Where in Berkeley is a safe place to live for a single woman? I'd be commuting to Oakland for work. (San Pablo: home)

[EllenOlenska]

Hi,
I'm working in Oakland, and want to find a decent place to live. I've been looking at rooms in East Bay, and realized that Berkeley is more affordable than Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, and Piedmont. But which areas of Berkeley is safe? Thanks.

[edwardius]

I like Rockridge a lot. Its near Bart, its on the Berkeley/Oakland border. I thought the housing along College Avenue was pretty nice. As you get further into the flatlands into areas off San Pablo Avenue, the neighborhood gets more dicey. You can find some place there that might work, but you can also find some places there that I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable in.

[EllenOlenska]

Yeah, I want to be sure I can feel safe coming home at night if I work late (which I will be sometimes). How far away from Rockridge can I stray without being unsafe? Thanks.

[edwardius]

In Berkeley neighborhoods tend to improve with elevation because the higher you go, the better view and higher rents tend to keep out the riff raff. So for the most part you can go east of the Bart Station as much as your budget is willing to accommodate you. The further west you go, rents will drop, but the neighborhood gets more iffy. I would check the area out during the day time to see how it feels to you and then before you moved to a specific place, I would check out that place again at night. But in general, I would try to stay with in walking distance of the Rockridge bart station. You have more people out and about walking near the bart station and I think all of the people out and about keeps the area safer.