331 63rd St, Oakland, CA 94618

What if you could stop time? Find a house just as it was in the 1930’s, with no painting over the amazing natural wood detailing? No one having removed the French doors or lead/stained glass cabinet doors. No one did a “Sunset” ‘60/70’s remodel. Well you are in luck – this “Arts and Crafts” Bungalow is almost exactly the same today as it was the day it was built in 1915. This home has been under the same ownership since the 1940’s and has not been marketed since that time. It features 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, a formal living and dining room, a split level floorplan, and a partially finished basement. Starting with the oversized front porch you know this is a special home. The architectural detailing is “over-the-top” – with intricate door casings and headers at the French and pockets doors, hardwood floors with in-laid accents, a mirrored entry closet and bench, beautiful glass fronted China cabinet and Bookcases that feature leaded glass doors with both stained and cut glass, boxed beam ceilings, wainscoting, and original light fixtures. This is truly one of the best Rockridge Bungalows I have ever seen. The owners have also added a modern forced air heating system and updated the house with a newer electrical service. Of course there is still room for your personal touches - the kitchen and bathroom have been used for many, many years without much updating and these rooms, while functioning, really need someone that “gets this house” to bring them back to life. I can just picture a perfect magazine quality redo in a new or original style; once completed you will have a true showcase of a home. A 2 level basement with plenty of storage, room for a workshop, and a laundry room completes the picture. As much as I love the inside of this home I am curiously drawn to the backyard. It is so different it’s like the formal European garden that has stood still for years. Living on 63rd Street is one of the best places in all of all of the Bay Area. You have plenty of off-street parking here and a detached garage to use for a car, a workshop, or a gardening storage. But living on 63rd Street might also allow you to sell the car and buy a better bike, and ride, BART, stroll, or bus everywhere you need to go. The WalkScore of 94 out of 100 is about the highest I have seen in the East Bay. (Can you tell I really like this home?) Neighborhood Description Rockridge stretches along College Avenue from Broadway up to the Berkeley border at Ashby (where you will find us here at Lawton Associates, by the way). The neighborhood stretches west to spoon with Temescal and eastward up the hills for magnificent views of the bay. Whether you reside in a Craftsman on Cavour or a chalet on Chabot, you are never far from the action on College Avenue. And by action on College Avenue, we mean some of the hottest shops and restaurants in the Bay Area. Has the foodie press stopped raving about Wood Tavern? No they have not, but they are also busy touting A Cote, Oliveto, and of course Zachary’s, the best pizza you will ever eat. And, if you aren’t getting your freshly made pasta, organic produce, butchered meat, and piping hot pastries from Market Hall…well, you should be. And when you are ready to relax and watch the world go by, you can hang with cool cats at Cole Coffee, possibly the best roast this side of the bay. Rockridge came into its own in the 1970s when the BART station opened and the Caldecott Tunnel provided better access to Walnut Creek and beyond. Many neighborhood institutions from the 70s and before are still beloved destinations, such as Chimes Pharmacy. In addition to BART, there are so many public transportation options that you may never get in your car again. AC Transit has the uber-handy 51 line taking you from downtown Oakland to Berkeley. The “casual carpool” has several neighborhood pick-up spots, as do car-sharing services City Car Share and ZipCar. And, of course, the neighborhood is perfect for walking