Think of it as your neighborhood. Your neighbors. Thirty years ago, that's what 12-year-old John Harrison had in his mind as he pedaled his bicycle from the gritty flatlands of north Oakland uphill to Lake Temescal. Nestled in a gentle curve of hills and shaded by fragrant eucalyptus, many of the well- tended homes offered postcard views of San Francisco Bay. To Harrison and thousands of others, the enclaves -- Upper Rockridge, Montclair, Broadway Terrace, Hiller Highlands -- were about as close to heaven as anyone could get and still be earthbound.
Nine years ago, Harrison achieved his dream and moved...