Berkeley Parents Network: Living in Oakland

Berkeley Parents Network

Living in Oakland

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Housing, Neighborhoods, & Moving > Living in Oakland

Pros and Cons of different Oakland neighborhoods
Canyon
Crocker Highlands
Glenview
Grand Lake
Jack London Square
Maxwell Park
Montclair
Oakland Hills
Redwood Heights
Rockridge/N. Oakland
Sequoyah Hills/Heights
Temescal

Pros and Cons of different Oakland neighborhoods

November 2006

We are thinking about purchasing a single family house in Oakland. Can someone give us some recommendations on some neighborhoods where we might want to look and the advantages and disadvantages of living in some of the different neighborhoods?

Also, can someone recommend a realtor to help us in our housing search? To those of you who have purchased recently in Oakland, what's the market like? Thanks Bev

We are thinking of moving to Oakland as well, so I am interested to see the answers. Meanwhile, Zip Realty is fantatic for searching. Why? You can search by map, and look only in the areas you are really interested in. And then you can look at recently sold homes and what they went for.

yOu have to sign up, but it is free http://www.ziprealty.com/

Once you've gotten to SF Bay Area Real Estate click on Search for Homes and then look for the tab that says Interactive Map. This is the best invention ever. You zero in on an area you are interested in and it will show up to 100 homes in that area. They are all in a list on the left, or you can mouse over the map and get some details and then click for the full listing. Once you are in a full listing you can click on SOLD HOMES at the top. That will give you info on nearby homes and how much they sold for. They are not super up-to-date the most recent ones listed are in July, but still the info is useful. It tells you sq footage, number of BD/BA, sale price, and price/sq foot. Good luck! Susan

I highly recommend Stan and Sharon Hammond of Wells & Bennett in Oakland. Stan used to be a contractor so was really great at helping us determine what kind of work each house we looked at needed and how much the work would cost. Sharon was always on top of what was going on the market, so we could jump on a property before or just as it was going on the market. They are both very honest and execeedingly responsive, even now over a year after buying our house and selling our old one. Our current home is in Berkeley, though the Hammonds know Oakland the best. We used to live in the Dimond area, near Dimond Park. Other Oakland neighborhoods to look into are: Maxwell Park, Crocker Highlands, Tresle Glen, Glen Park/Glenview, Rockridge.

Good Luck! Cindy

I worked with the most spectacular realtor based out of Montclair/Oakland. Her name is Carla Buffington and she works with PacUnion. She was wonderful I can't sing her enough praise. We used her to purchase and sell our home. She was patient, well informed, a GREAT negotiator (she got us a brand new roof for free!!!), She sold our house in a slumped market in 2 weeks and got us a great price, she did all of our staging, and paid to get our house cleaned and gardened. She was a pleasure to work with and we have remained friends with her even after it was all over. I HIGHLY recommend Carla. I plan on using her again if we ever decide to move. Her website is: www.carlabuffington.com
shannon

Hi Bev,

We bought our house about a year and a half ago in Oakland. Some of the more sought after neighborhoods are these:

Rockridge - very family oriented, 2nd best elementary school in the Bay Area (Chabot), mostly craftsmen style homes, centrally located, lots of shops and restaurants to walk to, (mainly College Ave)

Elmwood - actually in Berkeley, but right next to Rockridge, going down College Ave. With the exception of the school district, as I'm not familiar with theirs, all of the above listed under Rockridge.

Claremont - also in Berkeley, but Rockridge and Claremont areas are often lumped together. Homes tend to be in larger and higher price ranges. A little more walking necessary to get to restaurants and shops.

Montclair - originally a place for vacation homes, the houses are a very eclectic mix, varying in size, age and prices. Most homes are on hills. Has it's own nice shopping district.

Glenview - an up and coming, transitional area. Most conviently located to freeway, borders Piedmont, small shopping district, charming homes. Need knowledgeable realtor to show you more prosperous/promising streets.

Trestle Glen - one of the most attractive streets in Oakland, in my opinion - lovely homes, very pricy.

Lakeshore and Lake Merritt - have some nice homes, but I am less familiar with the market there.

Piedmont - actually not part of Oakland, (or at least anymore), but overall the most prosperous area, currently the only area with a very good academic highschool, homes cost substantially more.

In general, the market has softened. But in Rockridge and Piedmont, it's been pretty steady due to school districts, etc. The other areas, I'm simply not familiar enough with recent sales.

We were really happy with our realtor, Hope Broderick. http://www.hopebroderick.com/

Hope this helps!! cemekeller

Hi Bev, Some of the best neighborhoods in Oakland include the Montclair district, the Glenview District, the Lake Merritt District, & the Rockridge & Temescal districts. These areas are great for their beautiful homes (where prices have remained relatively stable in comparison to other Oakland areas), & friendly neighbors, they each have lots of parks & great schools (national test scores are comparatively high); great shopping & restaurants, & all are short commute distances to pretty much anywhere in the East Bay (20-30 minutes to most locations).

There is also ample public transportation (train stations, & buses). When you're ready to start looking you should call Shaun Martin. She was recommended to me, & I've had the pleasure of recently working with her. She's a Realtor who specializes in Oakland neighborhoods. She's very knowledgeable & extremely accessable. Her office # is 510 531-7000 ext. 240 Good luck!
Welcome to Oakland!

I highly recommend Ruth Goldstone as a realtor who really knows her stuff. Her number at Marvin Gardens is: 510-527-2700 x41 In my experience, Ruth is responsive to individual tastes and needs and has a good sense of neighborhood, including what neighborhoods are affordable given what a client can/wants to spend. She also has a great grip on the many details associated with buying houses (is also a great explainer of what things mean) and generally has a great bedside manner. At the same time she knows the market on a business level and is a great advocate. She is at Marvin Gardens on Solano (but has much Oakland experience). Again, 510-527-2700 x41
Alissa

Well, the obvious neighborhoods are the ''nice'' ones such as Rockridge and anything with ''Heights'' or similar in the name. The advantages of these are decent to good public schools due to family involvement and donations. The downside is that these are expensive. Slightly less expensive than lower Rockridge (but probably not for long) is Temescal. I lived in Temescal 5 years ago and it has changed/improved quite a bit. Downside to that is most of the houses are smallish bungalows. I would thus like to recommend West Oakland, where I live now. Disadvantages: Schools not so hot, drug and crime activity. But actually it is not so bad. Advantages: houses cheaper, big houses, big yards. It's really block by block so do your due diligence.

