Central Emeryville, Emeryville, CA

Central Emeryville is the city’s commercial core, where converted brick factories share blocks with glassy condos, outlet stores and big-box retail. Residents can walk to Bay Street for movies, ramen and Apple shopping, then detour a few minutes for indie espresso in the Triangle or the local climbing gym on 40th Street. Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains, AC Transit transbay buses and the free Emery Go-Round shuttle put San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland within an easy ride; cyclists coast the Greenway straight to the waterfront or BART. Weekends revolve around convenience: grocery runs at Trader Joe’s, décor hunts at IKEA, or dog meet-ups on the green at Doyle Street Park. Evenings stay lively with happy-hour patios, live music pop-ups and late poker at Oaks Card Club. The flip side is traffic- Powell and 40th funnel freeway drivers through the neighborhood, and parking can feel competitive when major events hit the retail district. Still, for buyers who want an urban loft or townhouse with doorstep access to shopping, transit and entertainment, Central Emeryville packs a lot into a walkable rectangle.