It does not get much better than Piedmont, California, the location of Highland Partners’ first office, now 12 years later, Corcoran Icon Properties. Located in the Oakland Hills, Piedmont is bordered by the city of Oakland. Piedmont is just minutes from Berkeley and the Bay Bridge, but seems a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area. It is an enclave of beauty in the heart of the East Bay. Get in touch with The DiMaggio and Betta Group.
Many of the homes in Piedmont date back to the 1920’s, when Piedmont was known as the “City of Millionaires.” Today these gorgeous, turn-of-the-century mansions are as stately as ever. Piedmont’s historic homes from the early 20th Century, along with beautiful tree-lined streets, continue to impress visitors and residents over 100 years later. Many of these homes have panoramic views of the Bay. It is hard to believe that one can have breathtaking views with a close proximity to San Francisco, yet still achieve the small town feel that is It does not get much better than Piedmont, California, the location of Highland Partners’ first office. Piedmont.
Piedmont is renowned for its luxurious homes, but also has some of the best public schools in the nation. Piedmont High School is ranked in the top (gold) category according to U.S. News. The excellent schools are a major attraction for homeowners that want the best education for their children. Parent involvement in the schools is also a marked example of the strength and vitality of Piedmont.
The beauty of Piedmont, its historical homes with panoramic views, combined with its proximity to the surrounding cities, nearly perfect weather, and its excellent school system make it one of the most attractive cities in the Bay Area.
A personal perspective: Debbi grew up in Piedmont, attended Wildwood Elementary School, Piedmont Junior High now called Piedmont Middle School and Piedmont High. Debbi graduated in 1982 from PHS and from UC Berkeley in 1987. For all the same reasons she enjoyed and benefited from Piedmont are the same reasons she and husband and partner Adam Betta decided to move their family to town.
The excellent school system tops the list. One must live in town to attend the top-rated Piedmont schools. The high school is similar to a private school with just under 800 students, grades 9-12.
Piedmont is a tight community where everyone knows one another and watches out for one another. Many of the children have known one another since they were toddlers hanging out in the Piedmont Park. With that noted, the Piedmont kids are also very welcoming to new students and look forward to meeting the new kids on the block.
Piedmont is a place where kids can grow up in a small town environment, yet are not isolated. Piedmont is ideally situated near the cultural diversity of Oakland and Berkeley and convenient to shops, cafes, boutiques and a variety of restaurants.
Transportation and alternative routes - Piedmont is just a 20 minute drive of San Francisco and can be accessed via BART, bus, car or the informal car pool. The East Bay has easy access to both the San Francisco Airport and the Oakland Airport. The San Mateo Bridge, the Bay Bridge and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge provide alternative routes to your destination, unlike, for instance, in Marin County where public transportation and alternative routes are limited and the 101 freeway very congested. (A beautiful place, however.)
Easily accessible to world renown and Debbi's personal favorites for day trips or weekend overnights: Lake Tahoe, Napa, Sonoma, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Monterey, Big Sur and with the Oakland airport so close, Park City, Utah, Scottsdale, Arizona, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, even Cabo San Luca plus many other cites are just a hop, skip and a jump away on Southwest or Alaska Air.
Another personal favorite Debbi points out is the giving back and community service aspect. Piedmont families and students are very active in giving back to the schools, community and others less fortunate in the neighboring communities, hospitals and organizations. Students have a variety of opportunities to participate in philanthropy. One of the most popular high school volunteer program is the Mexico Trip. The Piedmont Community Church offers this program once a year and fills up immediately. The students spend one week building homes for families just outside of Tijuana giving up their Spring Break to help others. It's an incredible and moving experience for these affluent kids to experience. Or young woman can join NCL, the National Charity League, a mother-daughter organization who support and volunteer their time to various organizations. Piedmont has an incredible number of boys involved in Boy Scouts, many who have become Eagle Scouts. These are just a few of the many opportunities offered to our Piedmont kids and young adults.
In Piedmont, kids and families are involved, no matter what it is, they are active, giving and compassionate citizens.