Orinda's name, tunnel, and theater tell one hillside story

Orinda has one of those names that sounds older than the modern town around it. The name traces to “The Matchless Orinda,” the pen name of English poet Katherine Fowler Philips. That literary thread gives the town a softer beginning than you might expect from a place now tied so closely to Highway 24 and East Bay commuting.

The big turning point was the Caldecott Tunnel, which opened in 1937. Before the tunnel, moving between Oakland and Contra Costa County was harder and slower. After it opened, Orinda became much easier to reach, and hillside living on the other side of the Berkeley Hills made more sense for more families.

The Orinda Theatre, built in 1941, adds the visual landmark. Its art deco tower still gives the village center a sense of occasion. It also reminds you that Orinda grew with a town center, a theater, schools, clubs, local identity, and hillside homes along the road.

Orinda incorporated later, in 1985. When you stand near the theater today, you can still see the basic story: hills, a tunnel, a village center, and a name with an unexpected literary root.