Safe Area on BART within 1 Hour of San FRA to live without a car (San Francisco: apartments, rentals)

[domabozo]

Is there any city or area one the BART within 1 hour from San Francisco which is :



- Safe in terms of walking through , BART station safety , break ins

- Can live without a cart , need to be able to go shopping and move around through walking / bike / bus

- Good schools

- Diverse and tolerant toward some one who is Muslim / middle eastern , My wife wears Hair cover .


Thanks in advance

[Ruth4Truth]

Fremont (lots of South Asian families), would be the obvious one. But the Rockridge area of north Oakland, and Elmwood (south Berkeley) are within walking distance of the same BART station, which is surrounded by a nice shopping district. Fremont isn't walkable, like Rockridge is, for shopping around town, but there is a bus system. There's also an open-air South Asian market twice/week, where you can buy all manner of grocery items and imported ethnic clothing.
Here's a link to Fremont's Islamic community center: http://www.icfbayarea.org

We can only assume that you can afford anyplace along the BART lines....? You might also try Albany. Alameda could work as well, and has a commute ferry to SF, not a BART line, but there's a shuttle to BART.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Fremont (lots of South Asian families), would be the obvious one. But the Rockridge area of north Oakland, and Elmwood (south Berkeley) are within walking distance of the same BART station, which is surrounded by a nice shopping district. Fremont isn't walkable, like Rockridge is, for shopping around town, but there is a bus system. There's also an open-air South Asian market twice/week, where you can buy all manner of grocery items and imported ethnic clothing.
Here's a link to Fremont's Islamic community center: Islamic Center of Fremont | Knowledge is Wisdom

We can only assume that you can afford anyplace along the BART lines....? You might also try Albany. Alameda could work as well, and has a commute ferry to SF, not a BART line, but there's a shuttle to BART.

I echo that response. Now there are other areas that are safe near BART, but they may not be conducive to the shopping you need. You could consider Walnut Creek or Lafayette as well, although they are noticeably less diverse. But I feel they are both welcoming and have great shopping within walking distance to Bart.

[domabozo]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Fremont (lots of South Asian families), would be the obvious one. But the Rockridge area of north Oakland, and Elmwood (south Berkeley) are within walking distance of the same BART station, which is surrounded by a nice shopping district. Fremont isn't walkable, like Rockridge is, for shopping around town, but there is a bus system. There's also an open-air South Asian market twice/week, where you can buy all manner of grocery items and imported ethnic clothing.
Here's a link to Fremont's Islamic community center: Islamic Center of Fremont | Knowledge is Wisdom

We can only assume that you can afford anyplace along the BART lines....? You might also try Albany. Alameda could work as well, and has a commute ferry to SF, not a BART line, but there's a shuttle to BART.

Thank you for the advise , can $2500 get us a two bedroom in safe area of Rockridge? and are public schools good in either Rockridge or Elmwood

[domabozo]

Originally Posted by tstieber

I echo that response. Now there are other areas that are safe near BART, but they may not be conducive to the shopping you need. You could consider Walnut Creek or Lafayette as well, although they are noticeably less diverse. But I feel they are both welcoming and have great shopping within walking distance to Bart.

OK will consider Walnut Creek and Lafayette , seem both have good schools and are relatively safe compared to nearby cities , but are they walkable ? is it convenient to we go for shopping , school using bus / bike ?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by domabozo

Thank you for the advise , can $2500 get us a two bedroom in safe area of Rockridge? and are public schools good in either Rockridge or Elmwood

All of Rockridge is safe, that's the point. (Same for Elmwood and Claremont, all part of the same area.) But finding a 2-br. in your price range would be tricky. It's hard to tell right now, because the university semester has begun, so students have occupied most of the rentals; it's not a good time to look. Same for Elmwood, and most of Berkeley. When would you be moving to the area?

The prices are a bit better in Fremont. Here are examples in Fremont: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...687864425.html.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...687560249.html

The Fremont schools are generally good. Rockridge elementary school is good, and there's a good middle school for that neighborhood, too. Oakland high school--not so good. Walnut Creek schools are good. Rents are more affordable, out there. As for walkability, generally--no, unless you find a rental near downtown, which is possible. You mentioned biking; Fremont is definitely bike-able, and as I said, good bus service. I think Lafayette and WC are bike-able, too. It gets hot out there in the summers, though.

downtown WC rental: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...679848423.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...689579537.html
Rents in WC are going up, but there are a few, even around downtown, in your range.

Close to downtown:https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa...685848426.html

By the way, if you're renting in WC or Lafayette, make sure the unit has air conditioning. In Berkeley, Oakland or Fremont, A/C is becoming necessary now, due to warming of the climate, but few units will have it. Still, on the whole, the Bayside cities are significantly cooler than those farther inland. It's just that heat waves are becoming more frequent, there.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by welankaulas

I think SF proper is the only place within an hour where you can live w/o a car..

There are quite a few areas in the East Bay, where you can live without a car. The OP's goal may be to eventually buy a good used car, after watching the family budget for a few years, and collecting some raises. But being able to walk to household shopping, and take an easy bus ride to other necessities, really adds to the quality of life, and is often necessary, when a new transplant is getting established. They can always rent a car for the occasional weekend jaunt.

[davdaven]

I would be hesitant to live in Fremont, Lafayette, or Walnut Creek without a car. You will be limited by public transit, and biking is less common in these particular areas. Fremont has invested in several new bike lanes over the past few years, and it has much better bus service than Lafayette or Walnut Creek, so I would recommend it first of the three.

If your budget allows, I recommend Rockridge (Oakland) or almost any part of Berkeley (which has three BART stations). It is very easy to live in these areas without a car, as public transit, biking, and shared services (Uber, Lyft, Ford GoBike, etc.) are prevalent. In fact, one could argue it's easier to be car-free in this area than in San Francisco proper because it's flatter (easier biking) and warmer (more comfortable outdoors).

Most Bay Area suburbs are very accepting of diversity compared to most of the U.S. Certainly these five are fine, especially Berkeley and Fremont.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by domabozo

OK will consider Walnut Creek and Lafayette , seem both have good schools and are relatively safe compared to nearby cities , but are they walkable ? is it convenient to we go for shopping , school using bus / bike ?

Yes--walkable in Lafayette IF you're anywhere in/around the downtown area. Walnut Creek is more spread out but very walkable depending on where.

Many children in Lafayette walk/ride bikes to school or take the bus depending on where they live. There are safe walking/biking trails around some of the downtown areas. All the supermarkets/pharmacies/shops are located here.

There are other Muslim families around--not a lot, but they do exist here.

It really depends on what kind of budget you have for housing...

(Oops, was just told, 2,500--sorry- didn't read through thread). I think that's a doable budget here for a small condo/ apartment

[ketch89]

Walnut Creek and Lafayette are not walkable. In Walnut Creek, you have to cross a ridiculous, dehumanizing 9 lanes of car traffic to get to BART. Lafayette has missing sidewalks, even in areas very close to BART.