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Old 08-08-2012, 12:05 PM
 
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I am currently attending college in Pittsburgh, PA and have been looking at possible relocating to the west coast after college. Oakland has struck my interest for being a diverse community and having weather that I believe I would enjoy, but I have a few questions about the area. Is the area significantly cheaper than most other cities in the Bay Area? I understand this is probably for a reason, that being that crime is much worse in Oakland than in other Bay Area cities from what I have heard.

I know crime is not desirable, but I don't need to live in the absolute safest area. I understand that crime happens in cities to varying degrees - I wouldn't want to live in hotly disputed gang territory where people are murdered daily, but I want to know what renting a studio or 1 bedroom in a "decent" area would approximately cost. Also, I enjoy outdoor activities - I hear that there is a lot of hiking not far from Oakland, would you say this is true? The diversity and wealth of interesting areas near the SF Bay are things that seem very attractive to me. If it helps at all, I'm a straight white male that loves the outdoors, cafes/reading, generally exploring new areas, seeing different types of people and martial arts that doesn't mind living in a community as the "minority", so to speak, and I don't really care about nightlife so much. Whatever information you guys have on Oakland that I should be aware about would be awesome. I can't wait to visit some day soon!
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Old 08-08-2012, 12:22 PM
 
Location: The Bay
6,914 posts, read 14,706,250 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJJ125 View Post
I am currently attending college in Pittsburgh, PA and have been looking at possible relocating to the west coast after college. Oakland has struck my interest for being a diverse community and having weather that I believe I would enjoy, but I have a few questions about the area. Is the area significantly cheaper than most other cities in the Bay Area? I understand this is probably for a reason, that being that crime is much worse in Oakland than in other Bay Area cities from what I have heard.

I know crime is not desirable, but I don't need to live in the absolute safest area. I understand that crime happens in cities to varying degrees - I wouldn't want to live in hotly disputed gang territory where people are murdered daily, but I want to know what renting a studio or 1 bedroom in a "decent" area would approximately cost. Also, I enjoy outdoor activities - I hear that there is a lot of hiking not far from Oakland, would you say this is true? The diversity and wealth of interesting areas near the SF Bay are things that seem very attractive to me. If it helps at all, I'm a straight white male that loves the outdoors, cafes/reading, generally exploring new areas, seeing different types of people and martial arts that doesn't mind living in a community as the "minority", so to speak, and I don't really care about nightlife so much. Whatever information you guys have on Oakland that I should be aware about would be awesome. I can't wait to visit some day soon!

A lot of why Oakland is sigificantly cheaper - including the nice areas - than other cities in the Bay Area is because of the perception that it's more dangerous... the perception and the reality don't always match up.

That being said, you sound like you'd probably enjoy living here. As far as hiking goes there's actually quite a bit of it within Oakland, namely in the Oakland Hills. If you enjoy the outdoors there's a lot here for you... my personal favorites are the waterfront parks (MLK Regional Shoreline and Middle Harbor Shoreline) and Redwood Regional Park.

There's a very wide variety of neighborhoods to choose from in Oakland and the Bay Area in general... it would help if you mention what you like/dislike about where you are now.
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Old 08-08-2012, 12:47 PM
 
63 posts, read 123,750 times
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Originally Posted by Nineties Flava View Post
A lot of why Oakland is sigificantly cheaper - including the nice areas - than other cities in the Bay Area is because of the perception that it's more dangerous... the perception and the reality don't always match up.

That being said, you sound like you'd probably enjoy living here. As far as hiking goes there's actually quite a bit of it within Oakland, namely in the Oakland Hills. If you enjoy the outdoors there's a lot here for you... my personal favorites are the waterfront parks (MLK Regional Shoreline and Middle Harbor Shoreline) and Redwood Regional Park.

There's a very wide variety of neighborhoods to choose from in Oakland and the Bay Area in general... it would help if you mention what you like/dislike about where you are now.
Thank you, this was such a refreshing post to read. As far as what I dislike about Pittsburgh, I'd say its focus on sports teams/nightlife are what bother me. People can say what they want - I have explored much of Pittsburgh and met many people, and a trend seems to be that there is a huge focus on drinking. Not following sports teams sets you behind, and it's generally tough for me to find things that I like to do. The weather in Pittsburgh isn't my style either - I like the idea of being close to the beach (even if it's not warm, I just like the ocean...) and being near relatively untouched natural areas.

There's a lot of pollution and fracking in and around Pittsburgh. I'm not going to escape pollution in a city, I realize that, but I think I could escape some of it. A lot of Pittsburgh's appeal seems to be the large amount of bars, sports activities, "nice people" and cheap living. Cheap living is great, but I am more concerned with the location first. I live a pretty non-lavish lifestyle and plan on growing some of my own food soon with a friend in a window-garden if I can because it'd be sweet as all hell.

