Pleasanton neighborhoods > Pleasant Meadows
In 1976, Standard-Pacific gave its Easy Street subdivision a fresh start. Renamed Pleasant Meadows, the final phase introduced new model homes, tile roofs, and a fresh marketing campaign aimed at buyers entering a recovering housing market. Although built on the same streets and served by the same sales office, Pleasant Meadows established its own identity while completing the final phase of Del Prado.
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| March 1976 ad announcing the grand opening of Pleasant Meadows in Pleasanton. The ad promoted a pastoral lifestyle just a commute away from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. Priced from $47,990, homes came with modern touches—including ducts pre-installed for future air conditioning—catering to forward-thinking suburban buyers. |
Where Pleasant Meadows is located in Pleasanton
Pleasant Meadows is an infill development in the Del Prado neighborhood.
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| Annotated aerial map of the Standard Pacific homes in the Del Prado neighborhood in Pleasanton, California. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
Why Easy Street became Pleasant Meadows
In March 1976, Standard-Pacific retired the Easy Street name and reopened the remaining homes as Pleasant Meadows. Along with the new name came three new model homes—the Maple, Madrone, and Magnolia—while the popular Elm and Cypress plans continued from the earlier phase. Tile roofs also appeared for the first time, giving the later homes a distinctive appearance.
Standard-Pacific never publicly explained the name change, and surviving advertisements offer few clues. Whether the new identity reflected improving market conditions, a revised marketing strategy, or simply an effort to relaunch the remaining homes, the result was a single subdivision remembered by two different names.
Ironically, the new name created its own confusion. Pleasant Meadows was easily mistaken for the much larger Pleasanton Meadows neighborhood across town—a mix-up that still persists today.
Selling the dream
The marketing shifted as much as the name. Advertisements abandoned the playful Easy Street branding in favor of a more pastoral image, inviting buyers to enjoy "the country" while remaining within commuting distance of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. Modern conveniences—including homes pre-wired for future air conditioning—reflected changing expectations of suburban living.
One of the easiest ways to distinguish Pleasant Meadows homes today is by their tile roofs, an upgrade not offered during the Easy Street phase.
Legacy of Pleasant Meadows
Pleasant Meadows marked the final chapter of Standard-Pacific's work to the Del Prado neighborhood. Together, Easy Street and Pleasant Meadows filled one of the last undeveloped parcels between the earlier Mackay and Ditz-Crane subdivisions, completing another piece of Pleasanton's growing suburban landscape.
Today, few residents realize their neighborhood was marketed under two different names. The distinction survives mainly in newspaper advertisements and sales brochures, while subtle details—such as the original tile roofs and revised model lineup—continue to distinguish the Pleasant Meadows phase from its Easy Street predecessor.
Exploring the original Pleasant Meadows today
Although the sales offices are long gone and the advertisements have faded, the original Pleasant Meadows model homes remain part of the neighborhood. These homes gave prospective buyers their first glimpse of Standard-Pacific's vision for suburban living in 1976.
Today, they provide a tangible connection to Pleasant Meadows' earliest days. The guide below documents the original model home complexes, the homes themselves, and how they appear today.
Original prices
- Mar 1976: $47,990 +
Original model home complex
When Pleasant Meadows opened, buyers toured a collection of Standard-Pacific 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.
Utilizing the same Easy Street sales office on Hansen Drive, buyers could still choose the Elm and Cypress models from Standard-Pacific's earlier Easy Street home community.
The three original models opened in 1976 on Hansen Drive.
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| Annotated aerial map of the Pleasant Meadows model home complex on Hansen Drive. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
The original model homes
1. The Maple - 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 1,520 sq. ft. A slightly updated version of the same home from Easy Street.
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| Original Maple model today via Google Street View. |
2. The Madrone - 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 1,636 sq. ft.
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| Original Madrone model today via Google Street View. |
3. The Magnolia - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,481 sq. ft.
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| Original Magnolia model today via Google Street View. |
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