THEIR STORY: About 40 years ago, a European home builder had purchased a beautiful piece of land in Brisbane, CA a small town just south of San Francisco with a population of less than 5,000. The site was special: it boasted panoramic views to the east of San Francisco Bay, the East Bay Hills, and the nearby Brisbane lagoon, and the new home that was built there had it all.
Big public rooms for gracious and robust entertaining, an open kitchen, dining, and living area, a family room with a fireplace, and the perfect deck that went end to end across the entire back of the home with views of San Francisco and the water.
When Hisashi and Akiko Kagami saw this home, they thought ‘ We are going to buy this house ‘‘ and they immediately shook hands with the builder and agreed on a price. What a perfectly sublime spot : suburban style living with natural quietude, yet just a 10-minute drive to the family trading business and 20 minutes to San Francisco. The “City of the Stars” was the moniker given to Brisbane because of a holiday tradition dating back to the 1930’s, where residents and business owners put large illuminated stars on their buildings during the holiday season. This vibe suited Akiko and Hisashi quite well - their home was the hub of family gathering for birthdays, holidays, and company parties. Delicious Japanese home cooking, bountiful cocktails, having a smoke on the deck, and fun times were all too common at 169 Tulare.
The sense of small town community, cultural mix of its residents, and town amenities like the library, public outdoor pool, summer concerts, outdoor tai chi and more enveloped this sunny, feel good house, with feel good community. The Kagami Family thrived there for four decades. With a tear in their eye but a lifetime of wonderful memories, Akiko and Family pass on their beautiful home to a young family with sincerest best wishes for a lifetime ahead full of family, friends and fun.