Things I like about Pittsburgh? These are basically things that I like about cities in general. I don't care about having a yard really, I like parks and fields better. I like being able to walk places if I want to. I like the difference in lifestyle that comes with being in a city as opposed to living in a suburb, and the multitude of opportunities that cities offer. Crime is a downfall, but such is life.

Another thing that attracts me is honestly the idea of adventure. I grew up near Philly and after living in Pittsburgh for a year, it strikes me as too much of the same (there are definitely differences though). I would love to see more of the world and see some of the different mentalities on the west coast. I'm ready to explore some more!
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Old 08-08-2012, 01:44 PM
 
Location: The Bay
6,914 posts, read 14,706,250 times
Reputation: 3119
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJJ125 View Post
Thank you, this was such a refreshing post to read. As far as what I dislike about Pittsburgh, I'd say its focus on sports teams/nightlife are what bother me. People can say what they want - I have explored much of Pittsburgh and met many people, and a trend seems to be that there is a huge focus on drinking. Not following sports teams sets you behind, and it's generally tough for me to find things that I like to do. The weather in Pittsburgh isn't my style either - I like the idea of being close to the beach (even if it's not warm, I just like the ocean...) and being near relatively untouched natural areas.

There's a lot of pollution and fracking in and around Pittsburgh. I'm not going to escape pollution in a city, I realize that, but I think I could escape some of it. A lot of Pittsburgh's appeal seems to be the large amount of bars, sports activities, "nice people" and cheap living. Cheap living is great, but I am more concerned with the location first. I live a pretty non-lavish lifestyle and plan on growing some of my own food soon with a friend in a window-garden if I can because it'd be sweet as all hell.

Things I like about Pittsburgh? These are basically things that I like about cities in general. I don't care about having a yard really, I like parks and fields better. I like being able to walk places if I want to. I like the difference in lifestyle that comes with being in a city as opposed to living in a suburb, and the multitude of opportunities that cities offer. Crime is a downfall, but such is life.

Another thing that attracts me is honestly the idea of adventure. I grew up near Philly and after living in Pittsburgh for a year, it strikes me as too much of the same (there are definitely differences though). I would love to see more of the world and see some of the different mentalities on the west coast. I'm ready to explore some more!

You sound like you'd probably enjoy living in an area like Lakeside or Lakeshore if you can afford it. Lakeside is more affordable and more diverse but there's less going on in the neighborhood... it's adjacent to everything in the downtown area though (Old Oakland, Uptown, Chinatown, Grand, Lakeshore, etc) along with being right next to Lake Merritt which many consider to be the "jewel of Oakland". It has some of Oakland's best historic building stock and it's very convenient to public transit (2 BART Stations and most of the major bus routes). It does have a moderate amount of crime but that's par for the course living in a downtown. If you like urban living, it doesn't get much more so in Oakland than Lakeside.
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Old 08-08-2012, 02:52 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,781,772 times
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Serious crime is pretty concentrated in Oakland. Property crime tends to happen in denser areas (like in most urban areas). If you don't live in one of the more dangerous areas, not much happens.

Decent areas are about $700ish for a studio and up.

Lakeside apartments district is a great suggestion and it is a steal in terms of location and rent. If you can be more specific about your budget, we can recommend more areas.

Oakland is really diverse. There is no ethnic majority. The demographics look something like:
33% white, 30% black, 18% asian, 18% latino. I am probably off a few percentage points here and there but it is almost evenly mixed between all of the main ethnic groups in the US. You'll also find, in many cases, most areas are very diverse too. Most bars/nightlife has some of everyone. Same with most restaurants and commercial districts.
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Old 08-08-2012, 03:33 PM
 
63 posts, read 123,750 times
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Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
Serious crime is pretty concentrated in Oakland. Property crime tends to happen in denser areas (like in most urban areas). If you don't live in one of the more dangerous areas, not much happens.

Decent areas are about $700ish for a studio and up.

Lakeside apartments district is a great suggestion and it is a steal in terms of location and rent. If you can be more specific about your budget, we can recommend more areas.

Oakland is really diverse. There is no ethnic majority. The demographics look something like:
33% white, 30% black, 18% asian, 18% latino. I am probably off a few percentage points here and there but it is almost evenly mixed between all of the main ethnic groups in the US. You'll also find, in many cases, most areas are very diverse too. Most bars/nightlife has some of everyone. Same with most restaurants and commercial districts.
That's the thing, I'm not really sure about my budget yet because it's mostly just an idea at this point. I am DEFINITELY more interested in the area after both of your information, though. Thank you guys very much. I'd like to keep it under 1000/month with utilities, ideally. How is parking in Oakland? I'd have a car.

