Unknown neighborhood in Oakland (what is it like?) (San Francisco, Fremont: apartments, foreclosures)

[Piff_Diesel]

Hi All,

Thanks in advance for any/all feedback.

So I'm being asked to move to the Bay to help setup my company's new HQ. While I'm psyched to be back in a city, I'm bummed to leave sunny Santa Barbara, CA.

Anyhow, my wife and I are moving this month and are making a trip up to check out some places. We've found an apt. we really like, but so far I can't for the life of me find the name of the neighborhood, nor what it's like. Can someone please help?

We really like this place on paper, but I'm looking for some advice from locals. Yes, I know that Oakland has crime, like any other metropolitan area (I've lived in Brooklyn). And yes, I have checked out the Oakland crime maps which have been helpful.

Any and all information is helpful. Whether you like/love/hate the area, or whether you think it's rampant with crime, or has great/no shopping, or if the commute sucks (most likely driving to the Lake Merritt station and taking BART downtown). I'm going into this with an open mind, I'd just like to have some varying opinions to help me make the decision.

Thanks so much in advance.

Piff

[artemis78]

Oooh, that's Bella Vista, which overlaps with/is sometimes called Ivy Hill. Here's a link to Oakland Magazine's overview: Getting to Know You - Oakland Magazine - May 2007 - Oakland, California

We looked at lots of places over there, so here's what I'd say the lowdown is:

Cons: Higher crime than the north side of the lake, and struggling with foreclosures, etc. a bit more than on the east side of Park; an "up-and-coming" neighborhood which means you need to keep an eye on what you leave in your car (big plus if the place has parking); a little far from BART if that's your primary transportation.

Pros: Less expensive than the north side of the lake; some great new businesses coming in along Park Blvd and in Haddon Hill; the Parkway Theater is terrific; you're not too far from Grand Lake or Glenview (the neighborhood above the freeway along Park); some really beautiful housing; good neighborhood vibe.

Not sure if you're commuting to downtown Oak or downtown SF, but for either, AC Transit is probably the way to go. The 18 will drop you off right in downtown Oakland or at BART, and depending on where you live it may be easier to walk up to the Transbay bus that runs along Macarthur and take that to downtown SF.

I think it's a great neighborhood to live in, though it does come with some urban grit and crime (comparable to some of the other Lake Merritt neighborhoods, but certainly more than, say, Rockridge).

P.S. Oh, and just a factoid--this neighborhood and the other areas east of the lake used to be the town of Brooklyn, which was annexed by the City of Oakland after the SF Quake. Deja vu, huh....

[Chicagoaklandish]

You'll be fine.. But there are a lot of car break-ins all over Oakland and the Bay Area in general, secure parking would be a good choice

[sonarrat]

I'm wary of apartments anywhere in Oakland, especially if they're affordable. Do not commit to one unless you've seen the place first at a time when the neighbors are around.

[18Montclair]

This area is okay. Lots of chinese, black and white hipsters. I went to Oakland HS just down the street and it was fine. Think Queens or Brooklyn. Grit and always possible danger but rarely does it occur.

Oh, and there are lots of teenagers in that area.

[Piff_Diesel]

Thanks for the responses. They've all been helpful. Especially yours, artemis78, thanks for linking to that article.

The place we're looking at does have it's own garage and parking for one other car behind the garage (off-street), so that should hopefully cut down on chances of vehicle theft or vandalism. The garage is located behind the apartment, so cars aren't even visible from the street.

I will be commuting to downtown San Francisco (off Market), so I understand the commute will be a little longer than my current 3 minute drive, 15 minute walk, but I'm OK with that.

As much as some people see it as a negative, I'm actually kind of looking forward to the grit and grime of a city and the element of danger. I loved living in Brooklyn (although I could take or leave NYC), but since living in Santa Barbara have become complacent in my surroundings, never looking out for trouble, etc. There's a certain energy that courses through your system when you have to be "On" all the time that I really miss. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not about to move into the middle of a war zone, but I don't mind being heads-up.