''Dogtown'' west of Adeline and north of West Grand is close to Emeryville and pretty nice. There are also some really nice old Victorians in ''Lower Bottoms'' west of Mandela Parkway. Just come drive around--there are lots of houses for sale.
West Oakland Mama

I am a broker with 28 years of experience working in the Oakland/Berkeley area. I've sold homes for several members of the BPN Network. Feel free to get acquainted with me through my website www.berkeleyhome.com, or call me for an interview. Tim Cannon, BerkeleyHome Real Estate 510 527-5500 berkeleyhome[at]aol.com

Call Dave Higgins at 510-595-7699. He is an amazing realtor who works with his business partner and wife, Carla. They have two young children and live in Oakland. They are very knowledgeable about all of the neighborhoods in Oakland, about the housing market, and real estate in general. We have bought and sold a couple of houses with them and the process has been so smooth. I recommend Dave and Carla VERY highly. Do not hesitate to call. They have a very comprehensive website- www.daveandcarla.com
Molly

The Montclair area is wonderful, often described as a Tahoe-like setting. Lots of trees in the hills. However, there's not a really easy way for kids to meet and play, unless you drive them. There's a small ''downtown'' or ''village'' where people go to meet. It's very safe and has a low crime rate. Schools are the best in Oakland.

I recommend Linda Andersen as a real estate agent. Her number is 292-8704, with Keller & Williams
Signed: Linda F.

we moved to a neighborhood right off of piedmont avenue and love it. we worked with maison nouveau, it's the only way to go, they don't require the full 3% and give 1% back to you to up your offer or apply towards closing costs. really helpful!
juli

Without knowing a price range and other criteria, your question is difficult to answer. Of course the most ''desirable'' areas are the most expensive. Though there are many ''hidden gems'', too. We live in Rockridge - ''upper'' as the part above Broadway is typically called (though that is really where the Rockridge subdivision is if anyone cares about the accuracy of the designation). Anyway, we LOVE it here and couldn't imagine any other location. The proximity to freeways, shopping, weather, the demographic, everything. The other neighborhoods with similar charateristics (and, thus, similar prices), are Montclair and Crocker Highlands. We never really considered Montclair as we liked the more ''neighborhoody'' feel of Rockridge and Crocker Highlands. We ultimately decided on Rockridge as we decided we wanted a new (aka fire re-build) house. If any of these three neighborhoods appeal to you, we loved our agent - Dee Knowland at Pacific Union. She knows EVERYONE and therefore knows what the ''word'' is on the houses and market. She is also practical and honest - if we walked into a house and it was awful, she'd say it before we did. Not that she wouldn't help to visualize what ''could be'', but, if it had irrepairable issues - like road noise, busy street, etc., she acknowledged it and wouldn't try to gloss it over. She is definitely an ''up-market'' agent - not a ''I won't touch anything-but-Piedmont'' person (like a couple of agents we talked to before meeting Dee), but, I wouldn't recommend her for anything below College Avenue or south of Park Blvd.

As far as the market goes, from what we can see in our neighborhood, things have slowed considerably. But, high-quality, well-designed houses that are decently priced still move in a couple of weeks (versus days a year ago). Houses that are odd floor plans/designs and/or overpriced are just sitting there. And, even well-priced houses on the high-end (over $2 million in upper-Rockridge) seem to be sitting for some time (still selling - though below asking). So, from the perspective of a year or two ago, it is a buyers market now.
Love Rockridge

My friend Jodi Nishimura is a trustworthy, friendly and honest agent that will help you to buy or sell your property as if it were hers. She is a former teacher and a North Oakland resident, and she knows the market: she is very familiar with Oakland and Berkeley neighborhoods and schools. In addition, she is a great listener and she really cares about doing good work. Jodi works at Marvin Gardens on Solano Ave. and you can contact her at jodi[at]eastbayabode.com or 510.459.0471. Cristina

I highly recommend Maison Nouveau in Berkeley in College Ave. Although we were looking and bought a place in Berkeley, they are also very familiar with Oakland. We used their services over 3 years ago, I think we were one of their first clients. We couldn't have been happier with them. We worked mainly with Heather Sittig, but her entire staff is great. She helped us find and make an appropriate offer on the type of house we always wanted, and didn't waste our time with anything above our max price. We bought an entry-level 2br/1ba and we were treated as well as I would expect someone who was buying a $1MM home at full commission would be treated. To this day, I think that the extra 1% boost to our offer won us the house against multiple other bidders (Maison Nouvea offers to charge only 2% instead of the typical 3% commission, as a buyer you can apply the extra 1% to your offer to give it a little boost- see their website for a full explanation) Their website is http://maisonnouveau.com/ and their phone number is 510-849 -9900
Happy house hunting - Susie

I was fascinated to read the recommendations about the best places to live with kids in Oakland -- but I didn't notice anyone recommending Oakmore. When we were looking for a house 15 years ago we looked at Rockridge, Montclair, Redwood Heights... but wound up in Oakmore, and it's been a great place to have our children grow up. Oakmore is below hwy 13 off Park Blvd., above the Glenview neighborhood (which is also good for kids, with really active parents in Glenview Elementary).

Oakmore has better access to freeways and AC transit than most parts of Montclair, but uses Montclair schools (Joaquin Miller, Montera, Skyline) and especially on the ''bay side'' of the hill is a quiet neighborhood with great walks, stunning views, easy access to the trails in Dimond Park, good neighborhood store, friendly feeling.

And though the state of Oakland public schools is uncertain under state control, Skyline High is a great educational experience for many, many kids, has high-profile programs in arts, sports, and AP, and sends many well-scholarshipped students to prestigious colleges every year.
Kathy

Crocker Highlands

September 2004

I am just looking for information on the area. My family and I are planning to move and have liked the location of Crocker Highlands. We know little about the elementry school and are wondering what people do for middle and high school since the Oakland school district is not very good. We would love to hear other people's opinions and recommendations. Thanks! Kelly

We really love living in the Crocker Highlands neighborhood. Great people, nicely diverse and friendly. The Lakeshore area is nice. Our kids just started Kindergarten at Crocker Elementary, and so far we are all enjoying it!

The ''what to do about Middle and High School'' question is the big one. Edna Brewer middle school is on the upswing, but it's still not that great today. We're planning to give it careful consideration in 5-6 years when our kids are getting to that age, but I do know many people in the neighborhood today that go to private middle and high schools. So we may end up doing that as well, but really it just depends on what we think is best for our individual kids. Mike

I have lived in Crocker Highlands for almost 14 years now. I have one child at the elementary school (which is a great school, but there are probably plenty of postings in the archives on that, so I won't go on) and another in preschool nearby. We too wonder what we will do after the 5th grade. When we first bought our house, we thought it would be one to fix up and then we'd move on. Yeah, right. Not with real estae like it is. So there are four of us in a 2 bedroom house. But we do OK and we have a FABULOUS neighborhood. Lots of kids, we all hang out together and know each other, and lots of the kids go to the public school.

There is a push to have Crocker kids go to Edna Brewer the public middle school, and by the time we get to the point of making that decision, it may be much improved.

