All of the Twin Creeks neighborhoods in San Ramon were built by Dame Construction in an area west of highway 680 that is mostly bordered by San Ramon Valley Boulevard, Crow Canyon Road and Bollinger Canyon Road.
The first of the Twin Creeks neighborhoods was simply known as Twin Creeks. This is the area north of Norris Canyon Road and from Twin Creeks Drive to Bollinger Canyon Road. Homes here became available in 1969 along Canyon Creek Drive and this large initial subdivision was not completed until 10 years later in 1979. A unique feature of this initial development is the lack of a homeowners association, a fact that some consider a plus and others disagree. No HOA means no dues of course but many people prefer to have community facilities such as a pool and tennis courts as are found in Twin Creeks South. There is also the undeniable benefit that a homeowners association should play a part in ensuring that the neighborhood is well maintained with clearly defined rules and regulations to be adhered to. In practice, this seems mostly irrelevant with Twin Creeks neighborhoods though, as pride of ownership is evident almost anywhere you look.
Home styles in Twin Creeks range from 3 bedroom 2 bath single level homes to large 4 bedroom two story homes with an optional fifth bedroom and a 3-car garage. There is a surprisingly wide range of different one story, two story and tri-level homes and this is one factor that helps to explain the appeal of the area. A typical two story home is pictured here, this model having 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in just over 2,000 square feet of living space.
Construction in Twin Creeks South began in 1978 along Twin Creeks Drive and was completed by 1981. Although there was again a wide variety of models available, Twin Creeks South saw the introduction of at least one new model, the smallest of the tri-level homes, still with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths but having only 1880 square feet of living space. These are all zero lot line homes (as are many of the single story homes) and on fairly small lots for those times, typically around 6,000 square feet. A zero lot line home is a home where the lot line runs along the side of the home with an easement being granted over the adjacent property for access for maintenance. These small tri-levels gained immediate popularity which is sustained today.
Twin Creeks South is the part of the Twin Creeks neighborhoods that are south of Norris Canyon Road and East of Bollinger Canyon Road. Community facilities include a well cared for pool with tennis courts and a clubhouse. These are situated between Aranda Drive and Toltec Circle, two streets with typically larger homes that make up part of an area known as Twin Creeks Estates.
The Most Prestigious of The Twin Creeks Neighborhoods
Between 1974 and 1978, Dame also developed the Twin Creeks View subdivision. This is the area west of Bollinger Canyon Road, with access from Ascension Drive and Camino De Jugar but also incorporating Anza Court and Bello Court.
Twin Creeks View is generally accepted as the most prestigious part of Twin Creeks. Although again, there is a wide range of home styles, most of them are the larger models with 3-car garages being the norm. A typical example can be seen here. Many of these homes have been remodeled to a very high standard and lot sizes are generous with a number being around an acre. The name Twin Creeks View is entirely appropriate as many of the homes here have views out to Mount Diablo.
Unsurprisingly, homes in Twin Creeks view generally command the highest prices in Twin Creeks and many sales well in excess of $1 million have been achieved. It has its own homeowners association and there is a pool and clubhouse at the corner of Ascension Drive and Palmira Place.
West of San Ramon Valley Boulevard and much further south, quite close to the junction with Montevideo Drive is Twin Creeks Hills, the “odd man out” in Twin Creeks as it is non-contiguous with the rest of the Twin Creeks neighborhoods. Reached via Barnwood Drive, on and around Sombrero Circle , this relatively small subdivision was the final Twin Creeks subdivision built between 1980 and 1984 and was comprised of a much smaller variety of homes. Single family homes here are among the most affordable in Twin Creeks. Here, Dame again introduced a new model, a 1972 square foot tri-level that is not found elsewhere in Twin Creeks. This, the only tri-level to be found here, is the largest model in Twin Creeks Hills and is closer in design to the large tri-levels than to the smaller 1880 square foot model. In addition to this, there are a number of smaller one and two story homes such as the one above. Twin Creeks Hills has a community pool and tennis courts conveniently situated right in the middle of Sombrero Circle.
All of the above concerns the areas of Twin Creeks that are made up of single family detached homes but there are also much more affordable townhomes and duets in this area. These fall primarily into three distinct types.
Twin Creeks West, an area primarily around Fountainhead Drive, off Bollinger Canyon Road, comprises one and two story townhomes, some with separate single-car garages, others with dedicated parking spaces. Most of these are set around common pathways in small blocks that face other, very much in the style of row houses. They are technically categorized as condominiums and they have no private yards, just a small patio at the back.
Then along parts of Marsh Drive and Norris Canyon Road is another group of townhomes. These are larger homes than those in Twin Creeks West and again, there are one and two story models, some of the latter with 4 bedrooms. All have 2-car garages. The unusual feature here is that to the rear of these homes is a huge communal grassy area where there are a total of 6 community pools. Even the small private patios on these homes are unfenced.
Finally, there is another small subdivision of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom duets, one story and two story models. These are mostly at the bottom of Camino De Jugar, off Bollinger Canyon Road and at or near either end of Dos Rios Drive, on the opposite side of Bollinger Canyon Road. These live very much like single family homes and unlike the townhomes and condominiums, they have a backyard, sometimes quite a large one, as well as a 2-car garage. Many of these have been updated and remodeled to a surprisingly high standard.
