Mountain Majesty in Montclair

Here's a beautiful, new mid-century modern listing we can call 'home,' one that instantly fills us with that 'ahhh' feeling of total relaxation that we long for when we get back from work and kick off our shoes and workday cares.

Offered at $1.495 million, the property located at 6849 Snake Road in Oakland's prestigious Montclair neighborhood is "a hidden refuge among the redwoods with spectacular three-bridge bay views, spacious sunlit rooms, and multi-level decks," as described in the listing by agent David Gunderman of the Gunderman Group.

Montclair Village has a charming atmosphere, bustling with boutiques, cafes, wine bars, indie bookshops, and storybook architecture. Young families will appreciate Montclair's top-rated elementary schools, Montclair and Thornhill Elementary.

For local recreation, there's swimming for the family at Lake Temescal, or enjoy the miles of local hiking trails among coastal redwoods at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. Kids will appreciate the Chabot Space & Science Center with its full-dome planetarium and theater.

Another East Bay attraction is the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, which offers hiking and equestrian trails, and an unstaffed visitors center that provides an overview of the area's geological features.

Among the celebrities making their home in Montclair was jazz great Dave Brubeck, who built a cantilevered hillside home for his family in the early 1950s designed by architect David Beverley Thorne. American composer Robert M. Greenberg and politician Jerry Brown also have resided there.

Though no architect citation is given for the Snake Road home, built in 1966, its authentic mid-century beauty centers around its relationship with nature, and the way the design takes advantage of its lush setting in the forest. Inside, a spacious, open floor plan with vaulted timber ceilings and dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows looks out over the treetops to the bay beyond.