As we wrote when the four-bedroom home at 1208 Saint Charles Street in Alameda’s Gold Coast neighborhood hit the market earlier this year, we’d be willing to bet this isn’t what most people picture when they hear Alameda, especially if they’ve never been.
Sitting on a half-acre lot, with a private sprawling lawn and adjacent pool shared with a couple of neighbors, the 4,500-square-foot home features a blend of original architectural details with modern updates and additions, including the kitchen which doesn’t feel out of place.
Purchased for $2,050,000 in August of 2008, 1208 Saint Charles Street returned to the market this pat May listed for $2,995,000, was subsequently reduced $2,799,000, and has just closed escrow with a reported contract price of $2,700,000 ($594 per square foot).
Originally a peninsula connected to the Oakland docks, a shipping canal was dredged in 1902 which turned Alameda into the island it is today.
Lovely home, but I wouldn’t want to share a swimming pool. Sorry.
I wouldn’t personally have a problem with that even in this price range. I am not afraid of neighbors and other people. Having my own pool would seem wasteful actually.
Not interested in sharing a pool, especially on so poorly maintained. There’s obviously green algae growing in there.
While having a private pool is great, the idea of a shared pool works, if: 1) neighbors get along 2) they can agree on rules for usage 3) they use the pool responsibly and 4) they share the costs of pool maintenance equally. I have weekly pool service and it becomes a no-brainer to maintain a nice pool.
2.7 million dollars and the pool is shared?! No, no thank you.
Beautiful home. The Alameda Gold Coast is a fantastic neighborhood. As Mark mentioned, the shared pool is a tad unusual, but given the option of having one or not, it’s nice to have.
It is unusual to share with so few homes but otherwise pretty normal for other types of housing and clubs etc. so think it makes sense to share the costs. How often do people really use their pool anyway? And if you have kids and someone else does even better.
Alameda is really underrated. Jobs keep us on the Peninsula but otherwise I was ready to move there. There is some life in that town. Peninsula is pretty boring.
“we’d be willing to bet this isn’t what most people picture when they hear Alameda, especially if they’ve never been”
Huh?? What exactly is that “most people picture” Alameda as? It’s a quiet city of mostly single family homes, little industry and a (deserved) reputation for overly vigorous enforcement of traffic laws…I think this house fits that image perfectly.
Gees, someone pulled a favor… this property and its sale do not represent anything exceptional. The Gold Coast is no more… in the 1970’s the “coast” was made into a canal. The homes are great, but the “coast” is just a memory.
That island has gorgeous homes and the Gold Coast neighborhood must be one of the nicest historic urban neighborhoods in California–it’s just a couple of miles from downtown Oakland and about 4 or 5 miles from downtown San Francisco as a crow flies.
Some celebrities live or lived in that neighborhood, from the opera diva Frederica Von Stade to various pro athletes and a British filmmaker whose name escapes me. We almost bought there but ended up in Piedmont because we couldn’t find the right house.
I recently read that Alameda has the highest number of Victorian homes per capita in California but I find place like this much more beautiful than Victorian styles.
This house is awesome. So is Alameda. The shared pool is actually kind of a nice thing, considering that this is not a typical backyard pool. It’s a lap pool with four lanes, complete with a cabana pool house. Think of the parties!
I’d have my kid in that pool in swim diapers spoiling it for everyone else
Charming.
Way to go Zig, exactly the sort of nightmare neighbor that might keep one from buying this crib.
Kids exist and before they are potty trained they use swim diapers. Childless people have SF
Where you suburbanites feel no compunction about peeing on their walls after a night on the town.
Kids may exist, but your privileged statement was a little…gross.
Oh please. I lived as an adult for 15 years in SF and witnessed all sorts of dysfunction and human waste all over the place not from suburbanites.
And my comment about swim diapers was a joke
I love that the pool has a snack bar.