El Cerrito vs. Oakland home values & schools

My husband and I hope to buy our first home in the 650-700K range--a three bedroom 2 bath with yard. We have a one year old and hope to land in a good school district, at least through elementary. We have bid on five properties focusing on North/Central Berkeley and Albany and we're now realizing we prob can't afford these primo neighborhoods in what is quickly becoming a very competitive market.

My question is how to extend our home search to other neighborhoods, specifically comparing North Oakland vs. El Cerrito, focusing on home values and school quality. We want to live in a walkable neighborhood, ideally close to Bart or easy public transportation to SF, so the El Cerrito hills are not an option (this also rules out Kensington). Which school districts in North Oakland are worth considering? How are the El Cerrito elementary schools? (All the reviews on BPN are older). How do these districts compare? We're both public school grads and hope to use public schools, but we've heard terrible things about the middle and high schools in both El C and Oakland, so we'd want to preserve our exit strategy and be able to sell our house in 10 years and move to a better district by the time our son is middle school age if need be. Comparing El C and Oakland, which neighborhoods would be most likely to retain their value?

Our final concern is safety. We hate the idea of spending so much on our home and ending up in a dicey neighborhood. Any and all advice is appreciated. Discouraged by Bay Area home prices

At Portola, there are strong electives (drama and band are popular), opportunities to participate in after school sports through the after school program, a good leadership program (the advisor is a popular teacher), and lots of parent involvement.

At El Cerrito High School, the sports program is thriving, the electives are plentiful, there are a variety of activity groups and student-run clubs, and the selection of AP classes is impressive. I have met with the school counselor to discuss the required academic classes for college admission and found this individual to be very helpful. I particularly like the brand new gym and cardio/weight room that students use for P.E.

Neither school is perfect and given the budget challenges all CA schools are facing, you can expect some classes to be pretty large and a few cuts to electives but both schools have good parent support which really helps. Our kids are socially confident and have never indicated they felt unsafe at school. We are grateful they can take advantage of a free K-12 public education in a community as diverse as El Cerrito. It allows us to save more for college. public school mom

Moderator note: reviews were also received for Oakland

Moving to El Cerrito from Albany

I have been living in Albany for the past several years--wanted my kids to be in the Albany schools. However...they have both graduated from high school and I am contemplating a move as I would like to lower my payments. I want to stay in the general area and am thinking of moving to El Cerrito. My question is this: if you live in El Cerrito (esp the hills) please tell me what you think about it. Do you like it? Do you mind having to drive everywhere? do you feel safe? any other thoughts about El Cerrito as it might compare to Albany? thanks... possibly moving

Thinking about selling Berkeley home and moving to El Cerrito

My husband and I are thinking about selling our home in N. Berkeley flats and then renting for awhile while we look for a less expensive home in the area. We really love Berkeley, but we find the costs are too high, we have been frustrated with work we have done on our home in terms of dealing with the permit process in Berkeley, and so on. We have never been able to finish the updates our home needs due to not having enough money to do it. We are considering looking at El Cerrito near the Colusa Circle. We don't need the Berkeley school system anymore due to ages of our kids. Our needs are: be close to a grocery store i.e walking distance, be able to walk safely in the area, be near public transit (buses are fine). Right now we live near Monterey Market etc. and it is really convenient.

Has anyone made this kind of transition, and any regrets? Is El Cerrito any better? Is this just a silly idea? Housing costs in our zip seem to have remained pretty stable, surprisingly, though I have not spoken to a real estate agent. Time for a change?

Re: Schools, commutable,urban under $500k?
El Cerrito near EC Plaza BART. Occasionally you get 3/2 houses in the 400K-500K range. Berkeley expat happily settled north of Berkeley

HI I'm looking to purchase a house in Albany but it's really out of our price range. I was wondering if anyone has more detailed info on the different neighborhoods in El Cerrito. I've looked up info on the different elementary schools already. But am not sure what the neighborhood itself is like in terms of crime, diversity, vicinity to shops, transportation, safe to walk around at night, etc.

