Alameda Point, Alameda

Tanja Odzak is a Top East Bay Realtor with eXp Realty, helping buyers and sellers in Alameda and across the East Bay. Alameda Point is the name for the lands of the former Naval Air Station Alameda, at the western end of the island. Most of it was built on land reclaimed from San Francisco Bay, and today it mixes Navy-era hangars and homes with museums, distilleries, open space along the water, and new neighborhoods still taking shape.

Alameda Point covers the west end of Alameda Island, facing San Francisco across the Bay and the Oakland Estuary to the north. Its old runways stretch toward the water on the northwest, and the Seaplane Lagoon opens to the Bay on the south side. The West End lies to its east. Alameda has no official neighborhood map, so descriptions of the edges vary.

The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum sits on the southernmost pier of the old base. The Hornet is a World War II aircraft carrier that later recovered Apollo astronauts returning from space, and it has been a museum since 1998. It is a National Historic Landmark, with aircraft on its flight and hangar decks and Apollo program exhibits inside. The Alameda Naval Air Museum, across from the Seaplane Lagoon Promenade, tells the story of the base itself.

On the old runways, the Alameda Point Antiques Faire runs monthly and is the largest antiques and collectibles show in Northern California.

The Seaplane Lagoon is the large, protected basin where the Navy once operated seaplanes. Its northern edge now holds the Seaplane Lagoon Promenade, which opened in 2022 with picnic areas, paved paths, bike trails, lawn, and public art, plus views of the ships in the lagoon, including the Hornet. The promenade was designed in tiers so its lower levels can flood as the Bay rises. De-Pave Park, an ecological nature park, borders it on the west, and the Seaplane Lagoon ferry terminal connects Alameda Point to San Francisco.

Alameda Point has two very different kinds of housing. Much of the former base is part of the Naval Air Station Alameda Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and near the old "O'Club," the historic homes known as the "Big Whites" sit on a distinctive "beehive" street network. New construction is the other half of the story: the first phase of the Site A development, which broke ground in 2018, brings hundreds of new homes to a mixed-use, transit-oriented waterfront neighborhood.

What should you look for in an Alameda Point home? New construction still deserves a careful look, and for a condo or townhome, read the association documents closely before you commit. As with any Alameda home, check whether it is in FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area on FEMA's official flood map (the City's Community View map gives an unofficial view). If it is, and your lender is federally regulated or insured, flood insurance is required.

San Francisco Bay Ferry runs from the Seaplane Lagoon terminal to San Francisco, and the Main Street ferry terminal is nearby on the west end. By car, the Posey and Webster Street Tubes lead into Oakland's Chinatown and downtown, and AC Transit buses connect the island to Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco. The shoreline paths make biking an easy way to get around the west end.

Buyers who look at Alameda Point are often drawn to newer construction, a waterfront setting with Bay and skyline views, a ferry at hand for the commute to San Francisco, and a neighborhood with museums, tasting rooms, and open space along the water.

Tanja Odzak knows what to check in a home, new or old, and how an Alameda sale works, including the flood map. If you're weighing a move to Alameda Point, that's worth a conversation.