Welcome to Albany
Known for its excellent schools, quaint residential streets, and bustling Solano Avenue that runs through its core, Albany has a lot to offer for a small town of less than 20,000 residents. Initially established as a bedroom community for commuters to San Francisco, the city has blossomed into a thriving community all its own.
Albany schools consistently place in the 90th percentile, producing some of the highest academic test scores in the state. (Perhaps this isn’t surprising, considering that Albany is also home to UC Berkeley’s family student housing, University Village.)
Accordingly, homes here go for top dollar. You’ll find primarily 2- and 3-bedroom single-family homes, including Craftsman bungalows, Mediterranean-style residences, and charming MacGregor homes, which have touches of storybook whimsy.
If you’re looking for big-box stores, head to San Pablo Avenue, but most residents do their shopping on Solano Avenue, which is dotted with gourmet and specialty grocers, florists, boutiques, jewelers, antique shops, cafes and restaurants. Every year people from all over the Bay Area descend on this beloved Main Street for the Solano Stroll, an annual street fair (and people-watching extravaganza) that runs more than 25 blocks.
Albany’s city limits extend to the waterfront, where you’ll find an unlikely — and fiercely contested — bit of wildness, the Albany Bulb. A former landfill turned park and art installation, the Bulb is a popular destination for dog walkers, hikers, and the adventurous, with spectacular views of the bay. Adjacent to Golden Gate Fields, it also connects to the Bay Trail, which you can walk or bike to access the Richmond Marina, the tip of Emeryville, and beyond.
Sharing borders with Berkeley, Richmond, and El Cerrito, Albany is close to major freeways as well as to BART and other public transportation. Oakland is about 15 minutes away and San Francisco can be as close as 20 minutes in light traffic.
