Difference between Berkeley and Berkeley North/Hills? (Oakland, Montclair: apartments, rentals)

[StrangeAsAngels]

These are divided up on Craig's List. What's the diff? Are both areas safe?

Can I get a decent studio for $1200?

Thanks.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by StrangeAsAngels

These are divided up on Craig's List. What's the diff? Are both areas safe?

Can I get a decent studio for $1200?

Thanks.

Most notably walkability. Hills = mostly single family homes

$1200 is too low for the nicest parts. That probably only gives you San Pablo/university. You might want to open up your range to other nearby cities. Berkeley apartments are generally expensive and crappy.

[StrangeAsAngels]

I'd actually prefer a granny unit and not an apartment studio. I currently live in wine country where there are an abundance of grannies. Does the Berkeley area have lots of grannies? My gu in Sonoma is a 450 square foot for $875. I realize that Berkeley is pricier but the highest I can budget is $1200. Thanks.

[jade408]

Look in the hills then. Oakland or Berkeley. That's the best place for those.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by StrangeAsAngels

I'd actually prefer a granny unit and not an apartment studio. I currently live in wine country where there are an abundance of grannies. Does the Berkeley area have lots of grannies? My gu in Sonoma is a 450 square foot for $875. I realize that Berkeley is pricier but the highest I can budget is $1200. Thanks.

Yes. North Berkeley/Berkeley hills (google a map of Berkeley. The hills are in east Berkeley, you can tell by all the winding streets) are the safer areas. Rockridge in north Oakland (bordering Berkeley) also has good studios for around $1000 give or take, and is a good area near BART. You can also look in Kensington (that may be listed with Berkeley Hills, not sure), which has a lot of in-law apts., has good bus service, and part of Kensington is near El Cerrito BART. It's a great area. You should do fine with $1200 or $1250.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Yes. North Berkeley/Berkeley hills (google a map of Berkeley. The hills are in east Berkeley, you can tell by all the winding streets) are the safer areas. Rockridge in north Oakland (bordering Berkeley) also has good studios for around $1000 give or take, and is a good area near BART. You can also look in Kensington (that may be listed with Berkeley Hills, not sure), which has a lot of in-law apts., has good bus service, and part of Kensington is near El Cerrito BART. It's a great area. You should do fine with $1200 or $1250.

I think the Glenview in Oakland is your best bet for bargain inlaws. Or perhaps Montclair. Upper Rockridge too. But nit the part closer to BART and the commercial district. Smaller homes and smaller lots there. Piedmont as well. Since you don't seem to have a need to be walkable or transit friendly or bike friendly you have a lot of options.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by jade408

I think the Glenview in Oakland is your best bet for bargain inlaws. Or perhaps Montclair. Upper Rockridge too. But nit the part closer to BART and the commercial district. Smaller homes and smaller lots there. Piedmont as well. Since you don't seem to have a need to be walkable or transit friendly or bike friendly you have a lot of options.

I agree, all of the above. I've seen Craigslist listings for studios around the BART area of Rockridge, too. Smaller lots, but people manage to convert a garage to a studio, or create a separate apt. of their 2nd floor (I've seen some of these places IRL.) And Kensington (bordering north Berkeley, OP) seems full of garage or basement in-laws. All of these are beautiful areas with tree-lined streets and often with views of the Bay, OP.

[StrangeAsAngels]

Thanks Ruth and Jade. Are there any college-oriented sites that have rentals for Berkeley specifically (thought maybe because of the college, there might be)?

A view is important to me, btw.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by StrangeAsAngels

Thanks Ruth and Jade. Are there any college-oriented sites that have rentals for Berkeley specifically (thought maybe because of the college, there might be)?

A view is important to me, btw.

Do you want to be around the college crowd? Those units (usually large apt. bldgs) tend to cluster around the university (Google a map, and note the streets to the north, south and west of the U). But they can be more competitive (i.e. a little more expensive), and can be run-down, though not always. Your best bet is to sift through the Craigslist listings, and aim for in-law units a little further away from the U, and in the hills if you want a view. That would be east of College Avenue, or in north Berkeley, east of Shattuck, more or less. Compare the addresses you find on Craigslist to a map of Berkeley. Again, you can tell when you're in the hills by the non-grid nature of the streets. Rockridge also gets student residents, and again, a bit east of College Avenue will get you a view (it's more elevated terrain), unless you have a 2nd story unit. Upper Kensington also has views, but is more expensive.

Some people don't list on Craigslist, and post in the student housing office at the university, or in a grad student housing office. You have to be there and know where those offices are in order to have access to them. Not sure if you have to be a student or not.

[wooliemonster]

Nearly all housing near the University is dramatically overpriced and of inferior quality. Your rent dollar is competing with kids who put bunk beds in each room (and love it). I spent a while looking before abandoning the idea.