In the mid-1960s, Pleasanton’s suburban growth spread east and up the hills just outside downtown. Homebuilders Perma-Bilt Enterprises invested in a subdivided portion of the historic Kottinger Ranch and started the first of many large-scale developments that make up today’s Vintage Hills neighborhood.
By late 1965, Perma-Bilt kicked off home sales at its new-home community, which was named Vintage Hills. With a location within walking distance to downtown Pleasanton, Perma-Bilt transformed former ranchland into a suburban community with a distinctly different identity from the subdivisions spreading across the valley floor.
Advertisements promoted larger floor plans, elevated lots, and a “return to gracious living” as builders positioned the hillside setting as a more exclusive alternative to completely new communities being built in the region.
After Boise-Cascade Corporation acquired Perma-Bilt, development continued through the late 1960s and expanded the community with additional home lines and changing designs. Some later sections were marketed under names such as Pleasanton Heights, but the Vintage Hills identity endured.
Today, Vintage Hills remains one of Pleasanton's best-known residential areas—a neighborhood shaped by multiple builders, changing expectations, and the city's transition from agricultural town to suburban community.
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| December 1965 Oakland Tribune ad—Vintage Hills "in-town" location, walkable to downtown, offered buyers an experience that wasn't thought possible anymore. |
Where is Vintage Hills by Perma-Bilt Enterprises?
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| Annotated aerial map of the Perma-Bilt Enterprises subdivision in the Vintage Hills neighborhood in Pleasanton, California. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
A prophetic beginning
Perma-Bilt advertisements leaned heavily on modernity. One 1966 campaign claimed that a computer analysis proved buyers could save $3,143 by purchasing a home in the Vintage Hills community.
Whether the “computer” performed anything more sophisticated than basic mortgage calculations remains unclear, but the campaign reflected how strongly mid-1960s suburban marketing associated computers with authority and progress.
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| August 1966 Oakland Tribune ad promoting a home purchase at Vintage Hills in Pleasanton, highlighting how a computer analysis proves you can save $3,143 by choosing this community—a nod to early "AI" in real estate marketing. |
Selling the dream
And once the homes were built? They lived up to the buzz. Streets lined with names like Del Sol and Mirador boasted a blend of Mediterranean flair and ranch-style ease. Some blocks featured only two or three floor plans—but each was customized just enough to give a feeling of originality.
Buyers chose from spacious four-bedroom layouts, cozy three-bedroom homes, and—eventually—some five-bedroom plans that felt downright palatial for the time. They had open kitchens, built-in bookshelves, and backyards perfect for barbecues and birthday parties. Some even had in-ground pools—a luxury that practically whispered, “You’ve made it.”
By far the biggest draw was the "in-town" location of the development. Within walking distance of downtown Pleasanton, it offered an alternative to the car-centric culture of the 60s.
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| From a January 1966 Oakland Tribune photo—exterior of the Plan 2 with lush landscaping and three arches. |
Boise-Cascade arrives
In 1968, the big players moved in. Boise-Cascade Corporation acquired Perma-Bilt and opened a new model complex on Neal Place. The floor plans got bigger. The finishes got fancier. And the homes—some nearing 2,200 square feet—started attracting growing families and young professionals looking to settle in style.
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| April 1968 ad for Vintage Hills in Pleasanton, promoting “excitingly different new homes” on elevated ground. The ad reads, “You only live once—and there isn’t a more delightful place to live,” appealing to buyers seeking scenic views and a unique suburban lifestyle. |
The 1969 homes of Vintage Hills
With the 1969 expansion to Bonita Avenue, the third and final model complex was introduced, along with a new name for the area: Pleasanton Heights. But to the locals—and to future real estate brochures—it was still all Vintage Hills.
Legacy of Vintage Hills
Today, Vintage Hills remains one of Pleasanton’s most recognizable late-1960s subdivisions. The neighborhood still reflects many of the features that originally distinguished it from earlier tract developments: larger homes, curving hillside streets, elevated lots, and proximity to downtown.
The transition from Perma-Bilt to Boise-Cascade also mirrored broader changes occurring across suburban California during the late 1960s, as increasingly large corporate builders entered the tract housing industry.
And despite later rebranding attempts like “Pleasanton Heights,” the original Vintage Hills name ultimately endured.
Exploring the original Vintage Hills today
Although the sales offices are long gone and the advertisements have faded, the original Vintage Hills model homes remain part of the neighborhood. These homes gave prospective buyers their first glimpse of Perma-Bilt's vision for suburban living in 1965.
Today, they provide a tangible connection to Vintage Hills' earliest days. The guide below documents the original model home complexes, the homes themselves, and how they appear today.
Original advertised prices
- Dec 1965: From $23,50
- Sep 1966 (Unit 2): From $23,950 +
- Sep 1967: From $26,500
- Sep 1968: $28,950 - $32,650
- Aug 1969: From $30,750
- Feb 1970: $30,750 - $36,700
The first original model home complex (Perma-Bilt 1965)
When Vintage Hills opened, buyers toured a carefully staged collection of Perma-Bilt model homes showcasing the neighborhood’s mix of architecture, indoor-outdoor living, and family-oriented floor plans. Though individual elevations varied, these original models helped define much of the neighborhood’s visual identity.
The six original models opened in 1965 on Del Sol Avenue. In 1968, the model homes were sold off as the phase neared completion.
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| Annotated aerial map of the original Perma-Bilt Vintage Hills model home complex in 1965 on Del Sol Avenue. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
Original model home designs
1. Plan 1 - This model offered approximately 1,786 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 1 model today via Google Street View. |
2. Plan 2 - This model offered approximately 1,543 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 2 model today via Google Street View. |
3. Plan 3 - This model offered approximately 1,825 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 3 model today via Google Street View. |
4. The Malaga - This model offered approximately 1,428 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Malaga model today via Google Street View. |
5. The Isabella - This model offered approximately 1,940 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Isabella model today via Google Street View. |
6. Plan 6 - This model offered approximately 1,609 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 6 model today via Google Street View. |
The second original model home complex (Boise-Cascade 1968)
The second model complex opened on Neal Place in 1968 and ran about a year.
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| Annotated aerial map of the 1968 Vintage Hills model home complex on Neal Place. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
Original model home designs
1. Plan 1 - This model offered approximately 2,220 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 1 model today via Google Street View. |
2. Plan 2 - This model offered approximately 1,522 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 2 model today via Google Street View. |
3. Plan 3 - This model offered approximately 1,951 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 3 model today via Google Street View. |
4. Plan 4 - This model offered approximately 1,956 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 4 model today via Google Street View. |
5. Plan 5 - This model offered approximately 1,803 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 5 model today via Google Street View. |
6. Plan 6 - This model offered approximately 1,938 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Plan 6 model today via Google Street View. |
The third original model home complex (1969)
The third model complex opened in 1969 on the east side of Bonita Avenue. Three homes from the older complex and one new model entered the mix.
Collection
Pleasanton — the places that built a modern city
This collection explores the new-home communities, builders, and neighborhoods that reshaped Pleasanton during the decades when the city evolved from an agricultural town into one of the East Bay's defining suburban cities.
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