In October 1973, Sunset Homes opened its newest neighborhood in Livermore: The Meadows. Built on a hilly site with panoramic views of the Livermore Valley, this project marked Sunset’s strategic pivot during a period of model and neighborhood transitions.
At the time, Sunset’s sales approach was refreshingly flexible: buyers could choose a home plan first, then decide which Sunset neighborhood to live in. Two home series were available—Wildwood and Quietwood.
There was just one catch: the model homes for Wildwood and Quietwood were nowhere near The Meadows. So in November 1973, Sunset made things easier—and more marketable—by opening a new model home complex in The Meadows neighborhood,
By June 1974, the Wildwood series was retired and replaced by a new model complex in the Shadowbrook neighborhood. Buyers could still choose a home plan from Shadowbrook and then live in The Meadows neighborhood, where prices were lower. Same floor plan, same views, less sticker shock.
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| April 1976 Daily Review ad—Sunset pitched The Meadows as a neighborhood of mostly custom-built homes, because why settle for your neighbor’s floor plan when you can tweak your own on a hill with a view? |
Where is The Meadows?
Today, the original The Meadows neighborhood can be found near the corner of North Livermore Avenue and Portola Avenue. Familiar streets include Cromwell Street, Farnsworth Drive, and Wellingham Drive.
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| Annotated aerial map of The Meadows neighborhood in Livermore, California. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
A new identity for a stalled development
Before Sunset’s involvement, the neighborhood had been known as Los Altos Heights—a development that stalled before reaching potential. Sunset acquired the unbuilt tract, branded it as The Meadows, and turned it into a successful project by repositioning it as an extension of its established Sunset Homes sales strategy.
Selling the dream
Every home built in The Meadows came with Sunset’s five-year warranty, adding peace of mind to the promise of hillside living.
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| April 1974 Oakland Tribune ad—“The best buy is today’s buy. Who can speak for tomorrow?” Sunset leans into urgency with a touch of existential marketing. |
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| December 1975 Oakland Tribune newspaper clipping—the Azalea was the last new plan created by Sunset Homes. |
Legacy of The Meadows
In August 1976, Sunset put the model homes up for sale. By October, the neighborhood had essentially sold out, concluding a successful three-year run.
What began as a stalled development transformed into a neighborhood with strong views, strong sales, and a quietly strategic role in Sunset’s Livermore story.
Exploring the original The Meadows today
Although the sales office is long gone and the advertisements have faded, the original The Meadows model homes remain part of the neighborhood. These homes gave prospective buyers their first glimpse of Sunset's vision for suburban living in 1973.
Today, they provide a tangible connection to The Meadows' earliest days. The guide below documents the original model home complex, the homes themselves, and how they appear today.
Original advertised prices
- 1973: $39,650 - $49,650
- 1974: $39,950 - $53,950
- 1975: From $40,950
- 1976: From $49,950
Original model home complex
When The Meadows opened, buyers toured a carefully staged collection of Sunset 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 five original models opened in November 1973 on Cromwell Street (one was a sales office).
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| Annotated aerial map of original The Meadows model home complex on Cromwell Street. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
Original sales materials
The following newspaper advertisements document the original The Meadows homes as they were presented to prospective buyers. Together they preserve the exterior renderings, floor plans, pricing, and marketing language used during the neighborhood's first years.
The Escalonia
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| July 1976 Oakland Tribune ad—floor plan of the Escalonia model. |
The Azalea
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| June 1974 Oakland Tribune ad—floor plan of the Azalea model. |
The Gardenia
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| April 1976 Oakland Tribune ad—floor plan of the Gardenia model. |
Original model home designs
1. The sales office - Visitors entered the model home complex in a converted Gardenia model.
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| Original sales office today in a Gardenia model, via Google Street View. |
2. The Escalonia (Plan 8600) - This model offered approximately 1,324 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. An updated version of the earlier Quietwood Series.
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| Original Escalonia model today (expanded) via Google Street View. |
3. The Azalea (Plan 86000) - This model offered approximately 1,582 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A completely new design from Sunset—essentially an expanded Escalonia.
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| Original Azalea model today via Google Street View. Note original walkway. |
4. The Gardenia (Plan 8700) - This model offered approximately 1,466 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. An updated version from the earlier Quietwood Series.
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| Original Gardenia model today via Google Street View. |
5. The Magnolia (Plan 880) - This model offered approximately 1,760 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. This popular model was known for its unique “Kitchen-in-the-Round.”
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| Original Magnolia model today via Google Street View. |
Collection
Livermore — the places that built a modern city
This collection explores the new-home communities, builders, and neighborhoods that transformed Livermore during the decades when ranches, orchards, and open fields gave way to the neighborhoods that define the city today.
Continue exploring
- Los Altos Heights (Livermore, 1966)
- Sunset Homes — how one builder transformed Livermore neighborhoods
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