Moving to Berkeley or somewhere close by (Oakland, Vista: apartments, renting)

[mademois-elle]

Hi everyone!

I am moving from Seattle to Berkeley for grad school (2011-12), so I decided to make a head start and move earlier than later. I am not familiar with the area and I will be visiting early June, so I want to be prepared and know where to look. I was hoping that I will find some answers here.

What I am looking for doesn't have to be necessarily in immediate Berkeley area, but as far as 30-40 minutes public transport or 15-20 minute drive. Again, if the area is fantastic I don't mind a longer commute.

I'd like a quiet area, sunny, clean and safe. preferably close to nature. I'm not much of a party girl, so the whole city-life near my home can be avoided. But again, I like access to various events.

When it comes to food, I eat organic, so a co-op or a health food store nearby is a big big plus. I am also interested in communities that are mindful of their footprint on the Earth and their surroundings - you can call it new age, metaphysical communities - so that it's easier to get a grasp of what I am referencing.

Um, what else? Price, of course, should be mindful of my status as a student. I also have a cat, but that shouldn't be a barrier with finding a place. In the past that just limited my choice, but there are always apartments that allow pets.

yes, so to recap: something quiet and safe, close to berkeley and a health food store and with affordable pricing.

Looking forward to your replies!!

[skyao]

you really need to give a budget to get an answer. What is your target rent?

[mayorhaggar]

Originally Posted by mademois-elle

I am also interested in communities that are mindful of their footprint on the Earth and their surroundings - you can call it new age, metaphysical communities - so that it's easier to get a grasp of what I am referencing.

You're not going to find anywhere in the Bay Area that is particularly more like this than other places. Some areas might be more hippieish than others but not by a lot. If you are looking to be around hippie people it will depend a lot more on who your friends are and where you go to hang out than where you live. The Bay Area is very diverse in every way and you can't really categorize people into a box here based on where they live, people of all stripes are spread around all over the place.

Anyway, anywhere in Berkeley other than SW Berkeley (which is pretty ghetto) or parts of North Oakland like Rockridge would work but it depends on your budget which you haven't listed. Albany could work too, it's slightly more suburban than Berkeley or Rockridge. Berkeley has Berkeley Bowl which is a big independent grocery store that all the hippies and foodies love. Rockridge and Berkeley have a Trader Joe's which has lots of organic stuff. There's a Whole Foods not that far from Berkeley Bowl. Berkeley has an Andronico's too. Honestly there's not that many small co-ops or organic grocery stores in the Bay Area, if a grocery store isn't really big then it's usually expensive and doesn't have a good selection. Fortunately any big grocery store chain here like even Safeway has a lot of organic produce now. Berkeley Bowl should suit you though.

Also landlords in the Bay Area are notoriously anti-pet but it's easier to find pro-pet landlords in the East Bay than in SF itself. I would imagine Berkeley is harder to find pet-friendly places especially if you are looking for short-term housing dedicated to students, you might find Oakland easier, or parts of Berkeley that are further out from the university.

[CAVA1990]

You might want to consider renting a room in someone's house. They may be perfectly fine with you having a cat, particularly if they're a cat lover, which a lot of people are. The university has a housing office that can help you find a place to your liking given your budget:

Cal Housing, UC Berkeley

I would highly recommend finding somewhere near Cal as there are so many great activities going on at the campus you'll want to be able to take advantage of. It's a fun place to hang out after hours and on weekends (at least I think so.) The North side or College Avenue might be a good fit.

[mademois-elle]

Thanks for replies. I will keep in mind places you mentioned. Mayorhaggar, thanks for pointers regarding Berkeley Bowl - it sounds great. I like to sidestep Whole Foods as much as I can .

What can you say about Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill?

[mayorhaggar]

They're suburban. Central Berkeley and North Oakland are a lot more urban and walkable.

[jade408]

Indie markets are also lacking outside of Berkeley and Oakland.

OP: there are 2 Berkeley Bowls (South Berkeley), some produce markets like Star Grocery (Southeast Berkeley), one I forget the name of on Claremont and College (Elmwood/Rockridge on the Berkeley/Oakland Border), Monte Vista Market (Piedmont Ave, Oakland), Food Mill (Laurel/Dimond in Oakland), Lakeshore Natural Foods (Grand Lake, Oakland), Monterey Market (North Berkeley) and Farmer Joe's (Laurel/Dimond in Oakland).

There is typically a natural foods store in every good sized neighborhood, and a myriad of year-round farmers markets (1-2 in Berkeley, 5 or so in Oakland) and there is a seasonal in Berkeley as well. You'll have no problems on the food front.

Farmer Joe's and Berkeley Bowl are traditional supermarkets. The rest are more produce stand like and typically have a decent bulk section as well.

Andronico's is another local chain, but it is really expensive. I'd skip it.