Beat areas/neighborhoods to live in the Bay Area, moving from East Coast

[jade408]

Originally Posted by DocGoldstein

If your husband is going to hop on the 80, or 13 it doesn't make a difference, maybe 5-6 minutes tops depending on where you live in Berkeley. So you have to ask yourself if that time difference is worth living in Downtown Oakland (it's not), and having to commute yourself.

What are you talking about? Trying to navigate 80 in the AM adds about 15 minutes. Just from Emeryville. It is definitely better to be on the other side of 80. Or around 13 is OK. But Berkeley/Emeryville are huge bottlenecks, especially in the AM commute.

(Elmwood is the best choice in Berkeley in terms of commute time.)

Downtown Oakland is more urban feeling than much of Berkeley. So if that isn't the type of environment you are comfortable in it is a bad fit. But it is a pretty safe urban neighborhood. It is also very different in feel than around the Lake or Rockridge or Piedmont Ave or Temescal. (Frankly, these areas all feel a lot like the equivalent areas in Berkeley. There isn't much difference -- a few more hippies, students and homeless people in Berkeley.)

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by jade408

What are you talking about? Trying to navigate 80 in the AM adds about 15 minutes.

Okay Ms. "There's only one way out of Brentwood to S.F".

It really depends on what time you leave, and where in Berkeley you live. I find the 80 is generally the worst at 8am to 10am. If you leave at 6:30am to 7:30am, you'll get to Castro Valley in about 25-30 minutes. I also already mentioned the 13 as an alternative.

Oakland doesn't make sense as you will have a commute, and not really gain much by being 5 minutes closer to Castro Valley.

[jsba]

I personally would choose Oakland, Berkeley has alot of very hard to navigate streets due to so many of them being blocked off to through traffic in addition only one freeway really runs through the city of Berkeley making it a nightmare to get out of there. Downtown Oakland is actually quite safe. There are a number of bad areas in Oakland but i wouldn't consider downtown one of them, especially not the areas mentioned above by jade. however as i said before Adams point and the Grand lake area are both very safe areas that are mass transit accessible and central making it easy for both of you to get where you need to go. the proximity to the 580 also makes traffic much less of a headache.

[DocGoldstein]

I would go here to check for crime reports:
https://www.crimereports.com/

It uses the Google Maps system with data fed directly from OPD.

Check the area around the 12th Street BART, and 19th Street BART and then decide if it's worth the risk/commute into Berkeley for work, instead of just living in Berkeley.

[jsba]

Well I wouldn't consider that map all that decisive. I mean car thefts and some embezzlement thefts on 20th, some robberies on franklin at midnight and 1 AM and domestic abuse assaults at 1am on 14th street. All of this stuff happened in the wee hours of the morning. not trying to downplay it but lets try not to play it up either. Using your own map though if you look over at Grand lake, Cleveland Heights and adams point there is virtually nothing. Thats safe even by suburban standards. Sorry that pulled this whole thing off topic.

[DocGoldstein]

I don't think Grand Lake or Cleveland Heights are high crime areas, but if you want to commute anywhere, and have to use BART, you eventually have to pass through the higher crime areas.

I see a lot more than car thefts. I see a few assaults, a lot armed and unarmed robbery, and some sexual assaults around the 12th Street BART. Let's not downplay it, we're trying to advise someone on where to live. 19th Street BART seems to have less violent crime, but if you're going to walk to there using Grand Ave there are a few assaults and robberies reported along that route.

When it comes down to it, just looking at the crime map, why take the risk and add the commute for not much gain? Doesn't make sense.

[mayorhaggar]

Originally Posted by DocGoldstein

I don't think Grand Lake or Cleveland Heights are high crime areas, but if you want to commute anywhere, and have to use BART, you eventually have to pass through the higher crime areas.

Nobody should ever live in Orinda or Lafayette, they're right next to Oakland, the Murder Capital of the World. (sorry Santa Cruz!)