Moving to San Francisco...Please Help (San Jose, Oakland: apartment, for rent, crime)

[felinius]

Originally Posted by raam.sqt

Are buses reliable and frequent ? I used to work in Manhattan and live in queens long time back so i think one of the suburbs should be okay even if its 1 bed 1 bath for the time being.

I found that they definitely were, and were pretty much on time for the most part. The drive from Alameda to SF is in all honesty short, but considering traffic, it's so much easier with the Transbay bus.

You can get a 1bed for $1400 in Alameda that's really close to the beach and the shopping center, which is the safer side. I wouldn't suggest Vallejo.

[ruckerz]

Honestly the housing stock turns over extremely quickly. To the point where one weekend you'll find no listings on Craigslist, find many listings midweek only to find them taken by the following weekend. I've spent a day touring several places, only to find that when I finally came to my decision (next day), many places had signed leases.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by raam.sqt

What about Vallejo Neighbourhood ?

I would avoid Vallejo. Not the nicest area plus it adds another bridge toll to the commute. Check out Union City. It has a Bart station and less expensive apartments. For a shorter commute stay on the peninsula and look at Pacifica or South San Francisco.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by raam.sqt

Thanks Ruth but i heard that its real bad in Oakland

It isn't. The Rockridge, Claremont and Temescal neighborhoods of Oakland are great. So is Montclair. Why would I recommend places that are "bad"?? Anyway, the point is that you have plenty of opportunities in your price range for 2 br. apts., maybe even a cottage, with luck, in Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito and Albany. All on BART. You can also try Walnut Creek. But you have to move fast on the listings, when you find them. Especially now, as UC Berkeley students are starting to look for rentals for fall semester.

[gone down south]

Originally Posted by raam.sqt

Thanks Ruth but i heard that its real bad in Oakland

OK, that's TWO pretty basic pieces of research you failed to do before accepting a job here.
Oakland is much like any city, bad areas and good. The bad are pretty bad, but the good are pretty good.

[Ruth4Truth]

I don't know why the OP doesn't just spend awhile checking Cragslist for the different areas recommended, rather than hanging around the thread, contesting perfectly good recommendations, and imagining he'll need to cut back to a 1 br. A quick check of the listings would clarify a lot for him.

[kauailover]

Originally Posted by raam.sqt

Thanks Ruth but i heard that its real bad in Oakland

I wouldn't even think about Oakland, it is not a safe City IMO! You might try to look around the South Bay, Fremont to San Jose? $1500 should get you a 1 bed rm apt somewhere.

[Ruth4Truth]

$1500 will get him a 2-br. in many places, including Berkeley and north Oakland. All he has to do is look. For $1500 he can get a nice 2-br. condo in Fremont. There are many choices. Someone suggested Pacifica, just south of SF, which is also a good option. No BART necessary, a short commute to the city. A good family community on the ocean.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by raam.sqt

What about Vallejo Neighbourhood ?

Vallejo isn't a neighborhood, it's a town, and it's too far away from SF. You'd have to cross 2 bridges to make the commute, or cross one bridge to get to BART, and then take a long BART ride to SF.

[wel3kxial]

You can try the Berkeley town where UCB resides. It is cheap and good environment. Also pretty. Berkeley has Bart station also