Vintage Hills II: The Mid-1980s Homes Above the Original Vintage Hills
If you've spent any time searching Pleasanton's eastern hills, you've run into the same friendly puzzle I have: almost everyone up here says they live in "Vintage Hills," even though the area is really a handful of distinct developments built across different decades. Vintage Hills II is one of them — the newer, larger section that sits up above the original Vintage Hills. Here's what sets it apart.
A section within the greater Vintage Hills
The original Vintage Hills was built by H.C. Elliott in the early 1970s, with smaller floor plans. Vintage Hills II came a generation later: Emerald Construction built it in the mid-1980s, just up the hill, with larger, more modern homes. So while the two share a name, a school, and a hillside, Vintage Hills II is its own development — and its homes, lots, and features reflect the 1980s rather than the 1970s.
The homes
Vintage Hills II is a neighborhood of large, modern homes that were built to feel custom. Most run from about 2,300 to 3,200 square feet, typically with three-car garages, set on generous lots in the 7,000-to-12,000-square-foot range. The architecture is classic 1980s California Contemporary — vaulted ceilings, dramatic living and dining rooms, open kitchen-and-family-room layouts, and well-appointed primary suites — and the exterior detailing is a big part of why these homes have kept their appeal. Because the neighborhood climbs the eastern hills, a number of homes capture views of the surrounding hills or out across the Pleasanton Valley.
What to know before you buy
Here's a meaningful difference from the original Vintage Hills next door, and one buyers appreciate knowing up front: Vintage Hills II is a planned development with a homeowners association, and that association includes a community pool. It's a genuine amenity the surrounding 1970s and 1990s pockets don't share — but it also means there are dues. I always pull the current HOA dues, reserves, and any special assessments from the MLS and the association documents before we write an offer, so the full picture is clear.
The setting
Vintage Hills II sits in the eastern hills of Pleasanton, in the broader area where John Kottinger once planted some of Alameda County's first commercial vineyards — which is why the streets all around carry wine-country names. You're close to the back entrance of Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, with its trails and lake, and within easy reach of downtown Pleasanton's restaurants and shops as well as the wineries of the Livermore Valley. It's a setting that blends an established, hillside feel with quick access to everything that makes this side of Pleasanton work.
Schools
Vintage Hills II is served by the highly regarded Pleasanton Unified School District, and homes here are generally zoned for Vintage Hills Elementary — fittingly, the only school in Pleasanton named for a community — along with Pleasanton Middle School and Amador Valley High. That said, assignments in Pleasanton can come down to the specific parcel, so I always verify the designated elementary, middle, and high school for any individual home with PUSD before a client makes a decision.
Thinking about Vintage Hills II?
Because it's a finite pocket of larger 1980s homes — and one of the few in the area with a community pool — Vintage Hills II tends to draw steady interest, and the well-positioned homes move when they list. Whether you're weighing it against the original Vintage Hills, Vintage Heights, or the other pockets up on this hillside, I'd love to help you understand what's actually selling here, what it's selling for, and how the differences in era, size, and HOA factor into value.
I know Pleasanton's east-side hills inside and out — Vintage Hills, Vintage Hills II, Vintage Heights, and everything around them — and I'd be glad to be your guide. Reach out anytime, and let's find your home in this part of Pleasanton.
That kind of street-level detail is where I can genuinely help.
— Rebecca Rook, Living Tri-Valley | Compass
