Moving to Oakland - Need help with neighbourhood (Orange, Highland: 2014, apartments)

[amohame6]

Hello Everyone,
My husband and I are moving to Oakland for his job July 2014. He will be working in downtown and I will be working from home... We need help with deciding on neighborhoods. We are able to afford something up to $3800. We are young couple mid 30's with no children. We like living in the city and prefer to stay within city not suburb. We also would like to be in 2 or 3 bedroom apartment or home.
Any neighborhood recommendations?

Thank you for your help

[04kL4nD]

That's a great budget for Oakland. Check out Uptown and Jack London Square (they're both walking distance from DTO) if you want an urban apartment with modern amenities (in the Bay Area this means dishwasher and in unit W/D) OR Rockridge, Piedmont Ave and Grand Lake if you want an older apartment with lots of character and charm. If you're looking to rent a house, upper Rockridge and Montclair Village are great, but they won't be nearly as walkable. I really like Trestle Glen and Glenview too.

[CirclingLogan]

If you're a young couple with no kids, I doubt you'd be that into Montclair or Upper Rockridge. The former feels like a sleepy, albeit nice, mountain town and the latter is Orange County, Oakland. They're also very expensive. Grand Lake, Lakeshore, Lower Rockridge, Temescal and Piedmont Ave. have great SFH that are still walkable to commercial centers. More likely to be within the $3,800 range, as well. For apartments, with that budget, I'd look to rent at The Bond in JLS or The Grand in Uptown. There are also some great lofts in JLS you may be able to rent from the owners.

[Obamadon1]

Originally Posted by CirclingLogan

For apartments, with that budget, I'd look to rent at The Bond in JLS or The Grand in Uptown.

The Bond is condos now The Bond Living

[jade408]

Depending on if you want a house or apartment. Try Trestle Glen or Crocker Highlands or Glenview for homes. Or "lower Rockridge (aka the portions closest to College Ave), Piedmont Ave, Temescal, Grand Lake or most of downtown.

Downtown (including JLS, Uptown, Old Oakland, etc) is nice, but still a bit transitional. It isn't quite a 7-day a week are yet, but is rapidly becoming more of a neighborhood.

All the other places on the list have or are adjacent to thriving commercial districts and are 7-day a week areas.

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by amohame6

Hello Everyone,
My husband and I are moving to Oakland for his job July 2014. He will be working in downtown and I will be working from home... We need help with deciding on neighborhoods. We are able to afford something up to $3800. We are young couple mid 30's with no children. We like living in the city and prefer to stay within city not suburb. We also would like to be in 2 or 3 bedroom apartment or home.
Any neighborhood recommendations?

Thank you for your help

That is a great budget to work with for Oakland. You can be more specific with your criteria as there are lots of urban places in Oakland that could fit. Where are you moving from? That can also shape what your expectations are of a place. So please tell us more specific criteria if you have any.

[amohame6]

I'm moving from Washington, DC.. We currently live in Arlington, VA upper middle class neighborhood by DC standards... I visited SF but never lived there and not sure yet what to expect.. Everything in the area where we live now is within walking distance and we love that.. There are many parks around and a short walk to the Potomac river...

[04kL4nD]

I grew up outside DC, but I think you will like the Bay Area a lot. Oakland is a wonderful city. Best of luck to you!

[jade408]

Originally Posted by amohame6

I'm moving from Washington, DC.. We currently live in Arlington, VA upper middle class neighborhood by DC standards... I visited SF but never lived there and not sure yet what to expect.. Everything in the area where we live now is within walking distance and we love that.. There are many parks around and a short walk to the Potomac river...

Try Rockridge or Piedmont Ave or Trestle Glen for the most Arlington like feel. Montclair doesn't really work as the housing isn't generally in walking distance of the commercial area.

Slightly less "upper class" are Grand Lake and Temscal Downtown/Uptown/Jack London Square areas are more conventionally urban, but also pretty safe for urban neighborhoods. I.E. I feel fine walking around at night on most blocks with basic street smarts.

[04kL4nD]

Old Oakland has an Arlington sorta feel to it, but it's pretty small and there's like zero housing there. I agree that Rockridge/Piedmont Ave will have the most similar vibe.