Orinda Real Estate

A little about Orinda

East of and just over the hill from Oakland, Orinda, California, is a city in Contra Costa County, with a population of around 18,000. The town is just east of Berkeley and about 20 miles east of San Francisco, and was first incorporated as a city in 1985, though it spent more than 100 years gradually growing and developing into what it is today. Four elementary, one middle school and one high school make up Orinda’s public school system, and John F. Kennedy University serves as a post-secondary education option here. The Orinda Branch of the Contra Costa County Library offers residents opportunities to check out media materials and research. Cultural attractions in the town include the annual Orinda Film Festival, the historic Orinda Theater and the widely known California Shakespeare Theater, which holds performances from June to October at the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater.

Orinda Country Club, with Lake Cascade, is a great place to escape to in warm months, and Orinda Community Park provides open space. The town also lies close to Tilden Park, San Pablo Reservoir, Briones Open Space and the Lafayette Reservoir, and its historical society operates a museum with area history. The town also holds a large annual Independence Day celebration. Professional, scientific, and technical services, finance, insurance and education are the largest industries here. A hospital is close by, in Oakland, just about five miles away.