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Pleasanton Meadows
Greenbelt is big attraction in northeast neighborhood

A park running the length of the Pleasanton Meadows neighborhood is one of its main attractions, say the residents, as well as its school, popular Cabana Club and friendly neighbors. Plus it's near the freeways.

"It's got good access to 580 and 680, and Fairlands Elementary is a good school," said Realtor Blaise Lofland. "It's also convenient to BART and if you're going to the Oakland Airport. A lot of the residents travel."

Pleasanton Meadows, in the northeast corner of the city, has consistently attracted families since it was built by Rouseau Development beginning in 1968 with homes ranging from 1,300 to 2,500 square feet. Its street names exhibit a British flare, from Churchill to Dickens to Balmoral. The neighborhood is bordered by I-580 to the north, Staples Ranch to the east, Santa Rita Road to the west and West Las Positas Boulevard to the south.

The Pleasanton Meadows Cabana Club is the heart of the community and the site of its annual Easter egg hunt, grand opening BBQ, and fall adult wine and food party. The swim team competes with local teams in the summer.

Another 300 houses and townhomes, not part of the original subdivision, were built after the mid-'80s in what is sometimes called Monopoly land because one street is named Boardwalk and another, Park Place. At the northeastern end, residents in newer homes enjoy the half-acre Meadows Park, which has a basketball court and picnic tables. A condo unit near Santa Rita has its own pool.

In the '90s the residents erected a "Pleasanton Meadows" sign at Santa Rita and West Las Positas although many of the residents, especially those with ties to the school, refer to their neighborhood as Fairlands.

Realtor Lofland also noted that the neighborhood is close to good shopping -- "or it will be."

Nob Hill Foods moved out of nearby Meadow Plaza in early 2010, and Walmart plans to open a Neighborhood Market in the space. While some neighbors look forward to the new supermarket, others object to Walmart and point out that Safeway is only a mile further away.

The neighborhood also backs up to a center anchored by Trader Joe's and is near the Rose Pavilion, which has Ranch 99 and Fresh & Easy for grocery shopping.

Neighbors have banded together before to stop the expansion of the Livermore Airport and to prevent Stoneridge Drive from extending to El Charro, at least for awhile. When it goes through in the next year or two it will open the way to more amenities, including Paragon Outlet Mall with 120-plus upscale stores currently under construction.

FACTS

FIRE STATION:

Station No. 3, 3200 Santa Rita Road

LIBRARY:

Downtown branch, 400 Old Bernal Ave.

PARKS:

Fairlands Park, Meadows Park

POST OFFICE:

4300 Black Ave.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

Fairlands Elementary School, Hart Middle School, Amador Valley High School, Foothill High School

SHOPPING:

Rose Pavilion Shopping Center, Meadow Plaza/Santa Rita Square, Cort Furniture Rental Plaza

2011 HOME PRICES:

High: $743,000; low: $530,000

# HOMES SOLD IN 2011:

22