Claraboya, Claremont CA
Claraboya — Spanish for "window to the sky" — is the only neighborhood in Claremont built entirely on a mountain rather than at its base. Every home here is custom; there's no repeated floor plan or tract-built facade anywhere in the community. It's also one of Claremont's most tightly self-governed neighborhoods, with an active homeowners association and architectural rules dating back more than 40 years.
Claraboya at a glance
- Typical home price: $998,000 – $2.32 million on closed sales since 2021; median closed price around $1.6 million
- HOA: Yes — the Claraboya Homeowners Association, self-governed since the 1960s
- Walkability: Very low — a Walk Score of 4 out of 100
- Closest schools: Chaparral Elementary → El Roble Intermediate → Claremont High (confirm your exact address at cusd.claremont.edu — boundaries can shift)
- Best for: Buyers wanting one-of-a-kind architect-designed homes, hillside privacy, and panoramic views
Character and history
Claraboya's land originally belonged to Cassius C. Johnson, a Claremont citrus grower who acquired the area in the 1890s — the same family connection that gives the adjacent Johnson's Pasture trail its name. Development began in the early 1960s under architects Fred W. McDowell and Theodore Criley Jr., of the firm Criley and McDowell, who set design guidelines requiring every home to respond to its own lot, solar orientation, and view corridor rather than following a standard plan. That's why no two homes in Claraboya look alike. The community was expanded in 1970 by the Armstrong Brothers, who added two more streets. By the time funding for the broader vision dried up in the mid-1970s, only 247 of an originally planned 1,120 homes had been built — a fraction of the scale first imagined, which is part of why the neighborhood feels so distinctly low-density today.
One of the standout examples from this era, McDowell's award-winning "Concrete House," was featured on Claremont Heritage's 2013 home tour — a poured-concrete, all-electric home with imported onyx and marble floors extending out to the patio, built-in vacuum and intercom systems, and a master suite opening onto a private pool.
Schools
Claraboya is zoned for Chaparral Elementary, one of the highest-rated elementary schools in Claremont Unified, followed by El Roble Intermediate and then Claremont High School, which offers AP and IB coursework along with 32 sports programs. As always, confirm the exact zoning for a specific address with Claremont Unified School District rather than assuming based on the neighborhood alone.
Getting around and the views
Claraboya is not a walkable neighborhood — its Walk Score of 4 reflects a hillside layout built for cars, not foot traffic. What it trades walkability for is genuinely rare: from certain vantage points in Claraboya, the view stretches south to Corona and the Santa Ana Mountains, east to San Jacinto, and west to the Downtown Los Angeles skyline, with Santa Catalina Island visible on clear days. The neighborhood also sits at the edge of Johnson's Pasture and the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park trail system, putting hiking access just outside the door for residents on the upper streets.
Who This Neighborhood Fits
Claraboya neighborhood is a prestigious foothill community situated in northern Claremont. Renowned for its stunning views of the San Gabriel Mountains and expansive residential properties, Claraboya is among the most sought-after luxury homes in Claremont. Many residences in this neighborhood are located along hillside streets, providing panoramic valley views and larger lot sizes compared to other areas in the Claremont real estate market.
Selling Strategy for Claraboya Homes
Claraboya neighborhood properties typically include:
• luxury single-family homes
• hillside estates
• large residential lots
• custom architecture
Due to the limited number of properties and the scenic location, homes in the Claraboya neighborhood often attract buyers in the Claremont real estate market seeking privacy, stunning views, and larger luxury homes Claremont.