Only 1.7 square miles, entirely surrounded by Oakland, Piedmont is one of the wealthiest and prettiest places in California. Home to 11,000 residents, this city makes a huge effort to maintain safe, manicured streets and, importantly, a highly lauded school system, including three elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools ranking among the best in the state. (Piedmont High School is among the top 100 in the nation!)

This close-knit community boasts expensive family homes with extraordinary views. Back in 2007, Forbes named Piedmont the "Best Place to Live" in the US, and since then its reputation has not been tarnished. 

Residents enjoy small-town independence and traditions. Everyone loves the ever-popular July 4th parade with its bagpipe players and antique cars, Movies in the Park, Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, the town Christmas tree lighting and Piedmont High School's infamous annual Bird Calling contest.  All this comes with access to big city amenities in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and upscale Walnut Creek.

Piedmont homes date mostly from the first half of the 20th century, with hundreds of monumental estates as well as grand versions of the popular Craftsman bungalow. In the Roaring Twenties, Piedmont was known as the City of Millionaires, where the area’s most celebrated families resided.