364 Coventry Road

An Architect's Home in Kensington's Most Beloved Pocket

Built in 1940 and thoughtfully updated without losing its original character, 364 Coventry Road sits just above Colusa Circle in Kensington -- one of the East Bay's quietest, most walkable, most genuinely neighborly enclaves.

The open main level flows from a private front patio, to a modern kitchen, to a seamless dining space, to a living room to a rear deck with Bay Bridge views and San Francisco sunsets.

The kitchen is well-equipped, the dining area has a bar, and the whole floor has that rare quality of feeling open and cozy at the same time.

Downstairs has its own complete world. A second living room with a projection screen, a breezeway we've been utilizing as a workout space, a brand new LG washer and dryer and a third bedroom that works perfectly as a home office or guest room. You can work, decompress, move your body, and watch a movie without ever leaving the house.

Outside, a flat backyard with fruit trees and berry bushes -- tended carefully over many years, with drought-tolerant landscaping and seasonal color that shifts throughout the year.

Upstairs, two bedrooms with fantastic light, built-in shelving, and decent closet space. Both bathrooms have radiant heat floors and floating vanities. The whole house was rewired, replumbed, and mechanically overhauled at some point in its recent history (including a brand new roof and french drain) to prepare the house for the Bay Area rain/winter. We've opted to keep the place fully furnished for our collective convenience and we can configure the upstairs bed to be a child's room/nursery if you're interested.

And then there's the neighborhood.

Colusa Circle is a two-minute walk -- Semifreddi's for a fresh loaf, Portavia for specialty italian goods and coffee and Benchmark for pizza and Colusa Market for any goods you may need immediately. A year-round farmers market is hosted a block away every Sunday with excellent food vendors and live music.

UC Berkeley is accessible by bus from the neighborhood. El Cerrito BART is less than five minutes away and makes San Francisco commuting easy. Tilden Park is close for hiking, swimming, and proper outdoor time.

What we're looking for: We're a family heading abroad for an extended sabbatical and we're hoping to find someone who will genuinely enjoy this home rather than just occupy it. A family, an academic, a researcher /professor-- someone who likes a neighborhood where people say hello. Longer stays are preferred. We just want to leave it in trusted hands so our family can return to our home next summer.