April 2009


I’ve gotten a number of requests from prospective homebuyers to provide more information about Fremont.  So, I’ve put together a brief overview below that describes the five districts (Mission San Jose, Irvington, Niles, Centerville and Warm Springs) that comprise Fremont.  Each district has its own atmosphere and unique attributes, making the Fremont experience greater than the sum of its parts.

See my previous post for more information about the Mission San Jose district.

As well as being a great place to find a home, the Irvington district is Fremont’s largest shopping area, with everything from small locally-owned shops and restaurants to the mainstream shopping stores available at The Hub shopping center and Gateway Plaza, both located close the BART station.  Irvington is also home to Lake Elizabeth at Central Park. The park and recreation area was recently ranked by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best urban outings in the Bay Area (March 5, 2009).

The Niles district, another of Fremont’s historic districts, was Hollywood before there was a Hollywood.  It is the famous home of many of the Charlie Chapin and Bronco Billy films. Proud of its history, Niles is a community within a community. Located along Mission Blvd (old Highway 238) and tucked below the green foothills, the homes are both some of the oldest and some of the prettiest in Fremont. Niles is the small town inside the big suburb. It is also one of the best places to find antiques in the East Bay.

The Centerville district is currently one of the more affluent of Fremont’s districts and has one of the most diverse ethnic populations in Fremont.  Containing the newly developed Ardenwood neighborhood, with the high scoring Ardenwood elementary school, it has become the go-to place for many working professionals looking to buy their first home. Centerville is rich with multi-cultural pride.

Warm Springs at the south end of Fremont is the newest of the five districts and the closest to Silicon Valley.  But simply calling it a great place to live while you work in San Jose or Mountain View would overlook its own importance in the Bay Areas economic boom. Within the Warm Springs district, you’ll find the headquarters of many high-tech companies including Nielsen Norman Group, Corsair Memory and Lexar, Elitegroup Computer Systems, Asus and many of the country’s top bio-tech firms. The district is also home to NUMMI, Fremont’s largest employer (a joint automobile manufacturing plant for General Motors and Toyota). With well respected elementary schools, Warm Springs has become a highly desirable place to raise children.  Warms Springs will soon have a new Asian Shopping center near the interchange between highway 680 and highway 880.  What’s more, it is now home to the large Pacific Commons Shopping Center.

Including all the schools listed above, Fremont is served by the Fremont Unified School District. Fremont has 29 elementary schools, five junior high schools and six high schools: Mission San Jose High School — which was ranked as the 49th best high school in the nation; American High School, Irvington High School, Washington High School, Robertson High School and Kennedy High School.  Alsion Montessori Middle/High School and California School for the Deaf are also located in Fremont as well as a number of private schools.  For advanced studies or summer enrichment courses, Stanford, the UC Berkeley main campus and University East Bay in Hayward are within 35 minute drives.  UC Berkeley also has an extension campus located in Fremont. And as I mentioned, Ohlone College is a top community college with highly regarded nursing, computer science and green technology programs.

Fremont is a wonderful place to live with a great deal of home buying opportunities currently available. As a Fremont realtor with over 15 years of experience here, I’d be glad to provide you with more information on the Fremont real estate market.  Feel free to get your Fremont homes search started on my website today.  

I’ve gotten a number of requests from prospective homebuyers to provide more information on the various communities that I have expertise on.  So, I’ve put together a brief overview for Fremont’s Mission San Jose district below.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have.

Fremont has 201,334 residents situated over 92 square miles, according to the census of 2008, making it the fifth largest city on the Bay Area.  Its established itself as the Bay Area home of many high-tech and bio-tech firms and is known for its attractive, manageable commutes to other tech companies located in the South Bay and on the Peninsula. In addition, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley are accessible within 60 minutes on BART. 

The historic Mission San Jose district is a very desirable area for home buyers and families.  It is located just off of Highway 680 and sits below the foothills of Mission Peak. The district prides itself on maintaining a small town feel – for example, the Olive Festival is held annually, Independence Day parades bring residents out onto the sidewalk in summer, and in winter a Christmas tree lighting event is held close by. Ohlone College (see more below) is the hub of activity in the area and a number of small commercial businesses, retail shops, and eateries are within walking distance. The Mission San Jose district is a short drive away from The Hub shopping center in the Irvington district, Gateway Plaza near the BART station, the newly developed Pacific Commons Shopping Center in the Warm Springs district and NewPark Mall in the city of Newark.

The Mission San Jose district is also home to cultural and community centers like the impressive Smith Center for Performing Arts at Ohlone College and the Olive Hyde Art gallery.  In addition, Fremont has plenty of indoor and outdoor recreation areas. The popular and highly ranked Lake Elizabeth (Central Park) with golfing, a dog park and sporting fields will soon house a new water park opening in May of 2009.  Additionally, residents and visitors enjoy Quarry Lakes Park, sections of the Alameda Creek trail, Fremont Teen Center, Fremont Senior Center, and of course the mountainous hiking trails of Mission Peak.

As for schools, Fremont is served by the Fremont Unified School District, and families flock to homes in the Mission San Jose district to enroll their children in Mission San Jose High School, ranked as the 49th best high school in the nation.  Known locally as “Mission” or MSJ, the high school was founded in 1964 and is known for its strong academics, sending 93% of its graduates to post-secondary schools.  For advanced studies or summer enrichment courses, Stanford, the UC Berkeley main campus and Cal State University East Bay in Hayward are within 35 minute drives.  UC Berkeley also has an extension campus located in Fremont.  Ohlone College (a community college) with highly regarded nursing, computer science and green technology programs has its main campus located in the Mission San Jose district. 

Mission San Jose is a wonderful place to live with a great deal of home buying opportunities currently available. As a Fremont realtor with over 15 years of experience here, I’d be glad to provide you with more information on the Fremont real estate market.  Feel free to get your Fremont homes search started on my website today.