Overall its a great neighborhood and we love it here, which is why we have stayed so long (versus bailing to the 'burbs). But the schools issue is a big one, especially if you are buying into a huge property tax bill! Hilary

Hi, I have seen some other recommendations for Realtors in the East Bay and I wanted to recommend Beth DeAtley at Wells & Bennett. She is professional, honest and not pushy at all. She knows the area so well and she really knows the business! She helped us find a great home in Oakland with out pressuring us at all! jm

Glenview

October 2004

I'm so excited to be moving in the VERY near future to Glenview, but I don't know much about the area. I'm sure we'll discover many things on our own, but I'd be interested in having a good head start when we get there. Specifically parks/playgrounds. Hoping for one nearby the house, although the drive-by I did the other day didn't reveal one to me. We'll be living somewhat near the Glenview elementary school, but are there playgrounds nearby that toddlers can use during the weekdays? Other recommendations for services in the neighborhood are also sought (dry cleaners, coffee shops, cafes, shopping, family activities, etc) Thanks!
-New Glenview Neighbor!

There is a wonderful toddler playground in Dimond Park, just south of where El Centro crosses the park. Check it out! Evette

Glenview has Dimond Park, an easy walk from most places in the neighborhood. Park Blvd has most of the shopping that you can walk to, and you'll discover pretty quickly which restaurants you like. Compadres on the corner is Mexican, and I'd say it's convenient and not bad but not outstanding. Purple Plum is good if a little pricey, and Blackberry is pretty popular for breakfast. There's also a coffee place. Fruitvale neighborhood also has a number of stores you might go to, and some restaurants--there's a burrito place on Macarther. Also a library on Fruitvale itself, which you can get to by walking through the park also. Other todder areas are Montclair Park, on Mountain Blvd near the Montclair shopping area. And there are loads of young families around.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of responses. . . but DIMOND PARK is right in your new neighborhood. We have used it for almost daily toddler play, potlucks, swimming lessons, and birthday parties. Its fabulous. Also, the East Bay Dance Center has recently relocated to the neighborhood with everything from pre- ballet to hip hop. Enjoy! Debbie

I am sure you'll get lots of responses from Glenview residents. Here's my 2 cents:

I have lived in Glenview for about 4 years and moved there from SF. At first we rented, then bought a house about 2 years ago. We live right in front of Glenview Elementary. My husband and I love living in Glenview. It has so much to offer for the kids (ours are 2 and 4) and is a great community. We know most of our neighbors and there is a really nice community feeling. We talk alot about relocating (due to economy, etc) but if it actually happened, we would be so sad to leave our great neighborhood.

Here are some of our favorite things in/around Glenview:
1 - Dimond Park. This park is walking distance of Glenview Elementary, so if you are moving near there you will be close by. (It is at the end of Wellington St.). They have a couple play areas, tennis courts and a nice pool for summertime. They have a great recreation sched. for kids. Birrel, the guy who runs everything, is awesome with the kids.
2 - Dimond Branch Library on Fruitvale - They have story time for kids/families on Tues. nights and again during the day (don't know which day). Sometimes they have performances like puppet shows, etc for kids.
3 - Ultimate Grounds Cafe - it is walkable, has good coffee, nice staff, and is a nice place to hang out with or without the kids. They also serve ice cream.
4 - There is a dance studio on Park Blvd that used to be the Glenview Performing Arts center. They have dance classes for kids, etc. My daughter took ballet there before the change of ownership (some of the same teachers are there) and she loved it.
5 - Park Blvd. Yoga - it is great to be able to walk to a yoga class.
6 - Farmer Joe's - On McArthur and 35th I think. Its like Berkeley Bowl but smaller and without the massive crowds and horrid parking. They have tons of great organic produce and bulk foods. Rumor has it that they are opening an even bigger location on Fruitvale where ''Crazy Johns'' is right now.

I love Glenview because it has all these amenities within walking distance from our house, and the people that I have come to know as my neighbors are all wonderful and friendly (not to sound like a Stepford wife - but they are really nice!). As a result, I am not missing SF so much anymore ;-)
happy Glenview mom

welcome to Glenview! I'm a big fan of Oakland and especially Glenview, having been here 6 years. Dimond Park is very close to the elementary school, right down Wellington, and has baby swings, a climbing structure, sand, grass, and an outdoor pool. My daughter went 3 days a week with her nanny from age 5 months to 2 years. She loved it! There's a great coffee shop right on Park Blvd, and 2 fabulous restaurants (Blackberry Bistro & Purple Plum) I use a dry cleaner up in Montclair (had a bad experience with the one on Park, near the middle school). FemiNails on Park is great for mani/pedi. Enjoy!
Amy

We just moved to Glenview/Oakmore in August but have been delighted with the neighborhood. As for parks, we take our 2 year old and 1 month old to the Montclair Playground/Rec Center on Moraga and to Dimond Park Playground/Rec center. Both are equally close to us and have been fun and safe places to play. Both rec centers have great classes for kids. Our daughter especially loves Miss Marilyn's ballet/tap classs at the Montclair Rec Center. As for other neighborhood recommendations, the food at the Blackberry Bistro and Pastino's (both on Park) is very good. The folks at the Hardware store onPark are very helpful with recommendations for craftspeople/handymen/servicemen of all types although the gardener we got from them was a flake. The East Bay Dance Center on Glenfeild also has great classes for kids 3 and up. Hope this helps.
Lynn

Welcome to the neighborhood. Dimond Park is the closest to you and has great climbing structures, swings, even a creek for toddler and kid exploration - great swim programs for toddlers and kids during summer months, and year round swimming for adults. The Purple Plum is a great sort-of-upscale restaurant, Pastino's has good pizza and pasta for a casual night out (or take-out), the Blackberry Bistro or Diggery Inn are good for breakfast. Femi Macus gives great manicure/pedicures at reasonable prices. And, the Oak Hill Cleaner is good, too. Don't forget that Montclair's right up the street - good park there, too - and great restaurants and shops.

Welcome to Glenview! I'm sure you will love it as we do. There is a great park very closeby, Dimond Park, with two playgrounds, lots of grass, a creek, a pool, tennis courts, etc. It is just a few blocks from the elementary school... the easiest access is down at the bottom of Wellington. Also, there is a Glenview neighborhood email listserve (much like Berkeley Parents Network) that you should join to get all sorts of local news, announcements and also to post requests for recommendations. You can join through Yahoo Groups at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/glenfriends/
Roxanne

Feb 2003

Re: Seeking a friendly neighborhood w/kids
We have been living in the Glenview area of Oakland for 3 years now and really love it. There are lots of small children around us for our 3-year old daughter to play with, and for the first time in my life, I can say that I know and am friendly with all my immediate neighbors. There is a very strong sense of community in Glenview.

