Apartments in Lamordina? (Alameda, Walnut Creek, Walnut: real estate, rentals, condos)

[theh]

My fiance and I moved to the Bay Area about 4 months ago. We're staying in a cheap, dumpy hole-in-the-wall apartment in Alameda on a monthly lease until we find someplace we like. Alameda's a great place--really charming and the location can't be beat. It's a safe little haven from all the junk that surrounds it. But honestly--and this is going to kill some people--it's too crowded for us. We've done quite a bit of exploring since we got here and have taken a strong liking to Lafayette/Orinda/Moraga. We moved from rural Massachusetts and we already miss the peace and quiet, simplicity, and seclusion of our old home. We love the quaintness of Alameda and the downtown area and want to keep those parts. The Lamordina area seems like a pretty close match without being too far away from our jobs and everything else.

Problem is, I'm having a really hard time finding apartments in this area. I check craigslist every day and there's hardly anything. I totally understand that fewer people means fewer apartments, but honestly, it was easier to find apartments in our old home where most of the towns had less than 10,000 people. Is there a trick to apartment hunting in this area or are there really just no apartments to be found? Are there any real estate agencies or property management companies we should check out that have rentals in this area? We prefer not to live in a complex, but we're still keeping them open as an option and I know there are a few at least in Lafayette, but I can't find any information about them online and the old-fashioned telephone thing hasn't been working for us since nobody answers the phone out here.

Thanks for any help.

[Ultrarunner]

Most of the apartments have waiting lists...

If you really want to rent... I would suggest a personal visit to the managers of the properties where you would live.

For years my brother managed several communities in Orinda and Lafayette... he NEVER advertised because there was always a waiting list or news traveled by word of mouth...

Also the area has no rent control that I'm aware of and very strict zoning making it hard to build new units...

[jrb724]

There are very few apartments in those cities. I think Moraga has the most of the three. It's not at all like Southshore in Alameda with multiple complexes. As the other poster said, the zoning is very strict there and high density stuff like apartments and condos are harder to find than in many other cities. I did check Craigslist and I see a few apartments available when I searched for Orinda. Some of them look like in-law units in single-family homes. Visiting the properties and managers is probably your best bet.

[batransplant]

Not too many apts. in Orinda or Lafayette. You might want to try Walnut Creek, which is adjacent to Lafayette. There are tons of apts and condos there, with a walkable downtown. It is still quaint, but slightly larger than Lamorinda.

[theh]

We're familiar with Walnut Creek and it's a nice place, but not really for us. Too big.

That's funny about the waiting lists. It seems everywhere else has a surplus of vacancies.

I understand the lack of complexes due to the zoning laws (and it's for the best), but we don't really want to live in a complex anyway unless it's our only option. Plus it appears that most of the complexes that do exist are right off the main road, and what's the point of moving somewhere quiet to listen to the noise of traffic all day?

But why is it that there are also so few duplexes/in-laws/etc? There are some really strict zoning laws in Massachusetts too, but we've never had much trouble finding independently owned apartments. It also just occurred to me that we've never looked for apartments in November, only in the summer. I realize November isn't the best time for finding apartments, especially in small towns without many apartments to begin with. Could that be part of the reason why there are so few options showing up on Craigslist?

[batransplant]

There just aren't many apts. in Lafayette or Orinda period. You would be able to find a house pretty easily right now if that interests you. There seem to be several available.

What is your criteria?

[theh]

Originally Posted by batransplant

There just aren't many apts. in Lafayette or Orinda period. You would be able to find a house pretty easily right now if that interests you. There seem to be several available.

What is your criteria?

We're really just looking for a bare-bones basic one-bedroom apartment that allows cats. $1200 or less. There's no way we could afford one of those houses and we have no use for the space even if we could. There's one in-law listed that's a potential and we might look at if the owner ever calls us back. There are a couple more listed in complexes that we probably won't care for, but we've called anyway and left voicemails. I was hoping there would be more options. Would driving around looking for "for rent" signs be a waste of time?

We're not suffering in Alameda by any means, so we could just wait until something pops up. I was just curious if there's a reason why craigslist is failing us. I guess there just simply aren't many.

[clongirl]

Most of Lafayette's apts. are centered around the downtown area itself.

Drive around the streets behind Mt Diablo Blvd (Golden Gate Ave, Brook St,Hough Ave) The area all around Lafayette Circle/ Walnut St) It's ALL apartments/condos. Check out the areas around the Trader Joe's and behind the little shopping center near "Pizza Antica" ( just behind the BART station) Theres some modern high rise apts there as well. Further down Mt Diablo, driving toward Walnut Creek, on Carol Ave (behind the Ace Hardware) there's a very nice wooded area with plenty of apartments/condos. There's also an area of duplexes towards the streets near the Lafayette Resevoir.

The whole town is pretty quiet so it's doubtful that noise would really be an issue after 8pm.

As for Moraga, plenty of apartments along Rheem/Moraga Rd, Ascot Dr. I would recommend just driving around and doing it the "old fashioned way" spotting "for rent" signs/talking to apt managers. St Mary's college is here, so there are plenty of apartments.

I'm not as familiar with Orinda..I bet you'd find some near the main shopping/downtown area as well. It's not really lacking in apartments as the previous poster would have you believe.

[theh]

Originally Posted by clongirl

Most of Lafayette's apts. are centered around the downtown area itself.

Drive around the streets behind Mt Diablo Blvd (Golden Gate Ave, Brook St,Hough Ave) The area all around Lafayette Circle/ Walnut St) It's ALL apartments/condos. Check out the areas around the Trader Joe's and behind the little shopping center near "Pizza Antica" ( just behind the BART station) Theres some modern high rise apts there as well. Further down Mt Diablo, driving toward Walnut Creek, on Carol Ave (behind the Ace Hardware) there's a very nice wooded area with plenty of apartments/condos. There's also an area of duplexes towards the streets near the Lafayette Resevoir.

The whole town is pretty quiet so it's doubtful that noise would really be an issue after 8pm.

As for Moraga, plenty of apartments along Rheem/Moraga Rd, Ascot Dr. I would recommend just driving around and doing it the "old fashioned way" spotting "for rent" signs/talking to apt managers. St Mary's college is here, so there are plenty of apartments.

I'm not as familiar with Orinda..I bet you'd find some near the main shopping/downtown area as well. It's not really lacking in apartments as the previous poster would have you believe.

Thank you! This is very helpful. Now I know what we're doing this weekend.

[theh]

Thank you everyone for your help. Just wanted to update--We already found a nice place in Lafayette. It's just off the main road, but it's still pretty quiet, and completely DEAD when the windows are shut. Just how we like it! It's in a complex technically, but the complex is independently owned, only has 10 units, all one-bedrooms, and all of them inhabited by middle-aged people who I can trust will sleep at night and not be obnoxious (I hope)--so it doesn't feel like your typical complex. It's also within walking distance to the reservoir, which is awesome.

Thanks again for everyone's help and advice. As it became clear from everyone's responses, the trick to finding apartments in this area is to just be a bit more aggressive with the hunt and get off the internet!