What is it about Happy Valley that makes it a happy place to live? Is it the glorious proliferation of golden daffodils that pop-up on street corners each spring? Is it the white twinkle lights that adorn the estate gardens of Happy Valley Road, lighting our way on on a dark winter evening? Is it the sight of young children skipping to Happy Valley School each morning? The ‘happy’ in Happy Valley is certainly derived from all of these things, and so much more.
Happy Valley is a highly desired Lafayette neighborhood, offering some of the most prestigious addresses in town, if not the entire East Bay. And though it is the locale of choice for several titans of varied Bay Area industries, their decisions to live in Happy Valley are often made based on the neighborhood’s understated elegance and it’s ‘under-the-radar’ nature. Happy Valley is a live-and-let-live community. Come Saturday morning, as residents find commonality in their requisite baseball caps and college-pride sweatshirts, each may find him/herself standing next to a well-known CEO or MLB player while waiting in line at Millie’s for that perfect piece of butter-slathered coffee cake. Here are a few other reasons that Happy Valley is worth a look:
- Proximity: Happy Valley is centrally located to – everything! Each end of the main thoroughfare connects you quickly and easily to the freeway. In Happy Valley, you are close to BART, the beloved
Lafayette Reservoir, hiking and biking trails, the luxurious Oakwood Athletic Club, and most importantly, downtown retail. Need a late night ice-cream fix? Lafayette’s many gourmet eateries and
grocery stores are minutes away. - Variety: Happy Valley boasts eclectic architectural styles among its mostly custom estate abodes; there is nothing ‘cookie-cutter’ in this neighborhood. You’ll find craftsman homes, mid-century modern masterpieces, and European style manses on a wide selection of parcel sizes. Find your bliss with a traditional rancher on the valley floor, or climb to the top of the foothills to find panoramic views. Choose one of the many tucked-away side streets that offer close proximity to neighbors, or select a gated estate with private grounds.
- Ambience: Despite rapid growth in surrounding areas, Happy Valley has somehow managed to retain a semi-rural and old-fashioned feel. The lots here are spacious and spread out, leaving residents room to breathe. This pastoral vibe is refreshing and relaxing. Though close to everything that Lafayette – and the entire Bay Area – offers, Happy Valley provides an urbane escape where everyday stresses are minimized.
- Happy Valley School: Those with young children will find a warm and welcoming school community at Happy Valley Elementary, home of the Huskies. One of 335 schools across the nation recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School, Happy Valley Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 520 students in grades K through 5, and a committed and caring parent community. A new Happy Valley Road sidewalk allows children and families to safely walk, or skip, to school – and that’s a sight that makes everyone happy.
