Advice for purchasing townhouse in downtown Hayward (specific area) (Oakland: HOA fees, lofts)

[suspiration]

Looking to purchase a townhouse in downtown Hayward that is close to bart. Not to familiar with the area, but been driving around a few times and seems to be OK. Townhouse complex is very nice and quite.

Specific area I'm looking at is here:
chase ave hayward ca - Google Maps

Will this be a safe place to live in? Walk to/from bart anytime between 6am to 9pm?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[jade408]

My 2 cents. I think Hayward is a bit weird. Downtown has been up and coming for maybe the past 10 or 15 years, but it hasn't arrived all the way. But Buffulo Bills is pretty cool. I'd check out the appreciation on those Downtown condos to make sure you do not overpay. There was a huge building boom around 2002-4 or so. So check out what the resale market looks like. It is decently walkable with a Lucky's and a strip mall with jamba etc the typical chains nearby. You'd also be close to BART and Amtrak. The drawback is that Hayward is seriously lacking in good food and personality. It also seems to be getting a lot more dangerous. I can't tell you about the safety in that area, but I have noticed increasing reports of violent crime. Somehow the city was unable to capitalize on the housing boom and build its reputation so today the rep isn't great and it'll make it harder to resell, even though on paper Hayward is pretty good.

[NorCal Dude]

Got kids? If so, haywards a no no. Half that town i lives in livermore and tracy now.

[SickOfCalifornia]

I wouldn't walk to BART there at night - no way, no how. Hayward is one of the last areas to resist gentrification, and it's putting up a good fight. Everyone has a different tolerance for "bad" neighborhoods, but I wouldn't live there even if you paid my mortgage for me.

[suspiration]

Thanks for the advice. No kids for me. Reasons for checking out downtown Hayward because I was told that it is the safer part of Hayward and that the housing price had fallen close to 50%. Will definitely walk around that neighborhood before making my decision though.

[sonarrat]

I don't see how you could get into much trouble just walking a couple blocks up Grand Street to the BART station. But I've never actually lived in the East Bay.

[Ceece]

I think Hayward is a bit weird

I agree. I grew up in that area and it was always weird. It didn't start out lofty or with any ambition then it became usless and ugly then, as you say, it's been fighting an uphill battle to become more modern and upscale but there was never much there to fight for and it's a struggle to get people to accept the place as anything much. I never could put my finger on why it's such an odd place but I never felt comfortable in the downtown area.

Half that town i lives in livermore and tracy now.

Yup.

[tanglenet]

If you don't want to depend on a car, it looks appealing to me too. I've been tracking it for awhile and the condos / lofts that were going in the mid 500's are now mid to high 200's. I don't know where in the Bay Area you can buy at that price and walk to BART. I've also heard that South Hayward is bad, although, it's probably on par with East Oakland.

[jade408]

You can live in downtown Oakland for the 200s too, and there is a lot more stuff close by in terms of entertainment and services. The 200s would but you in Uptown, Chinatown, or Old Oakland/Civic Center. And possibly Jack London Square. In my opinion, that is all a better value. And a shorter/cheaper BART ride. You might also be able to buy in Walnut Creek near Pleasant Hill BART for the upper 200s. I would expand my search, there are a lot of condos close to BART these days in better neighborhoods.

[tanglenet]

jade408,

Do you know any newer projects in downtown Oakland with (relatively) low HOA fees? The ones I've looked at around Jack London are $500+.