Picardy Drive is something of an Oakland oddity and treasure. The stretch of street features storybook homes in an area that was once known as Normandy Gardens.
Builder R.C. Hillen and architect W.W. Dixon created these 70-plus homes ("modest mansions" as they were known) featuring arched windows, rectangular windows, curtain walls, turrets, wooden beams, and a decidedly whimsical style harkening back to another era.
And with that, a two-bedroom, one-bath, 1,332-square-foot condo inside the medieval castle at 5717 Picardy is now on the market. Ideal for anyone interested in ye olde castle lifestyle. You practically smell such bellytimber as roasted mutton chops and goblets of red wine.
Today anyone who lives on this prized street is expected to go all out for the holidays, decor-wise. "Each holiday season, the entire neighborhood displays Christmas lights for all to enjoy," notes Our Oakland, "and everyone seems to know everyone and keep an eye out for each other."
Asking is $585,000.
- 5717 Picardy, unit N [Estately]