Help! Hubby will be working in San Leandro - Best and safest place to raise kids (San Jose: appointed, for sale)

[beachsurfer28]

I want to know. Is there much crime in this place?

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by beachsurfer28

I want to know. Is there much crime in this place?

In San Leandro? Yes. In Alameda? Not particularly, though it's not exactly Greenwich CT.

[N CA]

I grew up in San Leandro, and I moved out in 1997. No way would I ever put my child in a San Leandro or San Lorenzo school. San Leandro closed two perfectly good high schools and are now packing the kids in at San Leandro High. When I left, they were having race riots there. No thanks.

San Ramon schools and Acalanes schools are both good, but you'll encounter quite a bit of traffic in both of those commute patterns. You can kiss off your backyard if you move to San Ramon. The planning commission has been sacrificing lot sizes for a long time to accommodate more housing. IMO, Castro Valley is the best of both worlds. If you do your research, you can find very good to great elementary schools (only a few to stay away from). The high school may not be the highest rated, but it is surely respectable. If you're renting, then high school may not matter at this point. Because Castro Valley isn't a master-planned tract community, you can find a wide variety of homes at a wide variety of prices.

[N CA]

Alameda? OK, but way overpriced for what you get. Bay Farm Island nearly borders East Oakland, too. The schools are just so-so. You can get much more bang for your buck in other communities.

[Happy Cells]

I lived in Alameda and would recommend it. But as always be sure to
PERSONALLY VISIT the EXACT location that you will be [planning on] moving to.
Visit several times during the week morning, evening, and visit on a weekend.
It you don't like the "feel" then look elsewhere.
If you see "tagging" ie graffiti, and life sized 'hot wheels' cars then look for another place to live.
Remember, do the best you can for your children. Pay more and get into a safer place.

[tennis368fan]

Originally Posted by N CA

Alameda? OK, but way overpriced for what you get. Bay Farm Island nearly borders East Oakland, too. The schools are just so-so. You can get much more bang for your buck in other communities.

Bay Farm Island is NOT AT ALL AFFECTED by East Oakland. It is worlds apart from International Blvd. This is the the part of Alameda with the least crime, most affluent families, and the best schools. It is no doubt a better choice than many parts of Oakland, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo. (In parts of Oakland, you can find highly rated elementary schools, but not highly rated, non-chartered traditional middle schools and traditional comprehensive high schools)

Though Castro Valley has three elementary schools scoring above API 900, Alameda has four. Only two of the three best elementary schools in Castro Valley outperform the best in Alameda, and even then the difference is only 8-39 points out of 1000. Alameda's best middle schools and high schools (zoned to those in Bay Farm and areas east of Park Street) outperform the brightest in Castro Valley. Not mention the fact that Alameda High only has about 1,300 students, compared to Castro Valley High's approximately 2,000 students. Even so, Castro Valley is still a great place to live and an alternative to Alameda, but they really are about the same in education and housing prices, with Castro Valley allowing for an extra 300 square feet or so for the same price at the price of a longer commute or a commute in highway traffic.

Sure, there is Piedmont and Orinda, but they are quite expensive compared to Bay Farm Island and East End Alameda.

The "so-so" schools are the few on the opposite end of Alameda to Bay Farm. K-5: Ruby Bridges, Washington; 6-8: Chipman, Wood; Traditional Comprehensive High Schools: Encinal. For 6-12, residents that live outside of Lincoln Middle and Alameda High can attend the highly rated ACLC (Alameda Community Learning Center) if space permits. For 9-12, the highly rated ASTI (Alameda Science and Technology Institute) is an option.

Originally Posted by Happy Cells

I lived in Alameda and would recommend it. But as always be sure to
PERSONALLY VISIT the EXACT location that you will be [planning on] moving to.
Visit several times during the week morning, evening, and visit on a weekend.
It you don't like the "feel" then look elsewhere.
If you see "tagging" ie graffiti, and life sized 'hot wheels' cars then look for another place to live.
Remember, do the best you can for your children. Pay more and get into a safer place.

Alameda is not scary. I lived there too and was never really bothered by these things. I am certainly not bothered by the Porsches and the occasional Ferrari. The graffiti, for the most part, is the unorganized acts of adolescents trying to screw around, or at least in Central Alameda and the East End. It is in no way related to gangs. My only exception for this is the West End, but with gentrification and the mass-evictions of low-income residents in that area, I don't know how much better or worse it has gotten.

[N CA]

Bay Farm excels because it's predominately Asian. Most schools on the island are so-so. Properties ARE expensive for what you get. The community is OK, but IMO, it's not worth the property values. When you drive out of Bay Farm and make a right turn, you're in the worst area of Oakland (9th Avenue, Edes Avenue sound familiar?). Go take a look at South Shore.

You actually can get similar square footage properties in the Walnut Creek and Lafayette areas for similar prices. In South Walnut Creek and Lafayette, you'll get older homes with larger lots vs. Bay Farm homes are newer with postage stamp-sized lots. Alameda's crime rate is slightly above average while Lafayette's is slightly lower. Alameda is more diverse that Lafayette, though.

