Oakland/Berkeley Safety?

[Copperchain]

Thank you to everyone for all this amazing information! I was so inspired by all the responses that I wanted to pay it forward and respond to someone else's post asking about neighborhoods in Boston.

This thread has really answered a lot of my questions and given us some new places to search. Thank you again for your time and consideration. I think the Bay Area will be a very welcoming place!

[Ultrarunner]

Just a note on Bart to SF... friends that regularly take Bart to SF find it easier at commute times to board in Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek areas because the trains are not quite as full the farther away you start away from SF.

If you lived in Walnut Creek, would your husband still need a car?

Piedmont and Montclair are very nice... Montclair is mostly car dependant.

Don't overlook AC transit to SF... there are express buses to SF from several East Bay locations.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Rockridge would really be ideal but as far as I can tell there aren't really any parks in the area, which is a bit weird, but it's a good area for walking dogs. Definitely not a lot of rentals though. Getting a yard depends on if you can afford to rent or buy a house, which would be expensive in Rockridge. Might want to look at the area around Piedmont Ave, I think someone here said there's more apartment rentals around there and it's pretty similar to Rockridge and not too far from it, but it is definitely further from the BART stations.

The other BART stations oother than North Berkeley aren't that great at all. Lots of crime around West Oakland, and the areas around Macarthur and Ashby are pretty sketchy. 19th street is in downtown Oakland which isn't great at night though some areas are supposed to be ok, I'm not really so familiar with it. Lake Merritt could work, there's more apartments in that area and it's near the park, but the BART station is kind of a walk from the lake and is in kind of a sketchy area. The Lake Merritt area has some really sketchy areas I think in mainly to the west and south of the lake, women I know who live near the lake say they don't really feel safe walking around the area at night.

The town of Alameda is just south of the Fruitvale station and is a really nice area and pretty affordable and I think pretty safe, and probably is a good place to have dogs. Other than Alameda and Rockridge, North Berkeley would probably be the best bet though it's more suburban than downtown Berkeley or Rockridge.

West of MacArthur is sketchy. East is decent and gets better as you approach and pass Piedmont Ave. I live on the east side of Piedmont Ave. I walk home from BART occasionally, in the evenings (10 or later) and I have no problems. It is a 5-6 minute bus ride from BART, and about 1.25 mi to my house. As for parks, there are 3 near by: the Rose Garden, a dog park in Piedmont and the park on Monte Vista. Honestly, it is a big misconception Piedmont Ave area is far from BART. If you live west of the Ave it is only 10-15 minutes. It takes me 20 and I am on the other side of the Ave. It is actually pretty close. 19th street BART is about 1.25-1.5 miles away as well. The blocks north of 40th are good, lots of families and pedestrians. I don't walk over there as frequently, but the dog walkers are typically out and about. You should look at the places around 40th or on El Dorado/Harrison. These are actually pretty close to BART. Especially along the Broadway Corridor (10 minute walk to BART if you live around the post office on 41st).

I also have a 3 block walk to the casual carpool and the transbay bus runs during commute hours to the neighborhood. The Transbay bus is typically faster than BART unless there is a big issue on the bridge. From my stop it is about 17 minutes to the Transbay in SOMA/Embarcadero. Honestly, I only take BART to SF on the weekend unless I feel compelled to drive myself home after a late night or have errands. Transbay is a great option, depending on where you work in SF. Keep in mind, the bus ride to MacArthur from Piedmont Ave area is max 10 minutes, and the 57 is one of the core routes.

I personally find Lake Merritt BART area sketchy. It feels very deserted in the neighborhood at night, but there are tons of apartments nearby. No parking, if you have a car though in that area. Many buildings are street only.

North of 19th and East of Broadway/Telegraph range from up and coming to pretty good. Depending on which way you go. As you head into "Adams Point" it is pretty safe. Lots of dog walkers out. Every time I walk home from that part of town at night, I see several dog walkers. Not all blocks feel equally safe, but it is definitely decent.

Areas around North Berkeley BART are OK to good, but the magic rule is stay east of Sacramento. I think the area around Ashby BART is sketchy, but people I know who live over there have never had an incident. It is definitely less safe than Piedmont Ave, and likely less safe than Adam's Point.

I have many friends that live around N. Berk BART, but I definitely like the Piedmont Ave area better. More BART trains through MacArthur. Easier drive to SF and it is closer to many nice neighborhoods.