About El Sobrante

The Villas of Portofino is nestled in the East Bay Foothills of the San Francisco Bay Area, and comforted by the gentle, cool breezes of the Pacific. This peaceful community is not far from the energy & excitement of San Francisco, Hwys 101 to the Coast & 4 to the Sierras with nearby access to many East Bay parks.

RECREATION

• Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve: This is a two and one half mile system of trails that leads to ridge top vistas of San Pablo and Richmond Bays, Mt. Diablo and Mt. Tamalpais. There are three entrances within minutes of the Villas. They are on Conestoga Way, Heavenly Ridge Lane and Coach Drive. For more park information call 510-223-7840

• Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area: This park offers a comfortable setting for small or large group picnics. There is room for football or baseball and the park offers volleyball and horseshoe equipment rental. There is a cottage for rent that is suitable for meetings, parties and receptions. For more park information call 510-223-7840

• Wildcat Canyon: This park extends from Tilden park to the historic Alvarado Park. There is access to this park from the top of Mcbryde Avenue just south of El Sobrante. You can ride bikes, hike or ride your horse on the trails. There is also camping and picnicking. For more information call 510-236-1262.

• Tilden Regional Park: This has been called the jewel of the park system. There is a carousel to ride, a lake to swim in and a Garden to stroll through. Tilden is 2079 acres and includes a steam train ride and a small farm with a visitor center. There are many picnic areas with BBQ pits and plenty of hiking trails. Access to Tilden is just a few minutes from El Sobrante. For more information call 510-843-2137

DINING

• Jennifer and Todd's Café Sole 3550 San Pablo Dam Rd. 510-758-6134 This is a wonderful restaurant with large portions of home cooking.

• Tina's Place has moved to a new location on Valley View Road, right next to Four Corners Pizza. This popular restaurant out grew its creek side location and now serves it large breakfast menu from a larger location.

• Bianco's Delicatessen 4990 Appian Way 510-223-4405 This is a popular sandwich place for locals. There is also a large selection of homemade food to take home and Italian grocery products for sale.

• Four Corners Pizza and Pasta 4203 Valley View Rd. 510-222-9925 This restaurant was a long time favorite in Crockett and has recently moved to El Sobrante. They have pizza and full Italian dinners.

• Bamboo Chopsticks Restaurant 448 Valley View Rd 510-222-6364

DEMOGRAPHICS

As of 2007, El Sobrante's population is 26,851 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 2.96 percent.

The median home cost in El Sobrante is $599,000. Home appreciation the last year has been -1.83 percent.

Compared to the rest of the country, El Sobrante's cost of living is 43.99% Higher than the U.S. average.

El Sobrante public schools spend $5,334 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 21 students per teacher in El Sobrante.

The unemployment rate in El Sobrante is 4.30 percent (U.S. avg. is 4.60%). Recent job growth is Positive. El Sobrante jobs have increased by 1.39 percent.

TRANSPORTATION

AC Transit is the bus system that operates in El Sobrante. There is also a BART station located in Orinda which is easily accessed by San Pablo Dam Road.

The BART station in Richmond also houses the Amtrak station for easy access to Sacramento.

Getting around in your car is easy. El Sobrante is close to Orinda and highway 24. Highway 80 is convenient for trips to San Francisco and Oakland, or to Reno and Tahoe. If you want to get to Marin

the Richmond Parkway gives speedy access to the San Rafael Bridge.

LINKS

East Bay Regional Park District: http://www.ebparks.org/

WestCat: http://www.westcat.org/

BART: http://www.bart.gov/index.asp

Contra Costa County http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/

El Sobrante general info: http://www.city-data.com/city/El-Sobrante-California.html

AC Transit http://www2.actransit.org/main.wu

West Contra Costa Schools http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/index.shtml