Please compare Las Lomas or Acalanes High with either of the public high schools in Alameda.


You CAN get more bang for your buck in other communities. Alameda's commute out of Alameda can be long because the bridges and the tube get backed up. A Lamorinda commute can be long because the Caldecott gets backed up.

IMO, you should define parameters first, such as: Home specifics (type, age, lots size, price, etc.), School test scores and demographics, max length of commute. You can then look those things in relation to the different areas. You may absolutely want a newer home, which may rule out many communities. You may be willing to buy a townhome. See? There are lots of variables, and you should define your search before you actually go looking. You may be looking for diversity over test scores. There are just so many things to evaluate.

Good luck!

[N CA]

Sorry...I meant 98th Avenue and Edes.

If I were returning to Alameda County, I'd seriously consider Castro Valley. Five Canyons is probably comparable to Bay Farm. CV is unincorporated, and it borders unincorporated San Leandro and San Lorenzo. Just stay away from that side of Castro Valley.

Here is the link to CV schools on greatscshools.com. I'd stay away from Strobridge. I was actually surprised at most of the test scores for the elementary schools. Stanton was never considered a desirable school, but it looks like it's test scores are respectable.


Greatschools.net Search: castro valley

[tennis368fan]

Originally Posted by N CA

Bay Farm excels because it's predominately Asian. Most schools on the island are so-so....Please compare Las Lomas or Acalanes High with either of the public high schools in Alameda...

Once again, most of Alameda's schools are very good, except for a few on the West End. Most elementary schools in Alameda rate 8 out of 10 or above by the CDE (California Department of Education), and half of the elementary schools rate in the high 800's and into the 900's in the API, similar to Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, and Castro Valley. Lincoln Middle, ACLC, and ASTI are also comparable to schools in those regions. As for the high schools, here is a little something I found from Newsweek. I made a comparision based on the data at their webpage America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com :


Alameda High School has remained consistent in surpassing Las Lomas in rank, and staying close to the ranks of Acalanes. Even Encinal, which rates the lowest in the state API of the five, has managed to surpass Las Lomas in the recent past, though not this year. Miramonte in Orinda is the best out of the five, but there does not seem to be any homes at or under $700,000 in Orinda. Castro Valley and Northgate are not even on the lists, though they are still great high schools.

Originally Posted by N CA

...Properties ARE expensive for what you get. The community is OK, but IMO, it's not worth the property values. When you drive out of Bay Farm and make a right turn, you're in the worst area of Oakland (9th Avenue, Edes Avenue sound familiar?). Go take a look at South Shore...

Alameda and Castro Valley are very much worth what they are considering their accessibility to San Francisco and Oakland. Plus, if working in San Leandro and if a shorter, less stressful commute is desired, Alameda and Castro Valley are much better choices.

Originally Posted by N CA

You actually can get similar square footage properties in the Walnut Creek and Lafayette areas for similar prices. In South Walnut Creek and Lafayette, you'll get older homes with larger lots vs. Bay Farm homes are newer with postage stamp-sized lots.

While that may be true, the cities include quite a bit of hilly terrain. So while the homesites can be larger, they are sloped, and can sometimes be quite steep in Lafayette. As of this posting, I only see two listings in Lafayette and southern Walnut Creek that are 2,000 square feet or more and have large lots. Both are older fixer uppers, and the one in Walnut Creek is $700,000! Of course, if a fixer-upper is not preferred, there are plenty of smaller homes with larger lots that are ready to move in. However, at that end of the price spectrum, Alameda and Castro Valley become near-equal alternatives once again, especially when considering the traffic and commute time to San Leandro from Lamorinda and Walnut Creek. Even on BART, it takes 36 mins, and that's just the train ride.

There are several homes in Siskiyou Drive in southern Walnut Creek on the market that are 2000 square feet or over, but they have very short driveways (cannot even hold cars) and small homesites, just like Bay Farm homes. Unlike Bay Farm or East End Alameda, the commute to San Leandro can be quite long.

Originally Posted by N CA

Alameda's crime rate is slightly above average while Lafayette's is slightly lower. Alameda is more diverse that Lafayette, though.

Actually, Bay Farm's crime rate (94502) is slightly below average just like Lafayette according to Sperlings Bestplaces.net. N CA, you were probably either looking at 94501 or Alameda in general. Walnut Creek is slightly above average in property crime, too.

Originally Posted by N CA

You CAN get more bang for your buck in other communities. Alameda's commute out of Alameda can be long because the bridges and the tube get backed up. A Lamorinda commute can be long because the Caldecott gets backed up.

Living in Bay Farm, one does not need to cross ANY bridges to get to San Leandro.

As for the East End of the island, a commute to San Leandro should be okay, or at least to my knowledge. The tube and the rest of the bridges to Oakland are the ones that are busy as they lead to I-880. The Bay Farm Island bridge is congested COMING ONTO the island as the parents of students from Bay Farm drive their children to Alameda High and Lincoln Middle, though most students take the bus. Others heading to San Francisco or Oakland by car cross the bridge in that direction as well. Heading south to San Leandro across the Bay Farm Island bridge should be fine.

