A quiet community tucked away by Briones Regional Park, Orinda is the perfect place to live for families and Bay Area commuters. The Orinda Union School District is one of the highest-performing districts in California, comprised of California Distinguished Schools and boasting high parent involvement and a wide variety of extracurricular activities. Most Orinda houses for sale are surrounded by beautiful hilly scenery and plenty of restaurants and stores to choose from.
Orinda is comprised of several neighborhoods, each with distinct characteristics. These neighborhoods include Sleepy Hollow, Orinda Downs, Orinda Country Club, Del Rey, Glorietta, Wagner Ranch, and Wilder. Wilder, in particular, is renowned for its natural setting; its land was planned with thoughtful consideration, and the sensitive local habitat has been carefully preserved. If you dream of the perfect luxury home just 25 minutes from downtown San Francisco, this is the place.
There is plenty of real estate in Orinda to suit your needs. If you’re looking for a home with stunning views of the surrounding hills, Glorietta may be your best bet; some properties even look out over the glittering Lafayette Reservoir. The tree-filled neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow is known for its wide streets and sprawling California ranch homes, while the nature-focused Wilder neighborhood is known for luxury custom homes.
This beautiful East Bay suburb offers a private, laid-back, and nature-focused atmosphere. Much of Orinda is surrounded by natural open space and tree-studded hillsides, with homes that look out over incredible views.
Orinda is a fantastic community for families, as children can thrive in the stellar school system and enjoy the various opportunities for outdoor recreation. For commuters, Orinda provides easy access to San Francisco via BART or car and is located close to Oakland Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
From performances at the California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) to award-winning youth sports leagues, there’s always something entertaining happening in Orinda!
Stop by the Orinda Theatre Square, a high-energy retail complex packed with fun things to do. Residents love to shop at boutiques like Sanvitalia Home and Garden, Orinda Travel, and Sweet Dreams Toy Store. Visitors can also catch a movie at the Orinda Theatre, which screens all the latest film releases.
Downtown Orinda is home to a selection of fantastic restaurants. Grab a delicious breakfast at the Village Inn Cafe, have pizza night at Piccolo Napoli, or enjoy home cooking at local favorite Rick & Ann’s Restaurant. For a delicious sit-down Italian meal, try Taverna Pellegrini.
From family-focused gathering places like Dalewood Park to hikeable nature areas like Lake Cascade, there are plenty of exciting things to do in the Orinda area if you love to enjoy the great outdoors.
The San Pablo Reservoir is easily accessible from Wagner Ranch, a great place to go boating, fishing, or hiking. Tilden Regional Park is also close by; located just over the hill, this park offers stunning bay views, exhilarating hikes, and beautiful botanical gardens. The Wagner Ranch Nature Area is a wonderful resource for the Orinda schools, providing hands-on nature and California history education to approximately 1,000 school children each year.
Some residents choose to join the beautiful Orinda Country Club (OCC), which was established in 1924 and today is home to an award-winning swim team, tennis and fitness facilities, and Orinda’s only golf course. Cool down from the summer heat at the Orinda Park Pool, where many local families have been members for over fifty years. The pool began as Lake Orinda back in 1921 and today is home to the OPP Stingrays, one of Orinda’s top swim teams.
Orinda is home to a number of excellent schools. Children can attend Del Rey Elementary School, which is located in a beautiful setting between two creeks, mature oak trees, and a natural habitat garden, or Sleepy Hollow Elementary, Wagner Ranch Elementary, or Glorietta Elementary. All students attend Orinda Intermediate School before moving onto Miramonte High School. Each school is highly-ranked with acclaimed athletic teams.
Orinda, a suburb of Contra Costa County, is one of the best places to live in California. Niche gives Orinda an overall grade of A, with an aggregate review score of 4 out of 5 stars from residents who rated the town.
Cost of living in Orinda is around 154% of the average cost of living in the United States, making it more expensive than most other cities in North America.
Orinda officially became a city in 1985 after more than a century of development. Orinda is managed well by a solid municipality. As of 2019, the city of Orinda had a population of nearly 20,000.
If you're looking to move to Contra Costa, you should also check out real estate in Lafayette, Walnut Creek, and Pleasant Hill. You can also read our guide to buying a home in Orinda. In addition, we have stunning houses for sale in Moraga, ranked by Niche as one of Contra Costa's best places to live.
At the Paddy Kehoe Team, we strive to provide exceptional service to home buyers, sellers, and builders in Lamorinda. We take pride in delivering the very best results for our clients and building lasting relationships.
