Orinda/Moraga
The City of Orinda is a family-oriented community which offers its residents a serene setting in contrast to the more urban existence of the surrounding area. The tree-studded hillsides of the 12.8 square-mile city contribute to Orinda’s aesthetic beauty. Natural beauty, excellent schools, safety, history, culture, serenity and its proximity to major San Francisco Bay locations and activities with easy freeway access and its own BART station make Orinda a delightful place in which to live, visit, and shop. It is located east of Oakland and just 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco. Orinda would argue they are the most beautiful city in Contra Costa, and is the proud host of the California Shakespeare Theater and the California Independent Film Festival events. This is another of the highly sought after communities within the East Bay.
The City of Moraga originally was an extension of Orinda to the south including The Crossroads. It was owned by the Moraga Company in the early 1900’s. In 1927, The Moraga Company offered 100 acres free to Saint Mary’s College and College of Holy Names. They felt a college would bring culture and people to a very barren area and help the Moraga Company sell homes. Only St. Mary’s College accepted the offer and bought an additional 300 acres. It is now one of the top private universities in California. In fact, most of the homes, roads and businesses in present day Moraga were built since 1960. Moraga Country Club is the one of the jewels within this city. It is a highly sought after bedroom community, with great pride in their quality of life for the families who live there.