If you need assistance, please call 888-400-2246

5 Ways to Love Lafayette: Meet the Neighborhoods

Tuesday, November 14, 2017   /   by Abio Properties, Blogger

5 Ways to Love Lafayette: Meet the Neighborhoods

Another article in our ongoing series about East Bay neighborhoods…

Lafayette Neighborhoods | Abios Properties

















If you've been eyeing a move to Lafayette, you know that neighborhood flavors range from downtown chic to semi-rural with rolling hills and horses. Choices, choices choices... How do you pick the right one for your family?

Let us help! With many of our Abio real estate agents living and working in Lafayette, we already  discovered the best places to live.

Let's start by describing why today's homebuyers are making Lafayette one of the East Bay's most sought after communities.

Lafayette has variety: older homes, newer homes, gated communities, downtown neighborhoods, trailside neighborhoods, vineyards and horse properties. Lafayette has the schools: Most homes are located in one of California’s best districts. Lafayette has a Mediterranean climate ideal for outdoor living, recreation, barbeques, and gardening. And Lafayette has location: just minutes from shops, restaurants, parks, trails, sports facilities, a BART station and more.

With so many great Lafayette neighborhoods to choose from, picking the best would be like splitting hairs. But here are five highlights:

1. Downtown Lafayette

Downtown Lafayette | Abios Properties

The obvious draw to the Downtown neighborhood is its proximity to chic boutiques, bistros, services, farmers market and events like the Art & Wine Festival. Its a thriving commercial district with small-town charm. Attractions also include the Lafayette BART station, library, bike trails, playgrounds, creeks, excellent grocery options such as Whole Foods and Diablo Foods, the nearby Lafayette Reservoir with 550-acres of oak woodland

Downtown offers diverse housing, from condos and apartments to large custom homes. Many of the homes built in the 1940s-1960s on the market today have been gorgeously remodeled with high-end upgrades.

And we have to mention the schools again. Lafayette Elementary serves the downtown neighborhood and scored a 9 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org.

2. Trailside

Lafayette Neighborhoods | Abio Properties





919 Hawthorne Rd
This Trailside home that sold in spring 2017 sits on a 1/4-acre lot.

Next door to Downtown Lafayette is the Trailside neighborhood. As its name promises, Trailside runs parallel to the bucolic Lafayette-Moraga Trail. In Trailside, you still live close to everything that Downtown offers, and also have easy access to walk, bike or ride horses along a 7.65-mile trail with a rich history. It was once used by mule trains to carry redwood from Oakland to Sacramento until steam trains took over. Today, the trail connects to several schools, including St. Mary's College, local parks, and downtown Moraga. You typically find ranch-style homes in quiet cul-de-sacs along the trail.

3. Burton Valley

Burton Valley in southeastern Lafayette is the peaceful Mayberry of Lafayette – a neighborhood full of kids on bikes, grassy parks, creek walks, a top-rated elementary school and swim clubs. Tucked in the "back" of Lafayette, away from the bustle of the freeway and downtown, it is a quiet and coveted neighborhood once filled with pear and walnut orchards. Now Burton Valley is known for large ranch and traditional homes built between 1937 and 2016, with lawns and oaks in front and swimming pools in back. Learn more about Burton Valley in our detailed blog post here.

4. Happy Valley

Happy Valley is home to some of Lafayette’s most enviable custom estates – houses with 4,000+ square feet on hilltops with views, private grounds behind gated entries, swimming pools, guest cottages, game rooms, and dream kitchens. Although this area in western Lafayette might seem a world away, it is near everything you want. Happy Valley is only about a mile from Downtown, BART, the freeway, and trail systems.

5. Reliez Valley

Lafayette Neighborhoods | Abio Properties
















The sweeping feel of Reliez Valley, where homes are nestled in the hills or along the valley floor, is rural and open. Reliez Valley in northeastern Lafayette features a mix of traditional neighborhoods and suburban courts, sought-after gated developments such as Baywood (built against the Briones Regional Park open space), and estates with horses and vineyards. Architectural styles range from ranch to traditional. Like the other Lafayette neighborhoods, no amenity is too far away. Some areas are walking distance from highly acclaimed public schools, and Downtown is just a few minutes away.

Want to know more about Lafayette? Check out these links:
Lafayette Homes For Sale
Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
Love Lafayette
Shop and Dine

Read related: Straddling Lafayette and Walnut Creek, unincorporated Saranap is a neighborhood that  surprises...


Want a town tour? Visit our Abio Properties' Lafayette office at 985 Moraga Rd, Suite 212, and we'll take you around! Contact us at 888-400-ABIO (2246) or hello@abioproperties.com.


  neighborhoods, lafayette

Abio Properties
4200 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94611
888-400-2246
DRE# 01993663
3385 Mount Diablo
Lafayette, CA 94549
888-400-2246

IDX Content is provided via the Internet for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use. Variable Price’ indicates the seller is willing to entertain offers within a Listing Price Range. All measurements and all calculations of area are approximate. Information provided by Seller/Other sources, not verified by Broker. All interested persons should independently verify accuracy of information. Provided properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information. IDX provided by Commissions Inc. Data last updated:February 19, 2025
MIMLS Bay East ©2025. CCAR ©2025. bridgeMLS ©2025. Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed. This information is being provided by the Bay East MLS, or CCAR MLS, or bridgeMLS. The listings presented here may or may not be listed by the Broker/Agent operating this website. This information is intended for the personal use of consumers and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Data last updated at February 19, 2025 9 AM.
Listings on this page identified as belonging to another listing firm are based upon data obtained from the SFAR MLS, which data is copyrighted by the San Francisco Association of REALTORS®, but is not warranted. Date last updated:February 19, 2025
The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes from the Broker Reciprocity Program of the Tahoe Sierra Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than {listing office} are marked with the Broker Reciprocity logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers. The information being provided is for the consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any other purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
This site powered by CINC: www.cincpro.com