oakland or berkeley? please help! (Richmond, Alameda: apartment, to rent, insurance)

[cloudsnap]

hello, my fiancé and i may be moving to the bay area from nyc in march. i have only been on 2 short visits to sf and he has never been there. he may have a job in oakland, about a mile from the airport/BART. it is a bit far to walk, so he'll have to get his driver's license (he's a native manhattanite and never driven!). how is commuting to there from berkeley?
berkeley looks wonderful. i just don't know anything about oakland or its surrounding areas...are there nice walkable areas there? how is housing there vs. berkeley?
we're looking to pay about $1500-1900 for a house or condo, with backyard space and maybe even a pool.
anything you can give me would be much appreciated.

[City Boy]

Berkeley and Oakland have nice and rough parts. Downtown Oakland around the lake is really nice, the Oakland hills nice. Parts of North Oakland Nice. East Oakland is rough, West Oakland rough, Bushrod Area of North Oakland Rough. Most of berkeley is nice but like oakland expensive. South Berkeley/North Oakland Border is pretty rough. I dont think you'll find anything with a backyard or pool for your prices. The Bay area is like Manhatten. Over priced.

[cloudsnap]

ok thank you. i read that lake merritt is nice too. possibly there, berkeley, or in SF, though i have no clue where yet.

[larissawilsonhamed]

Berkeley, hands-down! Oakland Hills are nice, but honestly, if you plan on having children, Oakland schools are very low-ranking...and Oakland in general has one of the largest homocide rates in the world. West Oakland, East Oakland, all bad areas.
Berkeley has it's bad areas too, but for the most part, it's a college town and it's safer and prettier than Oakland. If you can afford it, buy a house in Berkeley Hills (warning: prices are $900,000+). You will find it breath-taking (but get homeowner's insurance...hill fires have eaten dozens of homes) and just so beautiful. Albany is also nice as well.
I just think, if you want to start new with your loved one and have children, Oakland isn't the place.

[JakeDog]

"job in oakland, about a mile from the airport/BART. it is a bit far to walk,"

Yeah, especially if you don't want to get shot. Seriously- no one would EVER consider walking a mile anywhere in Oakland (outside the hills) unless you had a deathwish.

[larissawilsonhamed]

Forgot to mention, try Alameda....it's safe, pretty, the schools are good, it's bordered with Oakland. Probably your best bet...if you do choose Berkeley however, you will learn to REALLY hate I-80!!! TRUST ME!

[cloudsnap]

thank you very much for your help!
i was thinking alameda as well, but it's a problem if the BART doesn't stop there. we don't want to have to rely on buses or a car all the time.

another question: how hard is it getting an apartment in san francisco? in new york, you have to be ON it if you're not going through a broker. you have to literally call as soon as you see the ad, go see the place that day and hand over your money. the competition is ridiculous. will we have an easy enough time securing a place to live from new york? we're really trying to rent through the owner, instead of paying broker fees if at all possible.

[JakeDog]

I never had a problem getting an apartment in SF. It depends on how much you are willing to pay.

[Dedalus]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

"job in oakland, about a mile from the airport/BART. it is a bit far to walk,"

Yeah, especially if you don't want to get shot. Seriously- no one would EVER consider walking a mile anywhere in Oakland (outside the hills) unless you had a deathwish.

I'd not only consider it, I've done it. Over a thousand times, back and forth to the BART station in Fruitvale. Near the airport, or near the Coliseum, you're right that it's a war zone...gotta watch yourself even in the day time.

There's other places that are marginal...but I never got bothered much. I always used to buy incense from those guys on the street, maybe it's Karma. I took BART everywhere...and then, I'd walk. I had this gig in Richmond, which is supposed to be scary. Didn't seem so to me.

But Oaktown is alright. I'd take it over Berkeley any day. I prefer gangbangers to rich foofy fruitcakes any day of the week. Way back when, when I was a yuppie with a Dayrunner who used hairspray, I might have felt differently.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

"job in oakland, about a mile from the airport/BART. it is a bit far to walk,"

Yeah, especially if you don't want to get shot. Seriously- no one would EVER consider walking a mile anywhere in Oakland (outside the hills) unless you had a deathwish.

LOL dont listen to this. This guy thinks concord is a rough town.