Harlem to San Francisco: Help! (Oakland, Concord: environment, apartments, rental)

[Simon Templar]

Hello everyone,
I'm moving from Harlem and don't have a clue about the Bay area. I'm a PhD student and my fiance will be going to school in Berkeley. I have been doing research and still feel so unsure: I have looked at Berkeley, Rockridge, Piedmont, Albany, Emeryville....ugh. I have also looked at places like Walnut Creek. I saw the posts that people submitted about WC. I am a Latino male, so I was a little worried when a couple of posts said that WC was a racist, snob-filled community. Ideally, I would like to spend anywhere from 1000-1200 on rent. Any help is truly appreciated.

[gizmo980]

How big of a place are you looking for? Unfortunately $1000-1200 doesn't get you much around here, even in the East Bay... but I'd suggest looking in Berkeley itself, the Lake Merritt section of Oakland (along with a few other parts, but I'm not sure which), Alameda, and maybe Concord or Dublin. As for the racism, I think the Bay Area generally co-exists well, and the whole area has a rather high Latino population. But since I am not one, I really can't say for sure... at least I HOPE we're cool, and nobody I know would care one way or another. Walnut Creek is a rather white/yuppie town, so you might not feel as comfortable there as in more diverse cities (of which there are plenty). I doubt you'd experience outward hostility or anything, but you might encounter some ignorance - like people speaking Spanish to you automatically, or making stupid assumptions. It is a nice town, though!

[Simon Templar]

Hi,
thanks for the response...I'm looking for a 1 bedroom. I thought about Lake Merritt area but have heard from some people that you have to pick the right side of lake: supposedly east side of lake is bad but by Grand and Lakeshore is ok. Is this area high in crime. I'm coming from Harlem, but the crime here is in many ways limited to gang and drug activity and some muggings: sounds like a great advertisement for Harlem.

[Joe_Ryder]

Originally Posted by Simon Templar

I'm coming from Harlem, but the crime here is in many ways limited to gang and drug activity and some muggings: sounds like a great advertisement for Harlem.

Bingo! Yes, the East Bay has a lot of crime. It's mainly gang-bangers killing each other off. If you're not one of them, you're pretty safe. There are muggings from time to time but you'll find they aren't as common as on the East Coast.

In New York, people go home and say, "Damn it, I got mugged on the subway Again today." Here, when someone gets mugged, the police actually respond and take a real report. It's just not all that common.

Many people see the stats of any given city and think it's a war-zone when the reality is that nearly all of the street crime in the US is drug related and seldom involves regular people. Yes, it does happen occasionally but it's just not an everyday thing.

[NorthernCalifornia]

$1k-$1200 will do you just fine in the east bay.

[Simon Templar]

Much appreciated Joe_Ryder. It is an odd feeling for me. I'm a native New Yorker and know my city very well. There's comfort in that. But, the postings I have read are helpful in putting things in perspective about SF and Oakland.

[user376]

What kind of environment are you looking for? Urban or suburban? Will you have a car?

I like Berkeley. If you're going to school there you might as well stay close to the university.

You should probably visit first because you'll see that each of the places you named has a distinct feel.

[Simon Templar]

Hi User376,
I really would consider both as long as the suburban area has quick access via Bart to San Francisco. I have a car but would like to take mass transit. I'm also looking to get more apartment for my money. I have had enough of closet-sized apartments. What would your best places to rent an apartment be?
I'm compiling a short list:
Berkeley
Albany
Alameda
Lake Merritt
Walnut Creek

[user376]

Originally Posted by Simon Templar

Hi User376,
I really would consider both as long as the suburban area has quick access via Bart to San Francisco. I have a car but would like to take mass transit. I'm also looking to get more apartment for my money. I have had enough of closet-sized apartments. What would your best places to rent an apartment be?
I'm compiling a short list:
Berkeley
Albany
Alameda
Lake Merritt
Walnut Creek

Well, it definitely depends on what kind of scene you like. I'll give my impression of each:

Berkeley: Lots of students, older couples and quirky people. Great restaurants, lots of bicyclists, can be difficult to park your car in certain areas. Public transportation is pretty good as the east bay goes but freeway access is poor.

Albany: Family-friendly. Solano Ave has many good restaurants and other shops, but it shuts down early. Parking close to Solano is not too hard, but you might have to spend a few minutes looking. You'd have to drive/take the bus to Bart. Good access to the freeway/bay bridge.

Alameda: Similar to Albany though the restaurants, etc. are not as good. Housing is probably cheapest here--but for a reason. It's safe but dull. It's an island so there are only a couple ways to get to the mainland.

Lake Merritt: I personally don't like this area, in terms of what you get for the price. It's hard to park around there and it can be more expensive. The lake is a great amenity, but other than that the neighborhood is lacking. Bart access is not good.

WC: Safe, upscale shops, nice restaurants. Drive to Bart, it's maybe 30 minutes into SF (although you'll have to add the time it takes to wait on the train--which will be far longer than it is in NYC). If you're going to school in Berkeley, though, this is not convenient.

[artemis78]

If you're looking to be both BART-accessible and UC-accessible, I'd look at the corridor along Telegraph and College Avenues (which run through parts of Berk and Oakland). Both cities have a lot of rental housing along here, though it really varies wrt price and character. Alameda and Albany are both family-oriented and not especially SF-accessible (though there's a bus in both places for commute hours, and in some areas of Albany you can walk to BART). Generally, I'd say check out the following: in Berkeley, look at South Berkeley/Elmwood or North Berkeley; in Oakland, try Lake Merritt (yes it's safe as urban centers go, but do be aware of where you are in relation to BART--the "desirable" parts of the lake are nowhere near the Lake Merritt BART!--so stick close to either Grand Lake (at the northern edge--there's a reliable bus to SF) or the downtown side near 19th St. BART (lots of rentals, though mainly modern buildings--depends on your taste). Uptown is also a great little spot in Oakland--runs roughly from 19th Street to 25th along Broadway, and is easy-access to both SF and Berkeley's campus. You could also check out Rockridge if you like that vibe--it's also very accessible. Albany and El Cerrito near Solano Avenue both have a fair number of rentals and can be walkable to BART, too, if you want to be a little farther afield.

Good luck!