Point Richmond

[Pointer1158]

There is some good information in the responses so far, but some is not so good. Some posters are confusing various areas of the large and oddly-shaped region known as "Richmond."

Point Richmond is an old community with a recently revitalized, quaint, cozy little "downtown" area. It consists mainly of a hilly ridge paralleling the Bay shore at the Eastern end of the Richmond / San Rafael bridge. Houses on the inland side of the Point are expensive, and houses on the Bay side are VERY expensive. Change "VERY" to "OUTLANDISHLY" for houses that are actually on the waterfront with private moorings for boats. In any part of The Point, inventory of houses for sale is not high, so at any given time, the sort of place you are looking for simply might not be on the market. It is a very safe community, divided from the high-crime areas of Richmond by an industrial zone, and with only a few access points. It lies directly off the I-580 freeway, which offers a quick connection to I-80 around Gilman Street in Berkeley, which makes for a very short commute into SF - one of the reasons for the high prices. It does abut on the grounds of a refinery, a railyard, and an active port area, along with several smaller industrial concerns. The "Shleter-in-Place" events mentioned by one poster are rare, and actual harm to members of the community are exceedingly rare and getting ever-rarer as regulations tighten. Still, there is a hazard associated with the industrial presence, and if this is of particular concern, it might steer you elsewhere. The Point is mainly on solid rock, so the earthquake risk is not high in general. Some areas right along the shore may be "fill," so as always it would be wise to evaluate any potential purchase on a site-specific basis. The publication "On Shaky Ground" is an excellent source for evaluating earthquake risk anywhere in the Bay Area.

Some posters are referring to the "Richmond Marina," a comparitively-recently gentrified area south of Point Richmond, also on the Bay shore. It also tends to be safe, with the buffer of the I-580 freeway and limited access points between it and the high-crime areas. To me, it lacks character - the houses are generic-modern in design, on tiny lots, in a very-high-density overall plan. I think there are a few places with their own boat slips, but mainly the Marina itself would be the place to moor your boat, and plenty of units are within walking distance.

The Richmond Hills are also very nice, and also fairly safe, although the multitude of roads connecting with the "flatlands" offer less of a deterrent in some cases. The flatlands themselves vary from spot to spot. The "Iron Triangle" mentioned above is indeed the most dangerous area, but not one where someone seeking a place with a boat slip in Point Richmond would be likely to live, visit, or traverse with any regularity. Obviously, none of these inland options offers direct boat access to the Bay.

Water-side living with private boat access is less common as you head north or south. I am aware of some options in Emeryville and Alameda to the south, and in Crockett and Vallejo to the North. A knowledgeable Realtor would be able to track down more of these, but if you are flexible, beware of Realtors who have a narrow "comfort zone" and will not make much effort to find you anything outside of that. I am not a sailor myself, but you might get better-targeted advice in a forum devoted to sailing in the SF Bay Area.

Good Luck!