I know about St Jerome. BUt we can't quite afford places too close to Albany. So we've been looking north of Fairmont. The houses west of San Pablo, especially between the two freeways have really dropped in price, and I wonder if there is a reason for that. What are the neighborhoods south of Moeser, Manila, Potrero like? Are there any difference the more north you go? thanks anon

Re: Cheaper but "safe enough" neighborhoods
What about El Cerrito? Some of the houses there (esp in the hills) are just as expensive. But the ones on the flatlands aren't as bad as Berkeley. You didn't mention just how low you'd go. It's still pricy, but not as pricy as Berkeley. anon

Re: Living in El Sobrante or El Cerrito
We used to live on the east side of the hills, and moved back because we spent ALL our time driving back to do social things. We wound up in El Cerrito, which wasn't our first choice, but we were able to get an ''affordable'' house. We are so happy here!!! More than I even expected! I worry about the schools-they have a mixed record but ours has a very active PTA. I know people everywhere I go, and while the Cerrito Theater may be the coolest thing here, I have found that almost everyone is here because it was affordable and on the west side of the east bay. We are much closer to all the kid things we do. It is diverse and our neighbors are interesting and not ridiculously wealthy.

I can't speak to El Sobrante--we really wanted something on Bart--but we really like it and would encourage you to check it out. I grew up with ''regular people'' and didn't want my kids pressured to feel entitled to things I think they are lucky to have. People thought we were nuts to move here, but it just fits us better! Happy in El Cerrito

The good:
-close to everything: there are 2 BART stations and some neighborhoods are 
very walkable with flat, kid-oriented streets. Solano Ave. is 5 minutes away 
from where I live with more restaurants than you could possibly sample in a 
lifetime
-urban amenities but a small-town feel: a beautiful movie theater with a 
good mix of first-run movies, grocery stores, restaurants (especially if you 
love Asian food), and a fantastic hardware store.
-good public schools: our kids are in one of the brand new elementary 
schools with a long waiting list to get in. The new high school should be 
finished by 2009.  A new middle school is slated for construction to replace 
the current facility which is badly in need of a re-build. 
-the people: most folks are progressive, care about the environment, and 
there is a lot of diversity in the community--especially in the public 
schools
-recreation: a gorgeous public pool, nice parks, tennis courts, lots of 
kid-oriented summer day camps and activities while school is in 
session--tennis lessons, swim team, EC Soccer team, etc.

The challenges:
-the weather: the fog rolls in and it can be brutally cold during the 
summers--especially at the pool.
-lack of affordable housing: prices are dropping but buying a house is still 
a very expensive proposition. Rents are high too compared with El Sobrante, 
Hercules, and some of the communities further up I 80.
-the schools: while some of the schools are good, the district faces 
significant budget challenges because several decades ago they promised very 
generous benefits to retirees so a huge chunk of the budget is going toward 
this. Per union rules, hiring teachers is based on seniority and it's hard 
to fire ineffective teachers. Salaries are low compared to other districts 
so it's sometimes difficult to retain highly effective teachers and talented 
principals. Also, if the parcel tax isn't renewed in November, the schools 
will be hurting. Having said that, we love the diversity and are huge 
supporters of public schools so have found ways to work around these 
deficits by being involved and supplementing--music lessons, after school 
enrichment, team sports. However, parents looking for a more sheltered 
environment who don't want to worry about the ups and downs of public school 
financing should opt for private instead. 

Re: Safe, family--oriented neighborhood?
We live in El Cerrito and both of our elementary school age children attend the local public school.

It's not perfect because we are a resource-poor district but it's worked out great for our kids. The parents are very involved (volunteering in the school) and they raise funds to provide the students with a good education. The PTA provides art, music, and science programs to supplement what the district provides.

At last count, there were at least 8 elementary school children on our block--all living within 5 houses of each other. At night they run in and out of each others' back yards and play in the front yards. Some parents in El Cerrito opt to go to private schools but I think the local elementary school is just fine. We are also planning to go to the local public middle school when my son is ready. Most of El Cerrito is very safe and family-friendly. There are great parks and a terrific public pool.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's that affordable for first-time home buyers but houses are slightly less expensive than Albany, Lafayette or Orinda. Consequently, there is more diversity in the local public schools.

