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Architectural Enchantment
on Exceptional Crocker
Cul-de-Sac
947 Larkspur Road
Crocker Highlands
Oakland, CA
$ 2,100,000
3
Bedrooms
2.5
Baths
2,383
Square Feet
5,980
Lot Size
947 Larkspur Road
Video Tour
947 Larkspur Road
Recently updated, this 1924 Spanish Colonial Revival on large, level, landscaped grounds unites original glamour and glamorous refurbishment. Immaculately preserved elements throughout the three-plus bedroom home commingle with new elements that befit its time-honored sensibility, such as grey-veined quartz counters in the kitchen and marble in both full bathrooms. A sunroom extension of the grand living room plus dine-in kitchen and primary suite open to enchanted outdoor-living areas. Exquisite gardens fringe the home and stand out for their terraces, pergola-style outdoor room, and stone-edged beds of blooming compositions.
Larkspur Road nestles within the heart of Crocker Highlands, a tree-lined bastion of perfectly preserved and vivaciously varied architecture of the Twenties. Sheltered and serene, the cul-de-sac culminates with a precious park in its roundabout. Within a scenic stroll or bike ride, a world of convenience, commute options and beloved schools animates the neighborhood and the Lakeshore-Grand hub filled with unique shopping, dining, and recreation.
The home’s façade sets a Spanish Colonial tone with a clay tile roof, terra-cotta terrace beneath a balcony, and exterior archways. Integral to this Mediterranean ambiance, interior spaces connect visually and physically with exuberant surroundings. Widespread window arrays and glass doors deliver radiance, frame verdant views, and lead to the lavish, livable property. In the back garden, a pergola-style courtyard embraces elegant al fresco entertaining and everyday enjoyment; semi shaded by wood rafters and semi open via a trio of archways, it looks out on an adjacent stone terrace, outstretched lawn, garden borders, and raised planting beds, all outlined by a treed periphery.
In a two-story center-hall layout the home showcases charismatic main-floor rooms with well-preserved elements including vibrantly grained hardwood floors and an arch-motif fireplace. The kitchen unfurls from a windowed breakfast area spotlighting a butler’s pantry to a peninsula, the ideal conduit for connecting to the prep area. Quartz countertops meet white subway tile backsplashes, and high-caliber stainless appliances include a Viking gas range. A powder room serves the main floor and, placed near the exterior door, is also easily accessible from the back garden.
Ringing the second-floor landing, two bedrooms plus the primary suite are augmented by two smaller-scale but infinitely useful rooms. Along the landing, a sitting room serves well as a den or office. Within the primary suite, a sun-kissed atelier makes a luminous office, nursery, or lounge. The main chamber of the suite extends to a covered balcony, walk-in closet and updated timeless-effect bathroom. Stylistically cohesive, the hall bathroom features marble flooring and classic components.
On the lower level, windowed bonus space that opens to the back garden is well suited for projects or fitness; extensive storage and laundry facilities complete the level.
Schedule
Open Houses
Sunday, Oct 23rd • 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Broker Tours
Monday, Oct 24th • 10:00 AM – 1:00 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.