Also, is it common to work in San Francisco and live in Oakland? How is employment in the bay area? It seems pretty bleak everywhere...
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Old 08-08-2012, 04:52 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,781,772 times
Reputation: 28561
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJJ125 View Post
That's the thing, I'm not really sure about my budget yet because it's mostly just an idea at this point. I am DEFINITELY more interested in the area after both of your information, though. Thank you guys very much. I'd like to keep it under 1000/month with utilities, ideally. How is parking in Oakland? I'd have a car.

Also, is it common to work in San Francisco and live in Oakland? How is employment in the bay area? It seems pretty bleak everywhere...
Around $1000 is a pretty good budget. You should be able to get at least a studio in any decent to nice area. Utilities are really cheap. No one has AC (it isn't needed). I average $50 a month all year. Not much in the summer, $70ish in the winter if it is really cold. (many places have electric heat, and not central heat).

Working in SF and living in Oakland is very common. The transit commute from much of Oakland is shorter than a transit commute from inside SF to downtown. From around half of the city, the BART ride (the subway) is 20 minutes or less. There are also commuter buses from most neighborhoods. It took me 15 minutes to get to downtown SF on the bus when I commuted.

Do you work in tech? Then you can find a job. Really depends on your skillset.

Parking in Oakland is generally fairly easy. Many apartments include free parking in certain areas. In other areas, you need to pay for parking. Typically around $50 a month. The really dense areas don't have much street parking, but secured parking is available. Less dense areas? Street parking is super easy most of the time.

I live in the Piedmont Ave area, and pretty much every apartment building on my street includes free secure parking. Street parking is generally available, but a little tricky late at night. For reference, Piedmont Ave is one of the nicer areas. One bedrooms are about $1100. Studios range from about $900-1000.
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Old 08-08-2012, 06:54 PM
 
63 posts, read 123,750 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
Around $1000 is a pretty good budget. You should be able to get at least a studio in any decent to nice area. Utilities are really cheap. No one has AC (it isn't needed). I average $50 a month all year. Not much in the summer, $70ish in the winter if it is really cold. (many places have electric heat, and not central heat).

Working in SF and living in Oakland is very common. The transit commute from much of Oakland is shorter than a transit commute from inside SF to downtown. From around half of the city, the BART ride (the subway) is 20 minutes or less. There are also commuter buses from most neighborhoods. It took me 15 minutes to get to downtown SF on the bus when I commuted.

Do you work in tech? Then you can find a job. Really depends on your skillset.

Parking in Oakland is generally fairly easy. Many apartments include free parking in certain areas. In other areas, you need to pay for parking. Typically around $50 a month. The really dense areas don't have much street parking, but secured parking is available. Less dense areas? Street parking is super easy most of the time.

I live in the Piedmont Ave area, and pretty much every apartment building on my street includes free secure parking. Street parking is generally available, but a little tricky late at night. For reference, Piedmont Ave is one of the nicer areas. One bedrooms are about $1100. Studios range from about $900-1000.
I'm majoring in physics/English and may be looking for a writing or technical writing job, among other possible occupations. Thank you for the wealth of information, this is extremely helpful! If you guys are always this nice then that'll be amazing.
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Old 08-12-2012, 07:19 PM
 
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Hi jade408, I will be moving to the Bay area soon, and I was looking at Oakland as possible place to look for apartment. I'll be working downtown SF, so I will need to find place near BART. What areas of Oakland are nice/safe ones? Thanks!
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Old 08-13-2012, 09:04 AM
 
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The danger is really relative to how you live your life. There are very few places where you would be in danger if you had a car and were living in a solid (preferably not on ground floor) apartment that was very secure, and had an attached garage. If you keep to yourself, people don't really bother you in most places. But there are a lot of places where you should not move if you plan on getting wasted at the bar 10 blocks away and walking home at 2 am. I've had a friend get mugged this way, and I always felt really uneasy whenever I had to walk at night. I tried to take cabs or wait for the overnight bus (though I saw a violent fight on the overnight bus once). A good rule of thumb is to not live in a place where you would frequently have to walk under a freeway.

If you don't care about public transit, Oakland hills/Piedmont area is very safe and nice. $800-1400 should get you something decent there. North Oakland near Macarthur, Ashby, and Rockridge Bart is also fairly quiet. Depending on how nice the place is, you should be able to find a decent 1 bedroom for $1000.

Downtown Oakland will be more expensive, but if you want to live by 12th or 19th street BART you should be able to get a 1 bedroom for $1200-1800. Just be careful that you look up where the place is. Most places in West (and East) Oakland list themselves as "downtown Oakland" on Craigslist. East Oakland is much more dangerous, and much more inconvenient because it is so far away. West Oakland is right next to downtown but you have to cross the overpass, which I personally hated. Basically, unless you are living in Emeryville, you should stay on or East of Telegraph.
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