Within walking distance, we have a great park(Dimond) with activities for kids and a pool, as well as a small commerce area (Park Blvd.) which has a neighborhood market, a cafe, and couple of restaurants. I sometimes see rentals available in the neighborhood. For more info on the area, you can check out the Glenview Neighborhood's Association website at http://www.glenviewneighborhood.org Angelica

My sister lives in the Glenview area of Oakland and her street (Randolph Ave) is very neighborhoody - in fact, I take my son over there almost every weekend as he has so much fun with all the kids playing outside. I have noticed this on some other blocks in the area, so you might want to check it out. anon

Grand Lake

June 2006

we are moving to the grand lake area of oakland. i have a 5 month old son and was wondering if there are any moms and babies groups out there and/or recommendations in terms of family life (parks, activities, etc.) i am moving from bernal heights where i attend a weekly moms and babies group. i would love to become part of a new group and don't know much about this area. i would also love to start networking with people in the oakland community since it is very new to me. any feedback is greatly appreciated. thanks for your time. stephanie

i live in the grand/lake area and have a 10 month old son. we love the area. you are welcome to contact me for a walk or play date. welcome to oakland liz

Jack London Square

July 2003

My wife and I and our 21-month-old son are moving to Oakland from our beloved New York City in a couple of months. We are planning on buying a place that we really like in the Jack London Square area. We are concerned, however, about resources in that neighborhood for families. Does anyone living near there have any info on nearby playgrounds, children's clothing stores (other than babygap!) or food markets (we have heard about the Sunday farmer's market)? What is the best takeout? Good record stores or independent bookstores? Any advice or perceptions are appreciated. Greg

I would not personally locate my family in the Jack London Square area. It is very retail/tourist oriented, not much -- if any -- of a residential community, and adjacent to some unsafe areas. In fact, there are only a few blocks where I would feel comfortable walking around at night, particularly with a small child (and I grew up in Manhattan).

There are some lovely parts of Oakland that are great for families -- resources, kids, convenient to transportation, etc. Rockridge, Montclair, Glenview, Piedmont, some parts of the Lake Merritt area, some parts of North Oakland, to name a few. I particularly like Rockridge a great deal, but I would consider any of the above before the JL Square area. Dan

we live in a different part of Oakland with our 22-month old daughter, who was born in NYC. you will probably have to travel a bit, but not far, for great places to play, shop, etc. I bet your son would love MOCHA - art studio for toddlers - in downtown Oakland. anyway, feel free to email me then I can send you my number and we can talk about all the great things to do out here. you're going to love the weather when you discovery that you can take your toddler out pretty much every day. best of luck with your move. miss_ioana

Welcome to Jack London Square (soon)! It's a good urban neighborhood that's getting better, and you'll find many things to remind you of NYC (my husband is from Manhattan and we own a loft largely because he always wanted one while growing up). We've lived here 4 years and watched the place change (and property values increase) a lot.

We have a 16 month old daughter and we're starting to see a few other strollers (which can be challenging with the lack of sidewalks), so it can be done. It's not really a family- friendly environment, though, aside from the Square itself and the Sunday Farmer's Market. The nearest green spaces are the field next to the Ferry dock in the Square and the Estuary Park soccer field, but for playgrounds we go to Lake Merritt and Piedmont Park.

The Square has a lot of chain restaurants, we get the pizza special as takeout from Pizzeria Unos and occasionally Hahn's Hibachi, but pretty much avoid the rest. There's a nice Chilean restaurant named Chalaca on Broadway that is family-friendly. The best BBQ is from Everett & Jones, Vietnamese from Le Cheval (family-friendly), vegan from New World Vegetarian. There are a ton of little Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean places just blocks away in Chinatown. We drive to Grand Avenue and Lakeshore for Thai, a great brunch and dinner place called Meze (family- friendly) hot dogs, burritos and Noah's bagels. We used to go there all the time because the closest Blockbusters is on Lakeshore, but now we're happy Netflicks customers.

Shopping is kind of hit and miss, the closest pharmacy (Long's) and regular grocery store (Albertson's) are in Alameda (about 5 minutes through the tunnel), but there's a commercial grocery outlet on Oak for emergencies (you did need a quart of half & half, right?). We get our food/diapers/etc. from a mix of Sunday Farmer's Market, Albertson's, the JLS BevMo & Cost Plus, and Costco (San Leandro), and do our other shopping in Rockridge, Piedmont and Berkeley.

For the yuppie essentials, we go to College Ave. in Rockridge (Market Hall, lots of cool stores and restaurants...and the twin Meccas of parents: Cotton & Company and Rockridge Kids), and 4th Street in Berkeley (Pasta Shop, Hear Music, Builder's Booksource, Crate & Barrel outlet, lots of other great stores, Bette's and...Cody's!)

Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions, and let us know when you're coming so we can introduce you to the neighborhood.

Jenna

I don't live in the Jack London Square area but I'm pretty knowledgeable about East Bay communities and real estate ever since my wife and I bought a home in the Berkeley hills area 1 year ago. It's become sort of a hobby for me--to follow how various neighborhoods are developing and changing in the Bay Area. Anyway, being from NYC myself, I can see why Jack London Square Area would be appealling. I believe this area is the closest thing in the East Bay to Soho/downtown NYC and there is a lot of potential both in terms of quality of life and real estate value. However, it is still ''an up and coming neighborhood'' without many of the conveniences you seem to want. I think it will take another 2-3 years before a critical mass of nice independent stores open in that area. The closest neighborhood with a nice commercial district is the Piedmont St area, a 5-10 min drive. That being said, if I were 5 years younger and without a newborn, I would strongly consider buying in Jack London myself. I would also strongly consider new condo's and lofts just opening in Emeryville or areas in West Berkeley around 4th St. in Berkeley. The latter area especially may have more of the commercial areas you are looking for, but any area of Berkeley will be at least 10-20% more expensive than Jack London Square. Another thing to consider about Jack London Square is that an active train track run right through the neighborhood and I believe very noisy trains run at various hours of the evening. sfnewyorker

I do not live in the Jack London Square neighborhood, but I have work there for the past 4 years(and I was born and raised in NYC). We sure considered living there as I was originally attracted to the kind of funky, under-developed desolate atmosphere. There isn't a lot going on down there yet. Very limited basic services -- I don't think Chinatown is going to do it for you. I surveyed several day cares in the area and was not impressed. Not really the right kind of open space for a child. I advise that you look elsewhere (Lake Merritt). Leslie

I really disagree with the folks who said they didn't think that JLS was a good place for family.

Yes, Piedmont is a more family-oriented place, but if you want diversity and urban energy, JLS is a great place to live. There are a lot of families raising our children here and none of us feel that we are doing so in an unsafe or inappropriate environment.

We frequently walk the estuary promenade with our toddler (and many neighbors) to watch the sunset over San Francisco and never feel unsafe when we do so.

We also walk home from BART late at night and not once in 4 years, even when it was a much less gentrified area, even when I've walked home alone (and I'm not a large person) I have never had a problem.

