Piedmont/Montclair vs. Castro Valley (Fremont, Berkeley: neighborhoods, living in, move to)

[skatealoneskatetogether]

Originally Posted by fizbin

I must have missed something. How is this relevant?

i just thought id mention one of the cultural aspects involving the areas.

[worktolive]

First of all, you won't find any houses in Piedmont for under $800-900K.
Second, Piedmont has no "downtown". They have virtually no retail at all. Everyone in Piedmont shops in Oakland or Berkeley.

Montclair is wooded, hilly and rustic. Many houses have great bay or canyon views and large lots so you have some privacy. It feels like a different world up there. There are funky 1930's cottages next to newly built, $1M houses, no homeowner's associations and no subdivisions. Also, if you have younger kids, the three "hills" ;public elementary schools are rated very highly. It also has a nice village shopping area, including a farmer's market on Sunday morning, a Safeway and Lucky's grocery, various small shops and a few decent restaurants. It is possible to buy a house around $600K, but it will be either a fixer, small, or both. Unfortunately, the closest Bart station is in Rockridge.

As for Castro Valley - it's very nice and very quiet - more like a typical suburb. A friend of mine who lives there complains that there are no good bakeries and there are no destination restaurants or shopping districts with that city feel. If you want more of a suburban feel, you should consider it, but if you want something more urban (or want to be closer to the urban areas) then it might not suit you.

[BearBranch]

Fenton's on Piedmont is great. Its actually located in Oakland.

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Thanks 18Montclair, your descriptions are much better than mine... and a picture is worth a thousand words!

Only thing I can think to add... while everyone has heard of Beverly Hills, I've found many Bay Area residents have never heard of Piedmont... kind of a best kept secret. Also many are unfamiliar with the Montclair district of Oakland.

I've posted before about my girlfriend in college... her parents forbid her to visit me in Oakland. They had NO idea of Oakland's beauty and diversity until I spent a afternoon showing them around.

Amazing how limited one's views are if your only perceptions are formed from negative media...

We also drove through Piedmont via Estates Avenue and stopped on Piedmont Ave for lunch at Fenton's Creamery...

[BearBranch]

You also will want to consider Albany, which is directly north of Berkeley. Lots of academic types. Great local shopping.
You may be able to find housing in your budget. Here is an example that is available for $629k
Single Family Home - 1128 KEY ROUTE BLVD, ALBANY, CA, 94706 - Realtor.com

Originally Posted by teachcal

Hi,

My husband is from the East Bay and just got a job in Berkeley. We currently are living in the Midwest closer to where I am from.

We are very down to earth people. I prefer to live somewhere with a community feel without a lot of uppity attitudes. My husband would love to live in Piedmont/Montclair, but we would live in a lower priced home (mid 600 K) for the area.

What is downtown Piedmont like? How does it compare community-wise to Castro Valley (another consideration).

Please go by 1st hand knowledge and not rumor. Any help it appreciated!!

Theresa

[18Montclair]

Agreed.

Albany is a real gem.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by BearBranch

Fenton's on Piedmont is great. Its actually located in Oakland.

Yes... it was in East Oakland before moving to it's present Oakland location on Piedmont Ave so many years ago.

We would also frequent the Ice Creamery on Lakeshore Ave in Oakland and Flints BBQ on East14th and the Caspers in Dimond and Godiva Chocolate in Montclair Village. Anyone remember Sunshine Baking on Piedmont Ave... they had the best pizza.

My girlfriends parents had no idea that Oakland had a "Nice" side prior to that afternoon drive. Sadly, I find this is still the case unless you are fortunate to know someone from Oakland and have them show you around...

They live in Cupertino and I still see them occasionally, after all these years and they still remember the times I showed them my city and met my great neighbors.

[fizbin]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Yes... it was in East Oakland before moving to it's present Oakland location on Piedmont Ave so many years ago.

OK, you made me look. According to the Fenton's web site they have been in their present location since 1961, and for the 65 year previous to that were located at 41st & Howe, just blocks away. Hardly East Oakland. Maybe you were thinking from 1894 to 1896???

Fentons Creamery History

[sonarrat]

I think we found the last Civil War widow.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by fizbin

OK, you made me look. According to the Fenton's web site they have been in their present location since 1961, and for the 65 year previous to that were located at 41st & Howe, just blocks away. Hardly East Oakland. Maybe you were thinking from 1894 to 1896???]

Actually... yes.... my family's East Bay Roots go back to the late 1800's. I've always liked History and old things... be it Old Homes, Antique Cars, early Appliances... Old Photos, etc.

As a child, in the 60's, I would often accompany my Grandmother who as a volunteer with the Salvation Army would run errands and do shopping for elderly housebound Oakland residents...

My Grandmother was very strict, in a good way. She would tell me a little about the people we were about to meet and always emphasized politeness and not interrupting my elders. She told me that I could learn a lot by just listening. I listened a lot.

At about age 8, I would bring along a little tool kit my Grandfather had given me for my birthday. I would hang pictures, tighten a loose screw here and there and oil squeaky hinges... put beeswax on the sash of double hung windows and graphite sticking door locks. Older folks can have a lot of problems with sticking locks and wood windows.

Some of the homes we visited were truley a step back in time. I was fascinated by age... the oldest person we visited was 100 years old... and this was in the 60's

Her home on Adams Point in Oakland still had all the original gas light fixtures, in place, but no longer being used. Each bedroom had a very small hand basin with 1" lead drain pipes. The house also had a horse carriage house/barn with a pile of old horse shoes still in a wooden box.

Another elderly Gentleman lived on 90th ave... about two blocks below east 14th street. He had a very modest home on a 40 x 125 lot. He showed me the barn in his backyard where his family kept a milk cow so he and sisters would always have fresh milk. Being the oldest, it was his job to mow lawns in the neighborhood just to bring the grass home to feed the cow.

I bought my second home from the original owner in 1990. (It wasn't from anyone my family knew) Her widowed mother had bought the house new in 1922. I bought the home from her daughter who was 17 back in 1922. The daughter had lived in the home since 1922.

The original deed was in the house papers she gave me... The deed stated $10 in US Gold as the down payment. The home cost $2300 plus and extra $125 for the detached single car garage. She had lots of stories about the neighborhood... like when everyone planted victory gardens in WWII or when her mother had to take in boarders and do laundry to keep from losing the home in the Depression. The home still had the original combination Wedgewood gas/wood stove for cooking, heat and hot water for the bath. I also was given a photo album showing pictures with Model T Fords on the street and a Horse Drawn wagon she said belonged to the "Junkie" who would come the same day every month to buy or haul items.

Sorry for my ramblings... Oakland is a city rich in history... sometimes I wonder if people living here today even have a clue.

[18Montclair]

1800s? Wow that's impressive. Practically a descendent of the Mayflower by west coast standards.