1317 Sruce Street Story

Did I say that we trimmed the trees at 1317 Spruce Street and now there is a fine Bay view from the front bedroom and lots more light in the whole house? It is funny how when one lives in a house and likes the feeling of trees, they can grow over the years without the owners noticing that they are slowly cutting off the views at least in the eyes of the objective Realtor,who is supposed to be the getting the best price for the house.

This house has many of the qualities a country home: privacy and an intimate relationship to the outdoors while being close to everything one needs for a busy urban life. It is just blocks from Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto and The University of California.

The property has three parts. A main house with three bedrooms, one with the Bay View,  and another with its own entrance, and one and half baths. The inside has been beautifully remodeled over the past dozen or so years. The light fixtures are especially nice. There is even a closet remodel that most people would kill for although those in search of a second bath upstairs might like to know that it would fit nicely in that space. The laundry is also upstairs between the finely remodeled bathroom and that closet.

The main floor has an  Living Room, Family Room with fireplace and Dining Area plus that flow into one another making a vary good pace for entertaining with smaller more intimate places to sit and read or talk within the larger spaces. There is also a delightful and colorful eat-in kitchen and a separate pantry and half bath.

For extra income, there is a legal studio apartment which could be combined with the main house at some point. The owners rented it for $1000.00 before it was enlarged and remodeled. It is quite sweet and they believe, after living in it themselves for a couple of years, that the rent would be much higher now.

There is a yard with new sod and a patio for long lunches and evening barbeque's.

The property is accessed from a secret alley called the Rose Glen Alley that is right off of Rose Street between Spruce and Arch Street. There are two parking places off of the alley.

Unfortunately the photos that Scott Hargis, Red Oak Realty's  awesome architectural photographer could not to take a Bay view shot because the view was hiding under the fog  o we don't have one but if you come to view the house on a sunny afternoon you will see it.

being a painter myself, what I love best about this property is Loren's 400 square foot ( according to the sellers)  art studio with its high ceilings and skylights.You can be anything you want to be in that studio. Artist, musician, yogi, professor, business person-- the uses are yet to be determined by the new owner. This is creativity central with a future unknown.


The price is $1,149,000
It will be open tomorrow Sunday August 22nd from 2-4 PM
Come see it and enjoy and of course I hope that you will want to buy it. One thing it isn't is a museum although Loren will be happy to sell you some of his wonderful paintings.