Oh yeah, I have no kids to worry about, and none planned for the future, so that's not an issue. I do have a dog, and it looks like the traffic, etc. in the area should be dog-friendly.

Thanks, too, sonarrat, for the heads up about not committing. We did have to secure the place with a small deposit (just to get them to take it off CraigsList), but I've spoken a number of times with the property manager/owner who works for a very reputable land management firm, and was assured that if we backed out there wouldn't be a problem (I actually had it recorded, legally, while on the phone, just in case). We're only planning on signing a month-to-month for the first three, so we only really need a home-base for the time being. Also, I wouldn't say this place is cheap (I've been wary of many that were obviously scams), but it does seem about right for the area, so I feel good about it. Who knows though. We'll see it this Friday.

Thanks again to those of you who contributed. To anyone else that wants to chime in, I definitely will appreciate your feedback as well.

Best,

Piff

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Piff_Diesel

I will be commuting to downtown San Francisco (off Market), so I understand the commute will be a little longer than my current 3 minute drive, 15 minute walk, but I'm OK with that.

It may not be 3 minutes, but that is still a fairly easy commute... I assume you'd take BART from Lake Merritt to Civic Center (or Powell), which is a quick 15 minutes. And so relaxing to take BART - I'm jealous!

As much as some people see it as a negative, I'm actually kind of looking forward to the grit and grime of a city and the element of danger. I loved living in Brooklyn (although I could take or leave NYC), but since living in Santa Barbara have become complacent in my surroundings, never looking out for trouble, etc. There's a certain energy that courses through your system when you have to be "On" all the time that I really miss. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not about to move into the middle of a war zone, but I don't mind being heads-up.

I actually understand what you mean, since I'm totally the same way. I've lived in everything from rural to suburban to cities - horrible neighborhoods and squeaky-clean upscale ones. And like you, I prefer the grit of an urban setting, since it really makes me feel alive and energized. Maybe I'll change my mind when I'm old, and retire to a ranch up in Oregon... but for now, I'm with you on the city thing. Good luck with everything, and welcome to the Bay!

[worktolive]

Depending on where you are working in SF, you have another commuting option besides BART. You can take the AC Transit Express bus (I think it is the V) into the Transbay terminal on Mission St. between Fremont and 1st. The V has a stop on Park Blvd just above 580 just a few minutes walk from your house. If you keep walking up Park another 5-10 minutes, you can also go to the casual carpool pickup and get a ride into the city in the AM and save yourself some $$$$.

Casual carpool is an institution in Oakland/Berkeley. It's one of those "only in the Bay Area" kind of things. The Bay Bridge is expensive and always has a big backup in the AM but if you have three people in your car you can use the carpool lanes (no $'s and saves alot of time). So, people driving into the city stop in designated pickup areas and pick up two passengers so that they are now a carpool. They drive across the bridge, drop off the passengers on Fremont street right by the Transbay terminal and everyone continues on their merry way. The passengers then ride BART or AC transit home in the evening. This sounds quite weird, but it's been going on for at least 20 years now and you never hear of any problems. I take it every morning and it saves me $60/mo in BART fees.

[EastlakeDenizen]

I live just below Bella Vista around E. 22nd and 10th Ave. In general, this area is fairly quiet and relatively sedate. It's much better than it was 5 years ago. But there are issues with junior league drug dealing, teenagers around the school and corner liquor store, and noise.

In fact, noise issues have been the biggest problem for me since I moved here. Most of the houses/apt buildings in this area are older, which means lousy or non-existent insulation, which means sound really carries. And when it's 1 am and the neighbor is still blasting the stereo, it gets old.

This is a very low priority call for the police so don't expect a response, especially on weekends. To sum up, take a good look around at the buildings on your block. Stop by on a Saturday night if possible and see what's going on. If you decide to move in, attend the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) meetings, which'll introduce you to some neighbors and provide a valuable resource if problems arise.