With its big lots, rural settings, and home farms, family-friendly El Sobrante feels like going back in time. You can still see riders on horseback and imagine how this area was years ago, before development began. Spanish colonists came to Rancho El Sobrante (meaning “surplus land”) in the 1800s. Today the area remains culturally and ethnically diverse. Younger families with more progressive views are now populating what once was known as a largely conservative community.

Residents still have big gardens and raise chickens. Sheep and goats too. Here you are close to shopping in Pinole (think Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Peet's, etc.) but can also find organic produce at the weekly Farmer’s Market. While many errands may require a hop onto one of the nearby freeways, the neighborhood is walkable, and there are some real gems waiting to be discovered.

Opportunities for outdoor recreation abound. Imagine walking out your front door to access the Ridge Trail. Huge expanses of open land make for quiet nights and great bike riding. Nearby Kennedy Grove is a 222-acre regional park located in West Contra Costa County that contains a three-mile hiking trail with an elevation of 760 feet.

El Sobrante is close to San Francisco (25 minutes on a Saturday morning), and there is less local traffic than in many other Bay Area towns. Residents can enjoy great weather while they watch the fog roll off the hills into the sunshine.

Winkler Real Estate Group offers real estate services in El Sobrante.

photo cred:  http://www.elsobrantecachamber.com/