Re: Seeking a friendly neighborhood w/kids
Hi. In response to your message about finding a friendly neighborhood with children - we live near Poinsette Park, off Barnett in El Cerrito. Our block on Mono Ave. in particular is very close knit - most of the neighbors know each other and we have holiday parties (Halloween, Christmas, and progressive dinner parties). It's a true gift. I've never lived anywhere like it, and it easily is one of the best things about our home (which we love). There are several families with small children on our block, and I see lots of children when I drive through the neighborhood, and when we go to Poinsett Park (on Poinsette St. or Dr. - up the hill from Home Depot and the San Pablo Safeway). Hope you find something comparable. Best wishes. debora

As a young family, we are planning to buy our first house and we have been looking at the Albany/El Cerrito area. We currently rent and have lived in SF for 10 years but have decided it is time to move across the bridge. We have looked around Albany and really liked it but it seems like it can be hard to find a house for the price range we want to spend. We have also looked in the El Cerrito Hills and seen some really nice houses. Is there anywhere in these areas where you wouldnt recommend to buy? Is there any ''shady'' neighborhoods? We have a 17mth old child. Melanie

I'm not a big fan of the hills because my kids like level streets where they can ride their scooters or their bikes to the park or the pool. However, there are many lovely hillside homes with spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Some of the homes near Colusa are still within walking distance of things you might want to walk to (FatApples Bakery) but anything South of Stockton gets very steep and not every block has sidewalks.

The most desirable neighborhoods are those near St. Jerome's (on Fairmount) because they are close to Solano Ave. plus you can walk to the El Cerrito Plaza which has a Farmer's Market, Trader Joe's, and Starbucks. In general, if you want something that feels like a really quiet safe neighorhood near urban amenities, I would recommend the neighborhoods South of Moeser and East of Elm Street.

I know a great local realtor, Mykah Larkins, who sells homes in El Cerrito and Albany. I'm sure she could give you more details on both of these communities. To give you some idea of what home prices are going for, check out the most recently sold homes on her web page: http://marvingardens.mlsb.com/idx/agentbio.cfm?cid=34&aid=8145

Best of luck with your housing search!

Our family is considering moving to Kensington or El Cerrito. Can anyone tell us more about these cities? Are they LGBT friendly? Good places for children? How are the schools? Thanks in advance. (Also, can you recommend any realtors?) -- Need advice

I have also had good experiences on the local soccer team and both my partner and I have been encouraged to take an active role in the school. The families we have met at school and in our neighborhood seem to be unfazed by the fact that our kids have 2 moms. I have noticed rainbow flags on several of the curches in the area so I know there are some welcoming/inclusive church communities here too.

It seems like many folks are reluctant to move to El Cerrito because of the schools but most of our babysitters attend Portola or El Cerrito High School and are college-bound so I think it is entirely possible to get a good education in the local public schools, particularly if you are willing to get involved and support your child.

If you can overcome ''Albany envy'' and manage to afford a home here, it's a great place to raise kids.

We worked with a great real estate agent Melissa Eizenberg. She was really enjoyable to spend time with, knows the area well, and was able to give us a few referrals for the work we had done on our house. http://marvingardens.mlsb.com/mls/agent.cfm
Happy in El Cerrito

We're moving to the Bay Area in a few months, and have been checking out real estate in the Oakland area. Unfortunately, we want what everyone else wants - good schools, access to transportation, and some green space for less than a fortune. For obvious reasons, we're starting to consider areas outside of Oakland. Can anyone tell me about El Cerrito? Is it socially/culturally similar to Oakland, or is it much more suburban? (We're from Boston, so if these references make sense to you, I'm asking is it more like Brookline or Newton?) Thanks so much for any input! Nerissa

hi, we (husband, toddler son and I) are going to move from atlanta to the berkeley area, and are thinking of renting a house in el cerrito. it is on elm, close to the bart line. I was just wondering if it is a safe neighborhood and a good place for children. many thanks, Shobhana

While the schools in the area are sub-par, it's a great place with plenty to do if you have toddlers. Just recently, the city completed significant rennovations and upgrades to Castro Park (on Norvell and Gladys) and the El Cerrito community pool. Castro Park has three modern playgrounds (one with a state-of-the-art climbing wall), a nice grassy ball field, and two tennis courts. Also, there's a Gymboree play center in the new El Cerrito Shopping Plaza. Target is in walking distance, as is Giovanni's, the small, neighborhood grocery store on Potrero and Liberty.

As a bonus, there are four convenient modes of public transportation to take you into San Francisco (in 30-40 minutes travel time): two AC transit bus lines (the L and G lines), the BART train, and casual carpool, the informal car pool system that forms when drivers and passengers meet at designated locations. (read here for more info on this free, safe, and convenient commuting alternative: http://www.ridenow.org/carpool/what.htm)

I would definitely recommend El Cerrito as a place to live with children. There are plenty of young families and it's relatively safe. swalter