More than four decades of thoughtful stewardship have shaped 2204 Tenth Street, a classic Berkeley home surrounded by an extraordinary garden of mature fruit trees, flowering plants, and established landscape in the heart of West Berkeley.

The longtime owner has approached the property with a deep respect for its history and an equally strong commitment to the natural environment. Rather than remodel or stage the house for sale, she has chosen to leave its next chapter to the people who will live here, preserving the character of the home and the remarkable garden she has cultivated over more than 40 years.

The main level offers a gracious two-bedroom, one-bath floor plan with the proportions and architectural details that make older Berkeley homes so appealing. A large living room is anchored by a built-in fireplace and surrounded by substantial millwork, hardwood floors, tall windows, and original detailing. An adjoining formal dining room, which can also serve as a den or home office, provides a flexible setting for gathering, working, or everyday living. The generous kitchen offers abundant room for cooking and storage while retaining the home’s vintage character. Two bedrooms share a distinctive Jack-and-Jill bath with a freestanding tub and patterned tile surround.

Downstairs, the basement level has evolved into a one-bedroom, one-bath JADU including a large den/family room with its own kitchen and separate access, creating valuable flexibility for extended household living, guests, work, or other uses. The former garage has also been incorporated into a utility/laundry area, substantially expanding the usable space on this level.

But it is outside that the decades of care become most apparent. The rear garden is a true urban oasis, a wonderfully private landscape developed patiently over generations of growth rather than installed for a sale. Brick and stone patios give way to mature trees, flowering shrubs, established planting beds, and an unusually rich collection of fruiting trees and plants.

Quince, fig, Santa Rosa plum, citrus, multiple varieties of persimmon, pomegranate, peach, apple and other mature specimens populate the garden, alongside camellias, maple, Japanese ume, and established ornamental plantings. The result is a landscape with the texture, shade, privacy, and abundance that only time can create—a garden meant to be wandered through, tended, harvested, and enjoyed.

The property’s West Berkeley location places Fourth Street, Berkeley Bowl West, Aquatic Park, the Bay Trail, Berkeley Marina, neighborhood cafés, restaurants, and everyday amenities within easy reach, while offering convenient connections to the rest of Berkeley and the greater Bay Area.

2204 Tenth Street is an increasingly rare kind of Berkeley property: a longtime home that has not been stripped of its individuality or remade for the market. It offers generous living spaces, a flexible lower level, enduring architectural character, and an extraordinary mature garden created through more than four decades of care. For the next owner, it is an opportunity not simply to acquire a house, but to become the next steward of a very special place.

Home Energy Score = 8.

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Garden Map

Floor Plans

Amenities

Hardwood Floors | Fireplace | Built-in Cabinetry | Vintage Light Fixtures | Box-Beam Ceiling | Bay Window | Den/Home Office | Eat-in Kitchen | Jack-and-Jill Bathroom | Freestanding Tub w/ Tile Surround | In-Law Unit w/ Separate Entrance | Laundry Room | Gated Driveway | Patio | Garden | Mature Fruit Trees | Fenced Yard