Solano/Cleveland in Albany (San Pablo, El Cerrito: houses, neighborhood, buy)

[piscesyy]

Hi, anyone knows about the neighborhood near to Solano Ave & Cleveland in Albany, CA? Is it safe enough for a single female to walk home at night (before midnight)? Noise? How about the resale value for houses in that area?

Thanks a lot.

[artemis78]

It's a pretty quiet area, as far as I know. The shops on Solano are on the east side of San Pablo, so it's pretty much just a residential area. How safe it is for walking depends on where you're walking from---if you're coming from El Cerrito Plaza BART, it's a long walk and San Pablo can get sketchy-ish at night. If you're just coming from the bus or from a parked car it's not likely to be a big deal.

Albany is always popular because of the strong schools, but the big issue in that area is the freeway. If you haven't lived near a freeway, don't underestimate the noise/grit/sirens/etc. that come along with being adjacent to one. I-80 is especially busy, too. Personally I wouldn't want to live that close (and definitely wouldn't buy a place that close)---I'd look along Solano east of San Pablo to see if something good comes up there.