ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE PIEDMONT POST AUGUST 8TH 2026
As students head back to class, the City has quietly rewritten the Civic Center's traffic choreography.
Bonita Avenue between Vista and Oakland Avenues is now one-way northbound toward Oakland, drivers can no longer turn onto Bonita from Oakland, and the Havens Elementary drop-off zone that used to live on Bonita has been eliminated.
If you're a Havens family, the main show has moved to Highland Avenue, where loading zones now line both sides of the street and a crossing guard helps the littlest Piedmonters across.
The changes hit Havens families hardest but ripple through every route to the other schools and facilities in the Civic Center. Review your usual drive before the first bell and allow extra time in week one, because the first week of a new traffic pattern is always chaos wearing a polite smile.
The Piedmont Police Department will station staff at the Bonita/Oakland intersection during that first week to assist with the transition, which is city-speak for "we know this is going to be a mess, please be patient."
In the News: Pool Parking Pushback
June of this year, from very smart young journalists at The Highlander comes a well put together parking pushback. When will municipal government learn that revolutions are built on inconvenienced citizens?
Piedmont’s pool parking, which is near Piedmont’s schools, is already drawing pushback from students, and the complaints are not hard to understand. The city converted 30 spaces to two-hour parking and stepped-up enforcement, which means fewer long-term spots for PHS, MHS, and PMS students and staff.
The Highlander editorial argues the result will be more tardies, more tickets, and more frustration for teachers who already deal with limited parking. It also notes that the new pool does not justify making weekday school parking worse, especially when swim and water polo practices themselves run about two hours.
The bigger issue is process. Students say many only learned about the changes after getting ticketed, and a student petition to reverse the decision quickly gathered hundreds of signatures. If you want people to support civic change, start by not making their daily lives harder.
Real Estate From the Trenches
I went undercover on Monday broker’s tour last week, asking questions for this column. It turns out that none of the agents I visited knew I write this column. I wanted to chalk it up to them being busy but then I realized none of the ones I visited get the Post delivered to their homes.
I did meet some of the residents that tour and got some suggestions about how to make this a better column. I am listening. The best suggestion was to add a list of all addresses that changed hands for the month, akin to a police blotter. I’ll make sure to add all the ones that actually make the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
My favorite thing heard on tour came from a resident, wearing orange crocs, who was very excited about the view of the lake from one of the properties on tour. Children have a way of cutting through the sales pitch to the important things.
Did You Know
Piedmont, yes, this Piedmont, has a lake.
Most of us know the local landmarks, but there’s a secret hidden right behind the homes on Sotelo Avenue: Tyson Lake. Originally created in the early 20th century by George H. Tyson, who dammed a small local creek to build a private swimming hole, it remains one of the city's best-kept secrets.
Today, the lake is strictly private — managed by a neighborhood association rather than the city — and serves as a scenic (some say haunted) retreat for the surrounding homeowners. It’s a staple of local lore and often highlighted during Walking Piedmont tours, but don't go looking for a public entrance; there isn't one.
This week’s reader question is about disclosure, and I think this Huxley quote is applicable:
“The facts are the facts, and they do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” Aldous Huxley
Question: I had a mold issue that was caused by water intrusion between the stucco and exterior siding that we didn’t know about until it had spread behind the sheetrock in our basement. The issue has been addressed — do I need to disclose it and how should I do it?
Answer: Yes — if you know there was mold, water intrusion, or remediation, disclose it; you do not need to explain it away or justify it. In California, known material defects belong on the Transfer Disclosure Statement, and the safest approach is to state the facts plainly and let the buyer do their own due diligence.
That is the whole point of disclosure: not to defend the condition, but to make sure the buyer is informed
Real Estate Roundup
This is for my new friend with the Porsche that I met on broker's tour:
Sold
1120 Warfield Ave | 2 bed, 1 bath | 1,328 sf | $1,655,000 | 6 DOM
235 Highland Ave | 3 bed, 2.2 bath | 2,155 sf | $1,700,000 | 38 DOM
26 Ronada Ave | 4 bed, 3.1 bath | 3,650 sf | $3,650,000 | 47 DOM
126 Woodland Way | 3 bed, 2.1 bath | 2,970 sf | $3,785,000 | 16 DOM
68 Oakmont Ave | 4 bed, 3 bath | 3,106 sf | $3,975,000 | 13 DOM
10 Muir Ave | 5 bed, 4.2 bath | 4,242 sf | $5,758,000 | 12 DOM
Pending
5630 Moraga Ave | 2 bed, 1 bath | 971 sf | $625,000 | 148 DOM
140 Highland Ave | 3 bed, 3 bath | 1,529 sf | $1,595,000 | 9 DOM
314 Wildwood Ave | 4 bed, 3 bath | 2,805 sf | $2,800,000 | 11 DOM
236 King Ave Unit C | 3 bed, 3.1 bath | 3,166 sf | $2,900,000 | 173 DOM
305 Sheridan Ave | 8 bed, 6.1 bath | 6,986 sf | $6,398,000 | 8 DOM
Active
30 Blair Pl | 4 bed, 3 bath | 2,473 sf | $2,189,000 | 10 DOM
70 St James Pl | 4 bed, 3 bath | 2,351 sf | $2,400,000 | 89 DOM
110 Somerset Rd | 5 bed, 4 bath | 4,787 sf | $3,800,000 | 64 DOM
280 Indian Rd | 6 bed, 6.4 bath | 9,655 sf | $22,500,000 | 61 DOM
Takeaway
Six sales this month against a median of $3,717,500 and an average of 22 days on market, with the $6.4 million estate at Sheridan going pending in eight days while the entry market keeps its doors open with two homes under $650,000 under contract, which means the full Piedmont range from a $575,000 condo to a $22.5 million estate is transacting in the same month and the only thing standing between a buyer and their price point is patience and the willingness to let the market set the number.
America Foy is a Realtor® and Broker Associate with The Grubb Company
Questions, Comments, Tips? I want to know america@grubbco.com www.americasells.com
