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Indoor-Outdoor Mediterranean Extravagance
32 Bowles Place
Crocker Highlands
Oakland, CA
$ 1,895,000
3
Bedrooms
2.5
Baths
2,437
Square Feet
10,136
Lot Size
32 Bowles Place
Video Tour
32 Bowles Place
A refined Crocker Highlands cul-de-sac embraces this equally refined Mediterranean home and its perfectly paired outdoor extravagance. Immaculately preserved elements throughout the three-bedroom tri-level home commingle with new elements: a new powder room harmonizes with the time-honored sensibility of two second-floor bathrooms; the dine-in kitchen meshes the artisan rusticity of a wood-beamed ceiling with superlative updates. Joined by a constellation of arches, main-floor public spaces invite luminous light, and the living room opens to a lounge deck with fire feature. From it, stairs of painted tile and brick wind down to a fountain that meets level lawn and brick terrace. Anchored by focal-point stucco-and-tile fireplace, the trellis-topped outdoor living room basks in quietude, with a neighbor-free backdrop of luxuriantly treed canyon. The lower family-room level also opens directly to this year-round outdoor-living area.
The property feels like its own sanctuary within the leafy sanctuary that is Bowles Place, lined with polished period architecture and devoid of through traffic. Yet the setting remains improbably close to a world of convenience. Crocker Highlands Elementary, shopping and dining on Park Boulevard lie within an easy walk. Only slightly farther, the Lakeshore hub bustles with cafes, shops, and recreation.
Mediterranean characteristics distinguish the grounds, the home’s terra-cotta-tile-topped exterior, and craftsmanship-rich interior. The front door, which establishes an arch motif, opens to airy spaces embellished with woodwork, including honey-hued hardwood floors, and radiance-generating windows that include leaded glass and wood-casement versions. Near its divided-light glass door, the living room is elevated by a ceiling-spanning fireplace; its bold wood-beam mantle dovetails with kitchen ceiling beams. The dining-room-adjacent kitchen offers an additional spot to dine. Its windowed breakfast alcove, with hillside and canyon outlook, highlights original arched corner hutches. Extensive updated cabinetry includes a pantry with pull-outs; stone countertop links to backsplashes of natural-stone tile; plentiful prep spaces include an expansive beverage bar and long stretch of counter, amid which appliances integrate and feature a wine refrigerator, Viking six-burner range, and large-scale Sub-Zero refrigerator.
Three second-floor bedrooms include the primary suite. All are noteworthy for tree-canopy vistas and generous closet dimensions. Bathrooms harmonize in their vintage-yet-pristine compositions that spotlight variations on hexagonal-tile themes.
On the lower level, the family room enjoys a separation of space and doubles as a private office or bedroom with closet and separate entry. Also on this level, a luxe laundry room is far beyond functional and offers extensive storage.
Open Houses
Sunday, October 8th • 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Listing Agent
Contact Anthony Riggins
510.693.7931
email anthony
anthony’s bio
Map & Directions
Contact
Anthony Riggins
Realtor® Associate
Sotheby’s International Realty
CalDRE# 01372885
(510) 693-7931
email anthony
www.AnthonyRiggins.com
Crocker Highlands Then & Now
A fascinating history launched the neighborhood that teems with enchantment today. Like Oakland’s symbolic oak tree, Crocker Highlands brandishes roots that delve deep and a vigor that endures. Owned in the 1880’s by Peder Sather, (whose name remains familiar for Cal’s iconic Sather Gate) the land was initially developed as Sather Park. An electric double-decker trolley ferried picnickers to the hilly dale, traversing a wooden trestle bridge that reached a glen marking entry to the park. The origin of the neighborhood’s illustrious Trestle Glen Road is revealed! Rail transportation prevailed, and the original East Bay Railways lines evolved into the Key System, carrying passengers between Oakland and San Francisco, increasing accessibility to this natural wonderland.
A cast of luminaries in their fields played influential roles in transforming the area.
Enter the Olmsted Brothers. Their father had designed New York’s Central Park. Next-generation Olmsteds ultimately created blueprints for noteworthy landscapes and parks across North America. Here, they laid out Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery and Crocker Highlands ‘residential park’, delineating gracefully winding streets that hug the curves of the landscape with park areas sprinkled throughout. A crown atop the new garden suburb, its majestic entryway was fashioned by the architects of San Francisco’s City Hall, Bakewell & Brown.
Architects of note including Julia Morgan, Frederick Reimers, Maybeck & White also shaped Crocker Highlands, designing exalted homes that were erected mostly in the 1920’s. Grandly fashioned, these Tudor, Mediterranean, Italian Renaissance, Colonial, French Provincial homes bejewel the landscape along tree-lined streets interspersed with vintage streetlamps. With foresight to the future, Lakeshore Homes Association was established in 1917 to protect and preserve the neighborhood. Their oversight, coupled with owners who keep their period homes polished, has ensured that the dynamic assortment of architecture retains its original glory.
Today, homes remain ensconced in serene park-like surroundings, which sit on the verge of vitality.
Residents relish scenic walking and biking throughout the residential streets, green spaces, and adjacent attractions: beloved, highly rated Crocker Highlands Elementary; Lakeshore’s hub of unique café culture and independent boutiques; Trader Joe’s and the Farmer’s Market at Splash Pad Park, which features far more than produce and is an every-Saturday outing for many; historic Grand Lake Theater, the art deco movie palace; Lake Merritt’s rowing and boating, three-mile shoreline perimeter for walking and jogging, public gardens, Children’s Fairyland. A sparkling scene by day and night, the lake is encircled by a necklace of lights suspended from lamp posts, originally put up in 1925, now energy efficient and designated a landmark.
The historic Key System was recast in 1960 as AC Transit, which provides local and Transbay bus service to and from stops throughout the neighborhood. A swift 10-mile ride to downtown San Francisco makes an easy commute with Wi-Fi aboard. Convenient highway access, as well as BART, add to the ease of roaming the Bay Area.