People park expensive cars on the street (with luxury lofts going for $600-800k+, we see a lot of Mercedes, BMWs and Landrovers), and yet they survive the night with windows and contents intact.

I mentioned your post to my neighbor last night and she said ''Did you tell him about Bed Bath and Beyond? MOCHA? (the museum of children's art) Or the kid's specials at the Old Spaghetti Factory? Or the nice firemen at the station who let kids climb on their trucks? And the trains?''

(Our kid loves watching the trains, which indeed can be loud when close up. It took about a week to stop noticing the occasional horn. Now I find it sort of comforting, like foghorns, but while we live barely a block away from the station, we don't face the tracks. Our neighbors who do say it isn't a problem, but they don't have a napping toddler, either.)

I suspect that the people who think there isn't much residential here haven't visited since Mayor Brown (who lives around the corner from me) incented so many developers to site their buildings here.

In the last 2 years, we've seen over a thousand new residents (of a wonderful variety of genders and economic, racial, ethnic, and educational backgrounds) fill the new Allegro buildings, and several new loft developments are complete (New Market lofts in the old Safeway building, the Phoenix lofts, and the massive new Sierra Lofts building where a friend of ours bought recently come immedately to mind) with several more on the way.

Every warehouse owner has had multiple offers to sell their buildings for loft developments, and many have succumbed. So many so that 2 years ago we did a lot of work to get the district designated a historical district to make sure we don't lose the character of the area entirely.

As a member of the Jack London Square Neighborhood Association, I know that we have so many new residents and businesses that we've established a Parking Committee to develop a plan for dealing with all of the cars.

The days when we were funky and desolate have taken on the glow of nostalgia as many of the artists are being pushed out by higher rents (except for Squeak Carnwrath, who owns her building), and we reminisce about the good old days when there wasn't even decent coffee in the area. If it is a measure of services, we now have at least SIX espresso places within a five minute walk of our loft.

It would be great to walk to a store like the Pasta Shop, and the Port (the major landlord in the area) has been talking to Andronico's about putting a grocery store here.

So, yes, we don't have a playground, and some blocks don't have sidewalks. But we are very happy here, and feel very comfortable here. I don't think many of the posters who had negative things to say about the area have lived here, so they don't know how great it is.

I do live here, I'm raising my fabulous kid safely here and I love the area. Even the local elementary school (Lincoln) gets good scores and I'm hoping my daughter will pick up some Chinese.
Jenna, defending my 'hood

We lived in the JLS neighborhood until about 8 months ago when our baby was born. Mostly we moved because the space we had was too much of a hassle to live in with a baby. We loved it when we were child-free... Great places to eat(albeit a lot of chains), good clubs, music and a fun urban vibe.

When we had our baby a bunch of things came up that we couldn't have predicted. For example: We lived in a no-elevator building on the second floor. Getting the stroller up there was a total hassle, so we left it at the bottom of the stairs. Which meant that we had to drag everything downstairs to the stroller. And then it got stolen from there, which really bummed us.

Then there was the laundry problem. We didn't have a washer and dryer in our apartment. No big deal when you don't have kids, but a big huge deal when you do. We never found a convenient laundromat, but perhaps we just weren't creative enough.

Grocery shopping was another huge hassle. We always ended up driving to Alameda to go grocery shopping, which when you are a one car family is a pain in the neck. We never found a ''walk to'' place that had things like milk and diapers. We got some delivery from Safeway.com, so I guess if you were a much better planner than I apparently am, you'd be OK.

Then the incident that ended up making me feel unsafe: We were walking outside, at around 9:15 with our baby and there was a big fight in front of one of the clubs, and we saw guns being brandished. I know that happens everywhere, but it happened to us here, so it made me really uncomfortable about the neighborhood.

We also never found good daycare in our neighborhood, so we ended up driving across town for childcare, which wasn't my favorite thing to do.

The good things: Barnes and Noble has a great place for crawling babies to crawl around in, neighbors were always very friendly, the farmer's market was a ton of fun, we loved walking by the water.

I think, though, if you had a lot more money than we did it might be great. We live in Temescal now, and it's working a lot better for us.

Good Luck in your decision. Anon

Maxwell Park

Feb 2006

I'm interested in any comments or general information regarding the Maxwell Park neighborhood of Oakland. My husband, young child and I are looking to buy our first home, and so far like what we see in the neighborhood. It seems to be in our price range and it has a very nice homey feel to it. We're kind of new to the bay area, so I'd be interested to hear any comments about the area from families that live there. Some questions I have: How is Maxwell Park Elementary - I know test scores do not tell all, but they are pretty low. If you live there, are you planning or do you send your child there, and if not, where do they go? How is crime in the area? Do you feel owning a home there is a good investment financially? Is there a shopping district/street close by that you enjoy?

Sorry if these questions seem pretty basic, we have just ''discovered'' this area for ourselves and have little prior knowledge of it. However I get a great vibe from it and it looks like a nice place to call home. Thanks for any advice.
first time homebuyer

There is a new principal at Maxwell Park Elementary this year. He was formerly my son's teacher at Kaiser Elementary and boy were we sad to lose this rising young star. I've heard he's doing great things as principal at MPE. public school mom

A couple of my best friends bought a house a year and a half ago in Maxwell Park. I live about a mile away, up the hill above the Laurel District in Redwood Heights. I've spent a lot of time at their house in Maxwell Park, at various hours, and also pet sit their dogs, so I've been dragged around the streets by a leash and have seen a lot of the neighborhood that way.

Pros of Maxwell Park: Houses are mostly kept up, streets are tree-lined and pretty, and aside from the usual break- in/burglary type crimes that can happen anywhere, it seems quite safe. People come from diverse backgrounds and age groups, and most neighbors are friendly. In Maxwell Park you are also in relatively easy walking distance to the Laurel District shopping area on/around Macarthur Blvd, which includes Farmer Joe's (a nice ''healthy type'' grocery store), an Ace hardware, 1-2 banks, a post office, and a pharmacy. There aren't a lot of great restaurants that deliver, but alas, that seems to be the norm around Oakland.