Originally Posted by N CA

...If I were returning to Alameda County, I'd seriously consider Castro Valley. Five Canyons is probably comparable to Bay Farm. CV is unincorporated, and it borders unincorporated San Leandro and San Lorenzo. Just stay away from that side of Castro Valley...

Five Canyons is a good choice, but one would have to travel twice as long by car when avoiding the traffic on the highways. BART is possible, but if the place of work is not near BART, then it will be quite troublesome.

Living in Five Canyons, one would not have direct access to San Francisco via the ferry, or the water for a matter of fact.

There are currently no homes listed for $700K in Five Canyons.

Anywhere in eastern Castro Valley, where the good elementary schools are, can extend the commute when using local roads. The choice is totally up to you, however. For a more rural/suburban living environment, then Castro Valley is your "cup of tea". For denser urban/suburban living, Alameda is the choice, as it is easily accessible to San Francisco by ferry, Downtown Oakland by car, and posesses a great deal of commerce and culture that Castro Valley does not.

I am not trying to say that Lamorinda and Walnut Creek are bad choices, as I love those communities for what they are, but it is just not logical to drive so far to San Leandro when something close-to-comparable can be found nearby, given that $700K can buy quite a bit even near San Leandro WITHOUT the need to sacrifice schools or safety.

[N CA]

Your argument is flawed in that the Newsweek article bases their rankings on the number of AP tests taken divided by the number of graduating seniors. Passing scores are not relevant to the Newsweek list, so a high school that encourages test taking will score higher with no consideration given to student scores.

Las Lomas rates a 10/10, Alameda a 9/10. We can all agree that Acalanes exceed both schools. Neither Castro Valley nor Alameda High Schools are considered the top of the heap schools, but you can get a decent education if you perform well.

APIs: Alameda High - 798, Las Lomas - 840, Acalanes - 893. Both Las Lomas and Acalanes had positive growth in 2007. Alameda High had negative growth as the school did not meet it's performance benchmarks.

There are homes listed for $750K in 5 Canyons. I only mentioned that area because I'm familiar with it as my friend lives there. Clean, clean, clean. Shopping at Stoneridge vs. shopping at.....if you live in Alameda.

Castro Valley has easy access to San Leandro, both driving and BART. It just depends on where in SL you are if you have access to BART at your destination. There are two BART stations - Bayfair and San Leandro. Bay Farm would have easy access if employment is near the Marina or somewhere in the industrial area along Doolittle Drive/Merced/Fairview. If downtown, you'd probably drive Otis/Doolittle to Davis or Marina. It just depends on the location.

Do I hear an echo? I did mention that the Caldecott was not a good commute by vehicle. By BART, it's OK. The problem is that if you want top-notch schools in Alameda County, you're looking at Piedmont or Pleasanton (or Fremont perhaps?). Piedmont is way out of reach pricewise for most people. Pleasanton is a little further than Castro Valley, but it's certainly a viable option. It's accessible to BART. You're just not going to find 10/10 schools in most of Alameda County. IMO, Castro Valley offers a good location, good commute, reasonable housing prices, and OK schools. Alameda will give you most of the same, but pricier housing for good areas.

You can compare homes on movoto.com. I personally prefer the island to Bay Farm. My former sister-in-law used to live on Fernside. Lovely bungalows. Before Fernside, she lived in a converted Victorian on San Jose (I think). I love that area, but she sent her daughter to St. Joe's. Most folks I know in Alameda send their kids to O'Dowd. Bay Farm is super-tract. Castro Valley is not the super-master-planned community.

When I looked the other day, there were some 5 Canyon properties under $700K, but I imagine they go pretty quickly. There is one listing for $750K. Other areas to look at are near Proctor, Jensen and Palomares.

Crime stats.

LAFAYETTE, California
Crime Index 206
Population 24,990
Murders 0
Rapes 0
Robberies 15
Assaults 7
Burglaries 119
Thefts 317
Motor Vehicles Thefts 57
Arsons N/A

ALAMEDA, California
Crime Index 300
Population 71,212
Murders 2
Rapes 7
Robberies 81
Assaults 131
Burglaries 323
Thefts 1,297
Motor Vehicles Thefts 292
Arsons N/A

WALNUT CREEK, California
Crime Index 399
Population 64,774
Murders 0
Rapes 3
Robberies 41
Assaults 69
Burglaries 438
Thefts 1,773
Motor Vehicles Thefts 258
Arsons N/A

I looked at returning to Alameda County, but I could get much more in Contra Costa. I live in a neighborhood with three private parks, three private pools, other amenities, and my kids attend all 10/10 schools. Our worse crime problems are kids vandalizing (smashing) car windows and having kids on our HOA common areas after curfew. My commute door-to-door to downtown Oakland is 45 minutes. You can buy a 2,000+ sf, 4/2.5 home here in perfect shape for under $700K.