of the San Francisco Bay and stretches about five miles wide along the waterfront. It’s social economic class is split between all levels of middle-class, considering some use it as a vacation/renting spot.

The residential neighborhood consists of a lot of plain looking houses and empty streets. Those that live here enjoy the reserved appeal of the one-story homes, tightly packed along ordered streets. Houses are somewhat colorful, but there’s nothing else that varies one house from the next. Also, front yards are usually poorly decorated with white pebbled pits and small trimmed bushes.

The neighborhood’s population is steadily approaching 10,000 people, most of which are of white or asian descent. Household incomes typically range from $65,000 to $80,000/year while most residents are between the ages of 25-45. If you’re looking to rent, apartments are upwards of $1,800/month while more expensive homes sit on Rosewood Way.

The neighborhood’s most appealing aspect is, of course, it’s location. Those who stroll along Shoreline Drive have a beautiful view of the bay along with miles of jogging paths. Locals are also close to the Alameda hospital and Donald D Lum Elementary School. South Shore’s commercial real estate is all located within Alameda Town Centre, a large shopping plaza located in the heart of the neighborhood. The shopping area consists of a Trader Joe’s, Safeway, TJ Maxx, Applebees, a Ross clothing store, Big 5 Sporting Goods and a 24 hour fitness center.

Some people who have lived in Alameda gripe about South Shore because of the construction and traffic, but what you're really getting is small town living with nice, suburban amenities. Having the new shopping center available means you have access to groceries, restaurants (independent ones like Loard's ice cream and Sushi House, as well as chains like Chipotle and Daphne's), Trader Joe's, Kohls, and a whole lot more. You're also within minutes of Park Street for other local shopping, and just a short drive from BART and the Oakland Airport.

You can walk on the beach or go windsurfing, or just enjoy a picnic at the Crab Cove park. There are also community sports like softball and a dog park, all within walking distance. The homes are lovely, and while they are pricey for the United States, they're much less expensive than the rest of the Bay Area. Furthermore, home values have stayed much stabler locally than they have for the rest of California, so buying a house in the South Shore neighborhood is a sound investment.

I would love to live in this section of Alameda while the entire city does have its charm it was this section that really wowed me. The waterfront views are such a knockout. The area is kept clean and the real estate might surprise you with how low these prices actually are. I would be moving here in a heartbeat if I had the money. It was a charming wonderful neighborhood that I am renting a house in this summer. I cant wait to spend more time here. This would also make a great vacation home spot but I think you'll want to be here all round after you spend some time here.