Merriwood, Oakland, CA

Perched on the wooded slope between Lake Temescal and the Skyline ridgeline, Merriwood feels like a pocket retreat carved into the Oakland Hills. Curving residential lanes hide under dense canopies of oak and redwood, and homes range from 1930s cottages with stone chimneys to angular contemporary rebuilds that frame filtered bay sunsets. Lots are generous yet irregular, so most houses sit staggered for privacy and hillside views rather than street-front showmanship. Outdoor access defines daily life here. To the west, residents can walk straight down the hill to Temescal Regional Recreation Area for a swim beach, fishing pier, and level loop trail around the lake. To the east, the Old Tunnel Road trailhead opens into Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve’s network of ridgeline paths and panoramic picnic spots. Interior streets lack continuous sidewalks, but traffic is sparse, and the North Oakland Sports Center’s courts and fields are minutes away by foot. Groceries, cafés, and BART rides sit just outside the neighborhood in Rockridge or Montclair, keeping commerce close without disrupting the calm. The overall vibe is woodsy and quietly upscale. Native landscaping blends with terraced gardens, driveways are tidy, and the absence of streetlights keeps evening skies dark enough to spot constellations. Quick access to both Highway 24 and Highway 13 makes city commutes surprisingly easy, yet hawks circling over the redwoods are a more common sight than sparking brake lights.