If you have been a resident of Estudillo Estates for 25 or more years, we invite you to share your memories and/or pictures with us! Please contact or mail your stories and pictures to Denice Ballas.
All photographs WILL BE RETURNED UPON REQUEST.

ESTUDILLO ESTATES - It's much more than you think!
by Michael Greenslade

I was asked by Kate Miller to write an article for this publication. I am sort of a local historian. I have been studying the North Area San Leandro Development for about four years now. I became interested in the topic when I started to research my parent’s home where I grew up. The home was known as the Derry House. It was known as that because of Earl Derry who lived there before my family moved here in the year 1946.

Earl Derry and his brother Harold Thomas Derry (Tom) together built large areas of Estudillo Estates and The Broadmoor under two of their companies; Derry, Weaver & Derry and Derry Bros. Harold Derry lived at 871 Bridge Road so there is a connection to Estudillo Estates history. 

This lead me to researching all the tracts that make up the two areas. Estudillo Estates is made up of at least seven different tracts of homes. Once you know where the boundaries are you’ll easily be able to tell when you leave one and enter another. 

Starting at Dutton and MacArthur, we have St. Mary Avenue. St Mary Avenue is the College Park Tract. St. Mary was named for its developer Joseph St. Mary and his wife Sophia, and developed from 1927 to 1930. 

The upper part of Glen Drive after the big curve is The New Broadmoor Tract phase 2. This tract was done by Derry Bros. Developed from 1937 to 1942 and continued after World War II.

Superior Avenue is The New Broadmoor phase 1. This tract was done by Derry Bros also. Developed from 1937 to 1942 and continued after World War II. 

Glen, Oakes and Begier from Superior to around 1000 in the addresses is The New Broadmoor phase 3. This tract was also done by Derry Bros. Developed from 1937 to 1942 and continued after World War II. 

Chetland Road and the area around it are part of the tract called Ardmore. This tract was done by San Francisco developer Fred T. Woods. Developed in the mid 1930’s. Once again Glen, Oakes and Begier almost to Arbor Drive is part of Bancroft Gardens. This tract was developed by Stanley M. Davis. Stanley M. Davis Company still has an office in San Leandro across from the now defunct Alberston’s store. Bancroft Gardens also includes Pala, Haas and a portion of Lee. Developed in the mid 1930s. Lee Avenue and Arbor Drive with the streets between them is the tract known as Broadmoor Park. This tract was started by a developer named E.B. Fields and was sold off partially finished. Derry, Weaver & Derry finished off the development in the mid 1920’s and 1930’s. 

Crossing the creek to what was originally developed as Estudillo Estates, records show that Cary Development Company was involved. Records also show that many homes were also done by Fred T. Wood, the same group that did Ardmore or Chetland. 

Next time you’re out on a walk look for the changes in each neighborhood as you enter and leave each tract...have fun!

A Neighborhood Portrait

It was a beautiful spring evening - trees sprouting green leaves, birds and squirrels twittering and chattering, children laughing and playing. It seemed the whole neighborhood was out for an evening passegiata, strolling, greeting neighbors, walking their dogs, enjoying the gorgeous weather and manicured yards.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Almost like a trip to the bucolic hill towns of Italy, or a trip back in time to the days of June and Ward Cleaver. But it was right here, in Estudillo Estates, in San Leandro. As a lifetime Bay Area resident, it was an accident that we ended up here in San Leandro. The lure of (at the time) affordable housing was too great to ignore, as was the charm of the homes with mature trees and individuality - so much different than the new tract homes or clunky boxes in the other “affordable” neighborhoods.

But in the nine years we’ve been here, it’s impossible to ignore the amazing qualities of our neighborhood that may not be apparent to the casual observer. This is a neighborhood that has block parties, progressive dinners, home tours, a voluntary homeowners’ association, and neighbors who truly care. Our block even maintains a phone list! People with new babies or medical Emergencies may get dinners left at their door, and someone will let you know if you left your car lights on or your door wide open. Sure, you can pay more for your home and maybe have a school with better test scores, or maybe neighbors with fancier cars. But I’d bet it would be hard, if not impossible, to match the sense of community, service, and friendliness we have here in San Leandro.
 
Now I know this may seem like an overstatement, and maybe even a touch corny. But it seems we so often have to defend our town from bad press and overall negative image. But those of us who live here know the real truth, right? So enjoy your lovely home here in Estudillo Estates. Get to know your neighbors. Get involved in a local cause to continue bettering our surroundings. Stay and fight for our schools’ improvement. Revel in our wonderful weather and beautiful trees. Let’s let everyone else know that we live in a unique place, and a great neighborhood.

Those Were The Days... Memoirs of Estudillo Estates Residents

"We moved to San Leandro in 1948 and lived on Bridge Road before moving to the north side of the creek. I have lived in my present house for 51 years, making our residence in San Leandro, 58 years total. All 3 of my children attended Roosevelt School, Bancroft Jr. High, and San Leandro High. Actually, I taught swimming to all the grammar school students in San Leandro, who were bussed to Farrelly, and then Muir and SL High pools, before teaching at San Leandro High for 20 years. 
 
There were no stop signs nor traffic lights anywhere on Bancroft Ave.—not even at Estudillo or Dutton. The Key trains from San Francisco ran on Bancroft all the way to Dutton, which was the end of the line, and there was no car lane on Bancroft Ave. from Dutton all the way to 98th Ave. until about 1952. The 580 freeway didn’t open until 1963 so to get to Berkeley you had to take Mountain Blvd with all its twists and turns. 
 
The Cornerstone Cafe used to be a Standard Oil Station, and the Credit Union was once a gas station and later a Fish and Chips place. Paradiso was always a 5 & 10 store when my children were growing up, and in the back room was a large model railroad display. My kids now say that Paradiso certainly doesn’t look like the old 5&10 store! Farrelly Pool was old even when we moved here, and on hot days over 1,000 kids used to get into the pool, or the sand lot next to it. Gracious, good old memories!” - Estudillo Estates resident of 58 years