It's a great place for my friends, who have no kids. But the deal breaker for me, the mom of a toddler, is that the test scores for the public schools in Maxwell Park are very low. That's why I'm in Redwood Heights, where house values are slightly higher, but the elementary school has quite a good reputation and very high test scores by comparison. So, if a good public school is a priority, you might consider looking up the hill in Redwood Heights.
Erin in Oakland

i lived in maxwell park for 10-15 years, just moved out about 2 years ago. all i have to say is the rich people are buying up a lot of homes in this what used to be mainly working class neighborhood. the area is quiet but there are a lot of drug dealers. (mostly on high st.) the elementary school is one of the worst in oakland. my kids went elsewhere. also in my opinion the housing is over priced. we bought a house off madera 10 years ago, 3 bedroom beautiful yard etc. for 125,000! the same house today is going for over 550,000! i don't think it's fair and esp. when you could move to Berkeley or Montclair and just spend a little bit more money and have a decent neighborhood. The only good thing about Maxwell park in my opinion is the regular folks that live there. not the new people moving in. Traffic is terrible as well. please think about it before you sign that lease. you could always rent for a year to get a better fell for the neighborhood. it's not very expensive. compared to buying. good luck. Annie

July 2003

We would like to buy a home in the Maxwell Park area of Oakland and are searching for some information such as- safety issues, parents groups (and play groups), schools (do your children go to neighborhood schools/private schools?), doing errands (where do you do grocery shopping- specifically good produce, meat, fish), any other useful information about the neighborhood. Thank you. Hope to join the neighborhood!

i lived Near Maxwell Park, and though I found nice neighbors, and some lovely resources nearby (i.e. farmer joe's at 35th st., Food Mill, the libraries at 45th and in Fruitvale etc) there were a couple of things that made it feel very hard to live there for me. I found the area excessively noisy -- with boom-box car radios, cars doing donuts in the streets day and night, lots of shouting pedestrians, a loud motorized scooter, loud music blaring from houses, barking dogs etc. Loud noise was a constant.

There was a fair amount of drug dealing nearby, with gangs fighting over the turf. While i generally felt comfortable inside the house, and going to my car, it was uncomfortable to be out after dark.

so if i were thinking of moving to MP, i'd check it out very carefully before hand to see if these or other problems are in the community, or surround the community -- and if so how closely. anon

Welcome (almost) to Maxwell Park! We have lived here for 2.5 years. As you probably know this is an ''up and coming'' neighborhood near Mills College, an affordable outpost in the East Bay with cute bungalow-style houses. You will be in good company, there are tons of families with small kids moving in. Regarding safety, I have not felt less (or more) safe here than other places we have lived in the Bay Area. Neither we nor our neighbors has ever been robbed, that I know of. This community is very diverse in all ways. There are many young families moving in, and also many older folks. The local schools are not good. Our child is not yet school age, but we plan to either go for an interdistrict transfer to Redwood Heights, or possibly do private schools. Maxwell Park itself is decent, but we tend to drive to Jordan Park or other Oakland parks. We also walk or drive to Mills a lot, it is very close and has a wonderful park- like campus and pool. They also have a great preschool. There are several good preschool options in the area. The biggest down side to the neighborhood to me is that we end up driving for most of our errands. For groceries we go to Farmer Joe's at MacArthur and 35th--a GREAT little market. There is also an Albertson's near there, video rental, etc. For dining, shopping, etc. we drive 10 minutes up 580 to Lakeshore or College. We do have a parent's group that gets together once a month for a casual dinner; we also see each other around the neighborhood and have formed friendships. Let us know when you land here and we'll tell you about our next gathering. Maxwell Park Parent

I live in Maxwell Park, and absolutely LOVE it (we've been here for over 2 years)! There really aren't any safety issues, depending on where you are looking. I'd be happy to discuss with you what are generally good areas and not--in the lower part of Maxwell Park, or closer to High Street, are a little rougher, but I've not heard of anyone having major problems here.

We usually do our shopping in Redwood Heights, or Montclair, just because the grocery stores are a little nicer. There is a great place on 35th/MacArthur called ''Joe's Market'' which is a nice little organic store.

We don't belong to any play groups, but would be happy to join in on one, if I knew it existed.

If you want to talk further, I'd be happy to, just shoot me an email.

Good Luck! And hope to see you in the neighborhood.... Denise

I used to live in Maxwell Park and really liked it. The best thing is that it's diverse and very friendly. You get to know your neighbors and kids actually play outside. I never had a safety problem- the only area I would avoid is right near Foothill Blvd.

You can get great produce (including organic), fish and meat at Farmer Joe's market, just 5 minutes away at 35th Ave and MacArthur. It's very popular (but not too busy), and the owner and workers are very friendly and get to know you. Also, a certified Farmers Market just started near Mills College/MacArthur Blvd- fresh regular and organic produce- I hear it's very popular.

Finally, it's wonderful to be near Mills College. It's a beautiful campus to ride your bikes, and you can swim in their fabulous pool at specific times for a pretty reasonable cost. Mills also has free and low cost student, faculty and guest concerts (mostly classical) and plays. It was great not to have to travel far to attend a good concert/play. Diane

Maxwell Park is a friendly neighborhood where people wave to one another and strike up conversations with new faces, where neighbors bring each other Christmas gifts, and share fruit from their trees. Halloween has a real community feel because most everyone participates in the fun.

On weekends people are outside taking care of their front yards, washing cars, etc. One thing I like is how most homes do not have fences built around them and that gives a open and welcoming feel to the houses and streets, and makes walking around more enjoyable.

The most surprising part of moving here was realizing how close Maxewell Park is to everything; 5 min. from Lincoln Square (Safeway, Citibank, Chevron), 10 min. from Piedmont/Montclair, 15 min. from Berkeley, and 5 min. from the Oakland Zoo, as well as easy access to 580 and 13. There is a Farmer's Market that is open every Saturday within walking distance.

The neighborhood is established with families that have lived here for 20-50 years, but new families with young children are moving in too. Our children won't be ready for kindergarten for a while, but for now we are planning on putting them in private schools. If you are friendly family and enjoy friendly neighbors, Maxwell Park might be the place for you.

a happy home owner

We live in Maxwell Park and have been here for a little over a year. We are about to move because we are buying a house. Overall we like Maxwell Park-its fairly centrally located, there are services on MacArthur (Farmer Joe's, Food Mill, Post Office, Dry Cleaners, the Full Stop Cafe, etc.), there are a lot of cute houses and the neighborhood is friendly. However, there aspects to the neighborhood that are not kid friendly. For example, we live on a nice street in a nice house and there is open drug dealing going on almost every day. Cars drive VERY fast, to the point that walking through the neighborhood can be a little scary. In addition, there are very loud speakers in many of the cars, many of those motorized scooters and ATVs that rip through the neighborhood. If you had kids that needed to take naps, it would be difficult. More and more families are moving into the neighborhood, and I think over time the place may change. However, for now, I would still call it somewhat borderline for family living. However, if you find a house that is on a more secluded street, up off of the street, with a back yard for kids to play, it would probably be just fine! Just some things to keep in mind as you look for the right place. Good Luck!! Departing Maxwell Parker

The activity described by one person/poster who used to live in Maxwell Park sounds like what established neighbors remember going on about 10 years ago, not now. The area has changed quite a bit. New families have moved in, contractors are renovating bungalows, and the resale value of houses seems to reflect the desirability and charm of this neighborhood.

