Garfield, Albany, CA

Garfield is an easy-living, entry-level slice of Albany tucked between San Pablo Avenue’s retail row and the Key Route bike boulevard. Most homes are 1920s to early-1950s bungalows or cottages on compact, 2,500-to-3,000-sq-ft lots, giving the area a modest scale and a neighbor-meets-neighbor feel. A quick stroll north or west lands you at Trader Joe’s, Petco, Peet’s Coffee, and the weekly El Cerrito Plaza farmers market; head east and you’re at Memorial Park’s ballfields, dog run, and summer concerts in under ten minutes. Families appreciate the walk-to convenience of Cornell Elementary two blocks away and Albany Middle School just across Brighton Avenue. Cyclists slide onto the Ohlone Greenway a block west for a car-free ride to North Berkeley or El Cerrito Plaza BART. Despite these perks, San Pablo traffic noise and evening parking competition are everyday realities, and some blocks carry an industrial edge from nearby auto shops and donation centers. Buyers looking for a budget-friendlier door into Albany, with quick access to groceries, transit, and parks-and who can accept smaller yards and street bustle-will find Garfield a practical landing spot.