Question about Upper Rockridge, Oakland Hills, Montclair, and some surrounding areas (Claremont: low crime, house)

[Chee]

We recently have been trying to purchase a house in Orinda, but we've been out-bidded twice. So, I thought why not Oakland where home pricing seems to be more reasonable!

Our agent has been sending us update of the above mentioned area listings, but I have no idea what difference each area brings to us if we decide to buy there.
I've noticed some homes have gorgeous views of Bay but that's all the difference?
Could someone explain what each town offers?
Thank you!

[oaktownchris]

Montclair is an oakland neighborhood that feels like its a separate village just off HWY 13. The village is walkable with restaurants, shops groceries banks etc - basically all you need. The housing then spreads out from the village generally uphill, some with very steep lots, hence some great views of the Bay. The area also has a very woodsy feel. Depending on the location, the housing area is not conducive to walking (lack of sidewalks, steep hills, winding streets). There is a library and nice public park.

If you have kids, allof Oakland is in the Oakland Unified School District, and in general the schools in Orinda are far superior. However, the 2 elementary schools in Montclair are well regarded and test score wise close to their Orinda counterparts. The middle school is Montera, which is outside the neighborhood, is a fine school but the test scores start to drop. The High School would be Skyline at which point testscores plummet and many Montclair kids by then are in private school or have moved.

Overall I think Montclair is a great place to live.

Upper Rockridge has larger and generally more expensive homes than Montclair. Some of the area was hit by the 1991 Oakland Hills fire. College ave has a great stretch of Restaurants with more dining options than Montclair. There is also the Rockridge Bart station on college ave if you commute to work. Your Elemetary school is either Chabot or Hillcrest depending on your address. Ideally, you want to be in Hillcrests attendance area because it is a K-8 school and is the best middle school by far in oakland. There is also the nearby Claremont Country Club and Temescal Park with a lake.

Rockridge is a very fine place to live.

[18Montclair]

Orinda's more urban equivalent is Piedmont IMO. Its a small city of about 10,000 completely surrounded by Oakland and has a very low crime rate, schools that actually are on par with Orinda's and the 2 towns have similar income levels.

[mburns]

I'm a Realtor in Oakland and often spend a few hours with a client at the beginning of their search just touring different neighborhoods. I would suggest that you do this with your agent. He or she should be able to point out the postives and negatives of each neighborhood.