The Oakland Neighborhoods You Skip… But Shouldn’t
If you're looking at Oakland, you've probably already heard of Rockridge, Montclair, and Piedmont Avenue. Those are great neighborhoods — but they're not the full picture. Some of the best spots in Oakland are the ones that fly under the radar, even for locals.
I live in Oakland and work as a real estate agent here. The three neighborhoods I'm covering today are places I spend time in regularly. They're not super urban, and they're not suburban either — they sit somewhere in between, with a genuine neighborhood feel that's harder and harder to find. I walk through all three in the video below, and I've written up the full details here.
Glenview: Small-Town Feel in the Middle of Oakland
Glenview is the kind of neighborhood where people actually know their neighbors. I have friends here that I ride bikes with, and every time we grab coffee at Ultimate Grounds or a beer at Paulista after a ride, they run into someone they know. That's the vibe — it feels like a small town tucked inside a city.
The heart of the neighborhood is Park Boulevard, a short commercial stretch lined with local mom-and-pop shops rather than big chains. It's not a long strip, but it covers the essentials — coffee, food, a few neighborhood spots to hang out.
Dimond Park is another major draw. It has playgrounds, trails, a creek, and a pool. It's one of those parks that people who live nearby actually use on a regular basis, not just visit once.
Housing: Glenview has that classic Oakland look — California bungalows and older homes with a lot of character. A three-bedroom in good condition typically ranges from about $900,000 up to $1.5 million, depending on location within the neighborhood. Prices tend to be higher toward the top of the neighborhood and come down as you get closer to MacArthur and the 580 freeway.
The vibe: Walkable, community-oriented, and quiet once you're off the main road. You can still get to other parts of Oakland easily, but it feels like its own little pocket.
Oakmore: Tucked Away and Full of Character
Oakmore is one of those neighborhoods that even Oakland locals sometimes don't know about. Despite being centrally located — close to Glenview, the Dimond, and not far from Montclair — it feels surprisingly removed and quiet once you're inside it.
The neighborhood sits in the hills, with tree-lined streets and a peaceful, tucked-away feel. True to Oakland's name, there are oak trees everywhere. When Oakmore was originally developed in the 1920s, preserving the natural landscape and existing trees was a central part of the plan, and you can still see that today.
Architecturally, Oakmore is one of the more interesting neighborhoods in the city. You'll find a mix of Mediterranean, Tudor, storybook, and some mid-century homes. Many of the homes higher up in the neighborhood also have impressive views.
Housing: A three-bedroom in good condition typically runs about $1.3 to $1.5 million. The most expensive homes are at the top of the hill, backing up into the park — those average $2.5 million and up. Prices come down slightly as you move toward the edges of the neighborhood, but you're still looking at around $1.3 million on the lower end.
Oakmore doesn't have its own major commercial strip, but that's part of its appeal. Montclair Village, Park Boulevard, and the Dimond are all just a few minutes away. And if you just need a few groceries, Rocky's Market is right in the neighborhood.
The vibe: Quiet, tree-lined, and architecturally distinctive. It has that Oakland hills feel without being all the way up in the hills.
Redwood Heights: Great Access, Great Value
Redwood Heights is close to everything but not in the middle of anything. Joaquin Miller Park and the East Bay Hills parks are right up the hill, and MacArthur Boulevard — packed with restaurants and everyday conveniences — is right below.
The food scene along MacArthur near Redwood Heights is worth calling out. Ghost Town Brewery, Crumble and Whisk(which makes what I'd argue are the best cheesecakes in Oakland), Golondrinas for Mexican food, Joe's Modern Thai for something a little more upscale, and Sequia Diner for brunch. There's also Little Farmer Joe's — a corner-store-sized grocery that somehow manages to stock everything you need.
Housing: You'll find a solid mix of homes from the 1920s through the 1950s. The higher you go, the more likely you are to have a view and a bigger lot. Further down the hill, things get a bit more densely packed and a bit less expensive. A three-bedroom in good, move-in-ready condition goes for around $1 million — which is increasingly hard to find in Oakland's more well-known neighborhoods. Higher up near Highway 13, prices range from about $1.3 to $1.5 million, while the lower portions of the neighborhood average in the low ones to high nines.
The vibe: One of the better value plays in Oakland right now. You get park access, a strong restaurant scene nearby, and a residential feel — all at a price point that's more accessible than neighborhoods with bigger name recognition.
How These Three Neighborhoods Compare
All three of these neighborhoods share some things in common: they're residential, relatively quiet, and offer a genuine neighborhood feel. But they each have a different character.
Glenview is the most walkable of the three, with Park Boulevard giving you a commercial strip right in the neighborhood. If being able to walk to coffee and restaurants matters to you, Glenview is the standout.
Oakmore is the most tucked away. It's where you go if you want quiet, tree-lined streets, interesting architecture, and a feeling of being removed from the city — without actually being far from anything.
Redwood Heights offers the best value. If you want to be in Oakland, near parks and great food, without paying Rockridge or Montclair prices, this is where to look.
Key Takeaways
Oakland has more to offer than the neighborhoods most people have heard of. Glenview gives you walkability and a tight-knit community centered around Park Boulevard. Oakmore offers architectural character and a quiet, tree-lined retreat in the hills. Redwood Heights delivers access to parks, a strong restaurant scene on MacArthur, and some of the best value in Oakland's housing market. All three are centrally located, well-connected, and worth exploring if you're considering a move to Oakland.
Thinking about buying a home in Oakland?
My real estate team and I are based right here. We know these neighborhoods inside and out and can help you figure out which one fits your lifestyle and budget. If you want to talk through your options — reach out. No pressure, just real guidance from people who live here.
Zach DeRossette is a Bay Area real estate agent with Compass, based in Oakland. He creates content about Bay Area neighborhoods and the homebuying process on his YouTube channel, Living in the SF Bay Area.
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