Many of Dublin's earliest neighborhoods were built before the modern city itself had fully emerged. During the 1960s and 1970s, former ranchland and open hills along the Interstate 580 corridor gradually gave way to tract housing, planned subdivisions, and new residential communities that established the foundations of modern Dublin.
The largest neighborhood originated as part of the San Ramon Village planned community in the early 1960s. Developed by Volk-McLain, San Ramon Village introduced large-scale suburban planning to the area years before Dublin incorporated as a city. Later developments, including Silvergate and Briarhill, expanded the community with new housing types, architectural styles, and neighborhood identities.
This archive explores the neighborhoods, subdivisions, and planning ideas that shaped Dublin during its principal years of suburban growth. Together, these articles provide a way to understand Dublin through its neighborhoods, revealing how a collection of suburban developments gradually became the modern city.
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| Annotated Apple Maps view of Dublin, California showing the location of 1960s and 1970s neighborhoods in the city. |
Briarhill
Built along the western hills of Dublin, Briarhill introduced larger homes and hillside development to the city's early suburban landscape.
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San Ramon Village
The first suburban neighborhood of modern Dublin began as the Alameda County portion of Volk-McLain's San Ramon Village planned community. Built beginning in 1960, this collection of subdivisions formed the southern edge of a larger vision that stretched into what is now San Ramon.
Communities within San Ramon Village
- San Ramon Village by Volk-McLain (Dublin, 1960)
- Brighton Circle by Volk-McLain (Dublin, 1962)
- Parkwood by Monarch Construction (Dublin, 1962)
- Glenoaks by Volk-McLain (Dublin, 1963)
- Barkley Square by Volk-McLain (Dublin, 1964)
- Villa de San Ramon by Duc & Elliot (Dublin, 1965)
- Appletree by American Housing Guild (Dublin, 1965)
- Ecco Park by Proud Homes — suburbia with a peep show
Silvergate
Developed during the early 1960s, Silvergate became one of Dublin's most recognizable neighborhoods, known for its tract homes and strong neighborhood identity.
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Further readings
- Dublin Historical Society
- Ghosts of Dublin - Maps showing our relationship with the land