Few streets demonstrate the eclectic architecture of Berkeley as much as Buena Vista Way, a steep road in the North Berkeley Hills with incredible views. Within a short distance are houses by Bernard Maybeck, a John Hudson Thomas landmark modeled on a French cloister, the Temple of Wings with 34 classical columns, and a 1973 modern home by architect Daniel Solomon. That last one is at 2877 Buena Vista Way and is being brought to market Oct. 7.
Visit 2877 Buena Vista Way: Brokers tour, Thurs., Oct. 8, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Open houses, Sat. & Sun., Oct. 10 & 11, 2-4 p.m.
The street is a fascinating microcosm of our city and its varied architectural styles. Each house was built for a different owner in a different period of history. The Berkeley Daily Planet ran a series of stories by Daniella Thompson on the neighborhood in 2009. Here’s a short recap.
An estate becomes building lots
The land we now know as Buena Vista Way, about half a mile north of the UC Berkeley campus, was initially part of La Loma Park, the North Berkeley estate of Captain Richard Parks Thomas. Thomas was a Civil War veteran who owned the Standard Soap Company in Berkeley and the Berkeley Ferryboat Line. He died in May 1900, and his widow subdivided the estate within months. That October, the San Francisco Call reported the lots sold, largely to university people, at $1,200 to $1,500 each. The eminent geologist Andrew Lawson was among the first buyers.
Maybeck’s lots
Architect Bernard Maybeck bought five large parcels in La Loma Park in about 1906-07. He built his family’s house at the corner of Buena Vista and La Loma in 1907. He then divided the rest of his land into lots and sold them to friends and family — and in many cases designed their houses. This is one of the reasons the street has no matching houses. Each lot went to different people with individual design approaches…