We love it here. I walk the hills 3-4 times a week with a friend in the spring/summer, often after 8 p.m. and have never felt like I was in danger. It's been a fun way to meet the people who live here. I haven't experienced excessive loudness (other than on July 4), gangs, or anything that resembles it. Actually, for the first few months after we moved in I kept commenting to my husband how quiet it was at night. Of course, the best way to learn about a neighborhood is to walk around and ask the people who live here. angela

Redwood Heights

October 2006

Re: Kid friendly neighborhoods in the East Bay We love our neighborhood, Redwood Heights in the Oakland foothills. It's crawling with kids; has a real community feel; lovely '20s- through '50s-era homes; a great neighborhood elementary school (Redwood Heights Elementary); a well-used Rec Center with lots of interesting kid and adult programs; a wonderful park and playground; friendly, involved residents; well-tended gardens; mostly flat streets with sidewalks for bike riding and scootering; etc.

(In fact, when we outgrew our small starter house last year, we purchased a larger house just a few blocks away so that we could stay in the neighborhood, where our kids have lots of friends and where we really feel like a part of the community.)

Demographically, it's somewhat ethnically diverse, with mostly middle- and upper-middle class residents (it's definitely been skewing more upper-middle class as home prices have tripled in the last 8 years or so; most houses now sell in the high $600K to low $800K range). Among the newer residents with kids (who are quickly replacing older residents who moved in decades ago and stayed), I'd say that most are white-collar professionals, with scientists, medical professionals, and educators making up pretty significant subgroups, plus a smattering of writers and artists. A lot of people here are Cal alumni.

There's an active neighborhood organization with a softball team, a baby-todder mom's group, block emergency captains, etc., and a really involved community at the elementary school as well.

This being Oakland, it's fairly progressive politically and socially. There are lots of two-mom families, a fair number of MoveOn members and Green-party voters, etc. There is the occasional property crime (car break-ins and home burglaries every once in awhile) -- as there is everywhere -- but all in all the neighborhood is extremely safe. It's just a comfortable, open, and welcoming place to live -- maybe a bit suburban in feel but also close to all the urban stuff that Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco (you can be in downtown SF in 20 minutes, barring rush hours) have to offer.

Anyway, come on over and check it out! Leah

Jan 2003

Re: Looking for family-friendly multi-racial neighborhood
We live in the Redwood Heights area of Oakland (technically, we're actually Leona Heights). We have a really diverse neighborhood -- not only multiracial but queer-friendly too. Lots of families and kids and a good elementary school. For me, our neighborhood represents the best Oakland has to offer: diversity, good weather, and a family-friendly feeling. You didn't say whether you were looking to rent or buy, but I think there are a few rentals in our neighborhood, although most houses are owner-occupied. Ilana

Sequoyah Hills/Heights

Feb 2005

We are considering moving to the Sequoyah Hills/Heights area (up Keller Avenue, just north of the zoo) but it seems very isolated (no cafes, coffee shops, cool boutiques, or even playgrounds, and it's a huge non-walkable distance to BART) and the public elementary school is Carl B. Munck, which not only didn't meet its goals for improvement, but actually lost ground in test scores last year.

And yet there are multimillion dollar homes on Skyline Drive and lots of nice-looking condos and houses on the well-kept streets. Where do these people eat? Where do they shop? Do they all send their kids to private school? Will a nice yuppie girl go crazy in this weirdly sterile suburb and have to drive to Rockridge or Berkeley every day for her dose of energy and spirit?

I'm sure there are fabulous things there that I'm missing, please tell me if you live there: what do you love about it? (Aside from easy access to the zoo.) And what's up with the spelling of Sequoyah?
Sequoyah Paranoyah?

We've recently moved to Sequoyah Hill from Glenview. Yes, the down side is you can't walk to a cafe but in exchange you get great air, space and quietness. There are trails around there and if you are a true yuppie, there is the country club, which is beautiful. It is not that far to get yourself to College Ave or Montclair. The neighbors are nice and the neighborhood is great. I also teach in Oakland Public Schools and Munk is a very nice school with great teachers, which can not be known by looking at their academic performances. Go visit the school, talk to teachers and observe to get a better idea of the school and its population. And if your child is not of school age, you never know what is going to happen to a school...give it a few years...strong leadership (principal/teachers) and PTA can really change a school. Elaine

I live off of Golf Links Rd near the zoo. We moved from the heart of San Francisco where we walked or took transit everywhere to a completely car-based life. We had to compromise because we could not afford Rockridge or Berkeley or any place that was more urban (but safe). So, three years later, we're still in our little hill retreat.

The low down: we still miss having somewhere to walk to. We don't even have sidewalks. However, we like having our own home and when we look out our window, we see trees and rolling hills as opposed to another house. It feels very private.

Bottom line, you will have to drive, but don't limit yourself to Rockridge. Oakland is a wonderful, diverse city that offers a lot for community and family life. We enjoy going dowtown (we love Ratto's deli). The Keller area where you live is filled with wonderful people (some who also had to compromise the shops and restaurants within walking distance). In a pinch, there is a pizza place nearby and a little shopping center on Redwood Rd. I love my neighbors. In fact, we love our neighbors so much, it will be hard to leave them even if we could afford an overpriced bungalow in Rockridge!

That said, from Keller, you have a few options but they all require driving: Montclair has a few neat shops and restaurants, including the XoX truffles and Montclair Bistro. There's funky shopping in the Fruitvale area, including a really great hardware store. If you drive East, the old part of San Leandro is great for grocery shopping and there is one greek restaurant, Luke's, that serves good solid food, run by a family. We love it (tho, we have to say, San Leandro really needs more restaurants...that are GOOD and not overpriced). There's also a wonderful coffee shop on Bancroft in San Leandro that is filled with people from the neighborhood who visit and linger over coffee.

We also like being close to Nation's (San Leandro) and Sparky's (off of Redwood Rd).

You will not be living the same urban lifestyle. If you move to Keller, welcome to carbased living...but, I wouldn't go so far as to call it the suburbs. It's more like living in Tahoe. It's beyond the suburbs and my philosophy was if you can't live in the city, live in the country.

As for schools, as far as I know there are lot of hits and missses. I'm not familiar with the one you talk about. We're near Grass Valley which is ok. Our baby is only a year so we haven't decided if we'll go private or not, but I do know, most of those hill dwellers in their expensive houses send their kids to private school. Unfortunately, the Oakland Schools are a mess. But, I do have a friend who teaches at kaiser who has given me the lowdown on some schools. We'll have to cross that bridge later.

There are worse fates in life than living in the Oakland Hills.

OH, and we think being close to the zoo is GREAT!
An Oakland Hillbilly

We have lived in the Sequoyah area for 19 years. We absolutely love it. We have the best of both urban and surburban worlds: a wonderful neighborhood of upscale homes, upper-middle class and professional residents, spacious lawns, clean streets, diversity (a very important factor for us), neighbors that get to know each other, peace and quiet, yet only 10-15 minutes away from the city activities, restaurants, bookstores that we absolutely must have for our emotional and intellectual satisfaction. This is a *great* area to raise a family.

