Davis · CA
Old North Davis, Davis: Neighborhood Guide
Old North Davis is Davis's oldest residential grid north of downtown, first built on in 1913, with bungalows and cottages from before 1950.
What is Old North Davis?
Old North Davis is the small grid of streets just north of downtown Davis, roughly from B Street to G Street and from Fifth Street up to Seventh. Some people stretch the name east to the railroad tracks. It sits inside the larger area locals call Central Davis, which runs from Russell Boulevard and Fifth Street north to Covell Boulevard, between Highway 113 and the tracks.
The streets are lettered and numbered, a continuation of the downtown grid, and it is the part of Davis where the houses are older than almost everything around them.
Talk With Maggie About Old North Davis
How did Old North Davis grow up?
The core of the neighborhood is the Bowers Addition, which LocalWiki dates to 1913, the year it was laid out and the first houses went up. A neighborhood booklet quoted there, Resurgent Old North Davis, describes it filling in at about 40 houses a decade from the 1910s through the 1940s.
That slow build left a mix. The same booklet counts about 140 homes from before 1950: about 50 bungalows, mostly from the 1910s and 1920s, and about 90 cottages, mostly from the 1930s and 1940s. The Old North Davis Neighborhood Association still meets, and John Lofland's walking guide to the neighborhood is the go-to history.
What kind of homes are in Old North Davis?
Expect single-family homes from before 1950: bungalows from the 1910s and 1920s, and cottages from the 1930s and 1940s, with later houses filling the gaps. Because the neighborhood was built a few dozen houses at a time, two houses side by side can be decades apart.
An older house asks for a different inspection than a newer one. Plan to look at the foundation, the sewer line to the street, the electrical panel and wiring, and any past additions and whether they were permitted.
What are the rules for changing a house in Old North Davis?
The City of Davis made Old North one of three heritage conservation districts, with overlay zoning on top of the base zoning, according to the neighborhood association's LocalWiki page. Together with downtown, those districts hold nearly all of the city's designated landmark and merit resource buildings.
In practice, that means an addition, a second story or a new front porch can need design review against the district's guidelines. If you are buying with plans to expand, talk to the City's planning staff before you remove your contingencies. If you are selling, gather any permits and approvals for past work, because buyers here ask.
How do you get around Old North Davis?
Old North Davis is one of the few parts of town where you can walk to almost everything. Downtown, the Davis Food Co-op at 620 G Street and Central Park at Fourth and C streets, home of the Saturday morning farmers market, are a few blocks away. The Amtrak station on Second Street is a short walk or ride.
The Davis Farmers Market sets up in Central Park every Saturday morning, rain or shine, and on Wednesday evenings it turns into Picnic in the Park during the warmer months. For an Old North Davis home, that is a walk of a few blocks, not a drive and a parking hunt.
Community Park is in Central Davis too, and a bike tunnel under the railroad tracks links H Street to the J Street side of town.
Which school district serves Old North Davis?
Old North Davis is served by Davis Joint Unified School District. Confirm the assigned school with the district directly.
What should buyers and sellers in Old North Davis know?
Buyers compete for a short list of houses, because the neighborhood is small and nobody is building more of it. Get the loan approved before you start touring. As a mortgage broker, Maggie shops your financing across a network of approved lenders, which matters when an older house needs repairs worked into the plan. Start with buying a home in Davis.
Sellers do best by showing the house's age as a strength and its condition as known. A pre-listing inspection, the permit history and a sewer line report answer the questions buyers will ask anyway. If the home has been a rental, it should already be registered with the City under its rental program. See selling your home in Davis.
Work with a local team on Old North Davis
Surroundings puts the sale and the loan under one roof. Compare Old North Davis with Village Homes or West Davis, go back to the Davis guide, or book a call with Maggie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Old North Davis?
Old North Davis is just north of downtown, roughly from B to G Street and Fifth to Seventh Street, inside the larger area called Central Davis.
How old are the homes in Old North Davis?
The Bowers Addition was first built on in 1913. A neighborhood booklet counts about 140 homes from before 1950, mostly bungalows and cottages.
Is Old North Davis a historic district?
It is one of the City of Davis's heritage conservation districts, with overlay zoning that can require design review for exterior changes.
Can I add on to a house in Old North Davis?
Often you can, but plan on design review against the conservation district guidelines. Talk to City planning staff before you remove your contingencies.
What school district serves Old North Davis?
Old North Davis is served by Davis Joint Unified School District. Confirm the assigned school with the district directly.
How far is Old North Davis from the train station?
It is a short walk or bike ride. The Amtrak station is on Second Street at the south edge of downtown.
The method
How we do it in Old North Davis
More of Davis
Ready to make your move with Surroundings?