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Birdland
Central location, schools and parks attract families

This neighborhood may not have a larger avian population than others in town but it's known as Birdland because its streets are named after birds, including Raven Road, Canary Drive and Blackbird Way . It's bordered by Valley Avenue to the south, Santa Rita Road to the east and Hopyard to the west.

At one time it was all farmland belonging to the Casterson family, where two homesteads were put in the 1930s. Al Casterson sold the land to Morrison Homes in 1963, except for about an acre where today the two original homes face Valley Avenue.

Now the mature Birdland landscaping is a draw in the neighborhood, said Realtor Tyler Moxley.

"You have tree-lined streets that give you shade and make you feel like it's more of a neighborhood than a subdivision," Moxley said. "People have mentioned that to me it's a homey, comforting feeling."

The main attractions for families, he said, are its central location, schools within walking distance and nearby parks. Birdland is close to Walnut Grove Elementary School, Harvest Park Middle School and Amador Valley High School, as well as Alisal Elementary. It has Woodthrush Park in the neighborhood and is bordered by Pleasanton Sports Park to the north.

"Being in the center of town, there's easy access to downtown, and there are shops and restaurants in the area. You don't have to drive 15 minutes just to get to grocery stores," Moxley said.

"You've got the ability to hang out at parks with the kids on weekends," he noted, "and because it's a family-friendly neighborhood, there are lots of kids there."

Birdland has single-story ranch homes and two-story colonials, which also make it popular.

"They're for families, not too small and not crazy big, so you could theoretically move there as a young family, your kids could leave and the house is still a manageable size," Moxley explained.

The quality construction allows remodeling, even knocking out walls.

"The floor plans are easy to work with, if you want to take walls out or move bathrooms around," Moxley said. "Everybody comes in and has their own spin on it. There is everything from original linoleum to hardwood floors and everything in between."

"They were built well back in the '60s and have held up for almost 50 years," he added.

FACTS

FIRE STATION:

Station No. 3, 3200 Santa Rita Road

LIBRARY:

Downtown branch, 400 Old Bernal Ave.

PARKS:

Woodthrush Park, Sports Park

POST OFFICE:

4300 Black Ave.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

Walnut Grove Elementary School, Harvest Park Middle School, Amador Valley High School.

SHOPPING:

Hopyard Village Shopping Center, Amador Center, Mission Plaza/Valley Plaza, Gateway Square Shopping Center

MEDIAN 2011 HOME PRICE:

$763,000 ($575,000-$940,000)

# HOMES SOLD IN 2011:

25