Township Square: Pleasanton's Newest Brownstone-Style Community

If you've driven Bernal Avenue past the Gateway shops and noticed the handsome, vertical brownstone-style homes tucked between the freeway and Valley Avenue, that's Township Square — and it's one of the most distinctive newer communities in all of Pleasanton. Built by DeNova Homes in 2015 and 2016 (it won the Bay Area Building Industry Association's Community of the Year in 2015), it offers something the rest of Pleasanton largely doesn't: brand-newer, low-maintenance, resort-style living within a few minutes of downtown.

A quick note on the name: you'll see it called both "Township Square" and, on some sites, simply "Town Square." It's the same community — Township Square is the builder's name and the one most buyers search, with streets like Lexington Lane, Brookline Loop, and Plymouth Avenue.

The homes

Township Square is a community of roughly 97 homes in a brownstone-inspired, two- and three-story style — think contemporary, vertical floor plans rather than the sprawling ranches found elsewhere in town. DeNova built it in two collections: the Carlyle Collection (three-story homes, generally 2,844 to 3,162 square feet) and the larger, more traditional Broadmoor Collection (3,496 to 3,673 square feet). Most offer three to four bedrooms and two-car garages, and a number of the three-story homes were built with optional elevators — a genuinely useful feature for multi-level living and one that's rare in this price range.

The trade-off, and it's the right one for a lot of buyers, is the lot. These are small, efficient parcels — the homes go up rather than out — which is exactly what makes Township Square so low-maintenance. You get square footage and modern finishes (gourmet kitchens, open layouts, private outdoor spaces, and from some homes, Pleasanton Ridge views) without a big yard to manage. It's a true lock-and-leave lifestyle.

The HOA and amenities

This is one of the few Pleasanton neighborhoods where the community amenities are a real part of the value. Township Square has an HOA that includes a resort-style clubhouse, pool, spa, gym, playground, and common-area maintenance. Because amenities and dues do change over time, I'd confirm the current monthly HOA amount and exactly what it covers on the specific home you're considering — but unlike many neighborhoods where a "community pool" turns out to be membership-based or limited, here it's a genuine HOA-wide amenity set. That's worth real money to the right buyer.

Where it sits

Township Square is part of the Bernal Property — the large parcel south of Bernal Avenue, between I-680 and Valley Avenue, that the City of San Francisco once owned. The location is quietly excellent: you're right by the Pleasanton Gateway center (Safeway, shops, and restaurants) at the Bernal intersection, a short distance from the Bernal Sports & Community Park and the Marilyn Kane Trail, and just south of the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Commuters get easy I-680 access and the ACE train nearby, and historic downtown Pleasanton is only minutes away. The later-built apartment complex along the I-680 side also helps buffer freeway noise from the homes.

Schools

Township Square is served by the highly regarded Pleasanton Unified School District. Homes here are consistently associated with Hearst Elementary School and Pleasanton Middle School, both close by, with high school assigned through PUSD. As always, school boundaries can shift, so I'd confirm the current assignment by parcel address with the district before relying on it — and I'm glad to run that for you.

Who it tends to fit

Township Square appeals to buyers who want a newer, turnkey home with real community amenities and a central location — and especially to anyone drawn to a low-maintenance, lock-and-leave lifestyle without giving up square footage. The elevator-equipped three-story plans also make it worth a look for buyers thinking about long-term, single-level accessibility on at least one floor.

Thinking about Township Square?

Because it's a finite, sold-out community of under 100 homes, resale inventory here is genuinely limited, and well-kept homes tend to move quickly when they come up. Whether you're searching seriously or just want to understand what's selling, what it's selling for, and which collection and floor plan fit you best, I'd be glad to walk you through it and give you an honest read on value.

— Rebecca Rook, Living Tri-Valley | Compass