Gated and set back from the street, 558 Joaquin is a sprawling 6BD/2.5BA, 3673 sq ft Craftsman compound including a magical, detached and fully renovated water tower apartment -- all located on the edge of the Estudillo Estates neighborhood of San Leandro. The main 5BD home features a formal dining room, modern chef’s kitchen and baths, library, sunroom, basement workroom, and large back yard with pergola and multiple patios. Representative of the Craftsman style and designated a San Leandro historical resource, the home is said to have been built of redwood harvested from the Lake Chabot area and is clad in split cedar shingles from foundation to roofline. Meticulously maintained and beautifully updated, the home enjoys many vintage features including high ceilings, hardwood floors and wainscoting, picture rails, wood-framed double-hung windows, coved ceilings, period light fixtures, and traditional built-in cabinets and shelves.
At the rear of the property, the original water tank house and attached mid-century garage have been converted to an enchanting in-law/guest suite with high ceilings, hardwood floors, vintage pendant light fixtures, and skylight tubes. The spacious suite includes a large living room, full kitchen and bath, office/sitting room, and a light-filled loft bedroom with exposed beams and windows on three sides.
A pathway of paving stones leads through the large front yard to the wide steps of the pillared front porch. Inside, the spacious foyer enjoys gleaming hardwood floor and wainscoting with a traditional built-in bench.
Through a wide pillared doorway, the gracious living room features a series of double-hung windows overlooking the front yard, a coved ceiling, and the original (non-working) Clinker brick fireplace flanked by built-in shelves beneath lead-paned windows. A second doorway is open to the elegant formal dining room where a wall of double-hung windows cast a warm glow on the burnished wainscoting and exquisite built-in hutch with drawers and cabinets with leaded glass doors.
Off the dining room, the chef’s kitchen features a built-in Thermador 6-burner gas range with griddle, a Viking Professional refrigerator, and a large pantry closet for storage. An expansive central island anchors the space, housing abundant storage, a Fisher Paykel drawer dishwasher, large dual sinks, and a long breakfast bar beneath distinctive pendant lights. Convenient for carrying food and drinks out to guests, the rear kitchen door opens onto a porch with steps down to the expansive back yard.
Across the hall, a casual sitting area/family room abuts a delightful butler’s pantry with built-in hutches for storage. Also on this level is a convenient powder room.
A beautiful wood staircase leads to the second level with five spacious bedrooms, some with unique features that tickle the imagination. One bedroom might serve as a sunroom with its oversized windows that catch the light, while another is lined with bookshelves for a potential library, den, or office.
The large remodeled bath has an eclectic feel with diamond-patterned tile floor and subway tile wainscoting, vintage built-in drawers and cabinet, two unique vanities, and distinctive pendant lights. Also on this level is a convenient laundry room with a stacking washer and dryer - conveniently positioned to eliminate the need for carrying laundry up and down stairs.
Ideal for entertaining, the expansive back yard features multiple paving-stone patios, an open pergola, and beds of rare and exotic succulents. Possibilities abound for this open space - neighborhood barbeques, a children’s play area, or organic gardening.
Designated a San Leandro historical resource, the home was built for San Leandro Mayor John Gill when he was serving his third consecutive Mayoral term for the City. The home is representative of the early period of development in San Leandro when houses were often surrounded by small-scale orchards and included agricultural support structures such as water tank houses. Today, the area offers many outdoor activities, including the annual Cherry Festival and the Sausage & Suds Music Festival downtown, a weekly farmers market, picnic areas and boat docks in the Shoreline Recreation Area, and horseback and hiking trails at nearby Lake Chabot. Moments from downtown San Leandro, the home is also near Oyster Bay Regional Park, the San Leandro Creek Trail, and San Leandro Marina and has easy access to BART and other transportation options.
Additional Highlights Detached 1BD/1BA water tower apartment with in-unit stacking washer and dryer Basement workroom with built-in shelves + worktable Driveway with space for 4-car tandem parking Tankless water heater French drains
