Crocker Highlands, Oakland, CA

Crocker Highlands is a curvilinear enclave folded into the gentle hills just east of Lake Merritt, laid out in the early 1900s and remarkably intact. Winding streets like Paramount and Sunnyhills climb beneath a dense canopy of oaks and sycamores past well-kept Craftsman, Tudor, and Mediterranean homes on generous lots. Mandana Boulevard to the west and the ravine near Balfour to the north give it clean edges and a sheltered, pocket-neighborhood character despite the central address. Most errands and dining happen just over the border: the Lakeshore Avenue strip, with its cafes, groceries, and the Grand Lake Theatre, is a five-minute walk from the western edges. Inside, the amenities are quieter but real. Crocker Highlands Elementary sits at the heart of the district and is the reason a lot of buyers tour here before looking anywhere else, and the Oakland Davie Tennis Stadium hugs the northern rim with public courts and a path toward Dimond Park. Lake Merritt's shoreline is close enough to walk or bike, though the interior streets are residential and not built for through-traffic. The feel is peaceful and quietly upscale, carried by lightly traveled roads, cohesive historic architecture, and obvious pride in landscaping. This is one of the neighborhoods people picture when they imagine moving to the nice part of Oakland, and the schools and the lots are what hold the prices where they are.