Bay Farm Island is mostly residential, but it is also home to the 36-hole Chuck Corica Golf Complex, a ferry terminal, and office and retail complexes.
Bay Farm Island is a district of the city of Alameda and is a separate entity, connected to the main island by the San Leandro Bridge, better known as the Bay Farm Island Bridge. Bay Farm Island was officially settled by 1852; some of the original farms remained until the late 60s. You can read more about its history in this The Alamedan article.
Bay Farm is the older part of the island – featuring townhomes from the 70’s, Mid-century homes, and even some Craftsman homes, while Harbor Bay is the newer area, with man-made lagoons and newer homes. Harbor Bay was developed in the 1980’s by Ron Cowan. The Community of Harbor Bay Isle Owners’ Association is a 917-acre planned community. On top of being the developer of the Harbor Bay Business Park, Cowan helped spearhead the creation of the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which runs the ferry service on San Francisco Bay.(source)
Technically, Bay Farm is a peninsula, connected to Oakland and Oakland International Airport. A separate bike/pedestrian bridge runs along the Bay Farm Island Bridge, and lets out on the Bay Farm Island Shoreline Trail at its northern end. Not only does the trail follow the shore, but it actually is a 6-mile walking and biking trail that loops around the island if you feel so inspired to do the entire circle.
Along the western edge, the trail offers a beautiful view of San Francisco, and, if you’re lucky, you may even catch sight of a seal or two.
Harbor Bay Club, a large health club and spa, is located along the NW side of the island and lies along the Bay Farm Island Shoreline trail. It sits on 10 acres and features tennis courts, a swimming pool, a fitness center, a full-service spa, and a children’s center.
On the northern edge of Bay Farm, less than 5 minutes from the Oakland Airport, Corica Golf Course has provided Alameda and Bay Farm a place to hit the ball since 1927. Corica Course includes a sports bar and grill called Jim’s On the Course, a sister eatery to Jim’s Coffee Shop from the main island of Alameda. They serve breakfast and lunch.
In the middle of Bay Farm you will find the Harbor Bay Landing Shopping Center, home to conveniences including Safeway, The UPS Store, dry cleaning, dog grooming, and Anytime Fitness. Restaurants here, and nearby, include Starbucks, Coffee & Tea Traders, La Val’s Pizza, La Penca Azul, and China Villa Restaurant.
The Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal sits on the south east tip of Bay Farm, and offers regular ferry rides to the SF Ferry Building and South San Francisco. A commute to downtown San Francisco takes approximately 25-30 minutes.
On the SW side of Bay Farm, along Harbor Bay Parkway, lies the Harbor Bay Business Park, home to over 100 companies, including technology research, software and hardware, business services, engineering, telecommunications and biotechnology. The Business Park also includes several hotels and restaurants.
Main parks in Bay Farm include Godfrey Park, Shoreline Park, and Tillmark Park. Two elementary schools serve the island – Bay Farm Elementary and Amelia Earhart Elementary.
Living on Bay Farm Island encompasses the best of all worlds – residential neighborhoods, parks, a 6-mile walking and biking trail, and easy access to Oakland, the main island of Alameda and South Shore Center, San Leandro, the Oakland International Airport and San Francisco via ferry and a Transbay bus.
