Information on San Leandro, CA (San Diego, Oakland: real estate, low crime, brokers)

[BayAreaSW]

Tallysmom,

Thats so interesting that you mention Trader Joe's because it happens to be the only store I shop at. Thanks for the info because I was not aware that Trader Joe's only agrees to be in certain areas. That makes sense, because I've never seen Trader Joe's in the "hood". I guess if a Trader Joe's is present that says a lot about the community. I know there is one in CAstro Valley, which is very nice, but is it affordable? I'm gathering its pretty safe. I see that San Leandro has its good and bad like every city.

[sonarrat]

Hmm. There's a Trader Joe's in Oakland's Grand Lake district. We've got one here in South San Francisco, too..

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by BayAreaSW

Tallysmom,

Thats so interesting that you mention Trader Joe's because it happens to be the only store I shop at. Thanks for the info because I was not aware that Trader Joe's only agrees to be in certain areas. That makes sense, because I've never seen Trader Joe's in the "hood". I guess if a Trader Joe's is present that says a lot about the community. I know there is one in CAstro Valley, which is very nice, but is it affordable? I'm gathering its pretty safe. I see that San Leandro has its good and bad like every city.

I know Castro Valley has lots of apartments and my property manager lives there... and I know they don't make tons of money.... LOL

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

Hmm. There's a Trader Joe's in Oakland's Grand Lake district. We've got one here in South San Francisco, too..

Yes -- and Grand Lake is filled with college educated homeowners. You don't have too far to go to a Whole Foods, either from there.

You won't find a TJ in 94603....

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Yes -- and Grand Lake is filled with college educated homeowners. You don't have too far to go to a Whole Foods, either from there.

Ah yes, Whole Paycheck. Had one nearby me when I lived in Redwood City, never went there. I'm a Smart & Final and Costco guy.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

Ah yes, Whole Paycheck. Had one nearby me when I lived in Redwood City, never went there. I'm a Smart & Final and Costco guy.

I went to the Whole Foods on College Ave in Oakland (I think that's Oakland -- but it may be Berkeley) and I wasn't impressed either. I'm not a unwrap and nuke-er -- I cook. And they catered to the unwrap and nuke crowd. And the produce was just okay. And EXPENSIVE.

But I live close to San Leandro and I the building I clean is in San Leandro, and I've ALWAYS shopped in San Leandro. The two closest Safeways to me have gone WAY WAY down in quality and -- like every thing else -- way up in price.

Milk is regulated so that's a standard pretty much where ever you go, but we are big milk drinkers so I buy 4-6 gallons a week. (Just two of us!) But yesterday I went to Nob Hill in Alameda and bought iceberg lettuce (I know -- but hubby won't eat anything else and at least it's GREEN.) for 69 cents -- Safeway's is 1.49 last I checked. Celery was 99 cents and CRISP and lasts over a week, and Safeways' was 1.29 and wilted in two days.

I can't give up Safeway entirely -- Minute Maid OJ frozen seems to be perpetually on sale, and their meats are well priced and good (although the Manor House IQF bagged chicken breasts appear to come from atomic chickens -- they are SO huge one breast feed both of us with lots of nibbly bits left over for the kitties -- so I prefer the bagged Foster Farms ones from Costco)

But the thing that really got me about shopping in San Leandro is the theft. I used to buy janitorial products at Home Depot -- now if I do it's only in an emergency and I open the container and check -- I've purchased quite a few jugs of watered down product or plain water because people will buy the cleaner, use what they need or all of it, refill it with water and return it for the cash.

And then I bought a hair product at Longs that I usually get at the salon. I opened the product and it was something else. When I took it back, she and I went back to the shelf, and there were four other tubes. One was shrink wrapped and the others -- refilled. That's theft.

[sonarrat]

The Whole Foods in Oakland is on 27th Street in the Uptown, but yes, that's how I felt about Whole Foods - and Trader Joe's, for that matter. They had a lot of very nice, very cheap frozen dinners which would have been great if all I had was a freezer..

[N CA]

I lived in San Leandro virtually my entire life. I moved out in 1997, and I doubt that I would ever move back. I guess it would depend on my situation, but I wouldn't move to San Lorenzo or Hayward either. There are too many preferable neighboring communities, such as Castro Valley, Pleasanton, etc.

When I was a kid we used to shop at Bayfair (when it was an open-air mall and go ice skating at Southland). I wouldn't step foot in those anymore.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by N CA

I lived in San Leandro virtually my entire life. I moved out in 1997, and I doubt that I would ever move back. I guess it would depend on my situation, but I wouldn't move to San Lorenzo or Hayward either. There are too many preferable neighboring communities, such as Castro Valley, Pleasanton, etc.

When I was a kid we used to shop at Bayfair (when it was an open-air mall and go ice skating at Southland). I wouldn't step foot in those anymore.

Once you leave... it is very hard to go back because nothing remains as you remember...

I find San Leandro less expensive than the areas you've mentioned unless you are comparing Bay-O-Vista... and even then, Pleasanton has some home priced much higher.

[N CA]

Ultrarunner,

You can get reasonably-priced properties in Castro Valley, and I'd much prefer it to San Leandro. The CV schools are much, much better than SL schools. When I left crime was becoming an issue. I wouldn't choose Union City, either.

I'd rather live in a townhome in Pleasanton or San Ramon than buy in those other communities. I believe that older, small homes in San Ramon are running around the $500Ks (maybe under?).

I attended Woodrow Wilson, John Muir Jr. High (when it was a Jr. High), and Pacific High Schools. I left when I was 33, and SL was starting to have issues then.