It is true that you can't walk to cafes, stores, etc. You must hop into your car for that (the 580 freeway is 1-2 minutes away), but the ride is so short and traffic generally is not bad. What do you get in return? All the above and more. We raised our kids here, the youngest attended private school in Oakland, but the oldest attended Skyline High and did well (UC Berkeley graduate). Bishop O'Dowd High School catholic high school is right down the street and very popular for students of all faiths. Head Royce (grades K-high school) is minutes away.

Yes, we go by car to Berkeley, Lakeshore, Downtown Oakland, Montclair, Piedmont Ave., and right next door San Leandro which has a number of new upscale restaurants and cafes. Really easy trips. But I love coming home to my quiet, serene neighborhood after our stimulating outings. We have close-by hiking and bike paths, and your dog(s) will love the natural settings for walks.Our friends closer to the heart of Oakland and Berkeley love to come and BBQ with us in the summer in our backyard, and the kids play in the cul-de-sac.

Shopping is easy. I stop by Farmer Joe's on the way home (Farmer Joe's on MacArthur and 35th Ave is a legend- family owned small store with great selection of regular and organic food and product). Safeway off Redwood Road is about 8 minutes from my house (take highway 13 from #580). For quick trips we stop at the small Keller Avenue shops around the corner (small grocery store, cleaners, our vet, women's gym) where all the owners know our names.

I would detest living in a non-diverse neighborhood, and surburban living by itself would bore me to death. Sequoyah fits my bill. (By the way, the spelling of Sequoyah is the Native American spelling).
Happy Seqouyah Resident

Saw all the great posts about Sequoyah Hills/Sequoyah Highlands neighborhoods. I have to agree that I absolutely love living here. It is a very safe, beautiful, well-maintained part of Oakland. We were surprised to notice that the Grass Valley school must be one of the least diverse around- check http://www.schools-data.com/schools/Grass-Valley-ES-Oakland.html It is 97% African American. This could be a big plus for you if you are African American, as it is also a pretty decent school, AP base score: 698. Munck, on the other hand is more diverse, with similar pretty good scores. I don't know where you get the idea that it is not a very good school, its AP base score: 670 is reasonable, http://www.schools-data.com/schools/Munck-(Carl-B-)-ES-Oakland.html. Some Oakland schools have AP scores in the 400's. You may be aware that Northern Light school recently moved to the location where St. Paschal's used to be http://www.altrue.net/site/northernlightschool/ I'd reiterate what some others said- this neighborhood is best for happy cocooners, who stay home and cook, enjoying their nice big homes, having big parties (no problem for guests to find parking!). People here are not renting tiny apartments and forced out into cafes in order to have a place to sit with friends- it is just a different lifestyle. And, relatively affordable, compared to similar hills neighborhoods. The person who said homes are priced similarly to the Berkeley Hills is way off, you can get a 3 Bdr home here starting in the $500K range. Way more affordable, and typically newer and better construction than what you find in Berkeley. As for it being a ''weirdly sterile suburb'' all I can say is that if Sequoyah Hills appears this way to you, you may be better off with a fixer on S. San Pablo or Telegraph. Happy Sequoyan

Also recommended: Berkeley Hills

Temescal

Nov 2007

I'm thinking of moving to the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland. West of MLK but just off 40th. Is this a bad idea? Does anyone live there with young children? I would love opinions on raising young children in this neighborhood. Thank you!! Worried Mom

My family and I have been living in Temescal for about 5 years now. I will have to say that where you are describing, 0ff 40th West of MLK is a whole different neighborhood than my neck of the woods, between Broadway and Telegraph. West of MLK is rougher, you know that if you are looking for a house, but do-able.

There's a Yahoo group, TemescalFamilies, which you may want to join. There's a lot of back and forth about crime and safety and neighborhood improvement, but again, it's focused on issues from Telegraph toward Broadway.

If I can lend any piece of advice it's this: buy the house with your eyes wide open. You don't say exactly what your concerns are, but if you're worried about crime, graffiti and the like, things aren't going to change overnight. And the only way they will change is if neighbors get together and make changes happen. I know full well that 10-12 years ago the very street I live on wasn't so great (a friend of mine lived 3 houses down from where I do now), and yet here I am today shocked at how much it costs to buy a house on our street, and it isn't even one of the nice, tree-lined ones. Go figure.

So things get better. But please don't delude yourself into thinking that just because you have to spend $500,000 for a house around here somehow that guarantees anything: safety, privacy, cleanliness or anything else. You're looking in an urban neighborhood and have to expect to find all of urban life, the good and the bad. Good luck love my 'hood

We live in Temescal, but on the west side of Telegraph on 55th, which is more affordable than the east side.(Temescal runs generally from 40th street up to 51st or up to the Berkeley border around 60th, depending on who you talk to or which map you are looking at). Great neighborhood, on the upside of transitional, great shops and parks to walk to,farmer's market every weekend, lots of neighborhood events, friendly to every kind of family. We even have monthly gatherings at the local park to hang out and talk about anything that is going on, good or bad. Less than a mile from BART. We have had our share of the same issues pretty much every neighborhood in the Bay Area has, but the response by the community is heartening. Anyway, I just wanted to put in a plug, because there seems to be a lot of good opportunities in our neighborhood right now to gain some space and get in before you can't anymore. Sigh. Hope this helps! Email me if you want more details or have questions! Samantha

I don't live in the Temescal Neighborhood, but do live in an area that I questioned (read worried about). For awhile the issues that concerned me were no big deal, but over time they bothered me more and more - so much so that I'm trying to move. I think you should live where you feel comfortable, not worried, if at all possible. The key questions to me are what environment do you want for you and your child(ren)? I'd recommend that be the driver for your decision. Good Luck with Your Decision

Temescal is wonderful. Great location, friendly people. I see lots of babies in strollers, but not that many kids on the street. I think many of them are in care/at school most of the day.

If your concern is crime, hey, welcome to Oakland. Crime here is no worse than anywhere else. The edges of Temescal definitely have that urban feel because they are on major traffic arteries, but the inner streets are much more bucolic.

Being a few blocks from Piedmont Avenue is very convenient, in addition to the popular commercial strip on Telegraph. Not far from College Ave. either. You can walk to MacArthur or Rockridge Bart. Local parks = two Frog parks up in Rockridge and Mosswood, which, despite its reputation, is lovely.

Temescal is bike-friendly and has a playground, grass, and basketball court at Emerson Elementary, and a new baseball field will open in the spring at Webster between 45th and 48th. We have Temescal Pool and Studio One art center, now being renovated. There is a very active neighborhood Yahoo group. Families carol around the neighborood in December and play pick up soccer on summer evenings. What more could you want? Never moving

I have a friend who was originally from out of state and knew very little about the Oakland area. She lives west of MLK just several blocks from 40th - She has mentioned incidences that did not make her feel safe at all. She feels uneasy about living in the neighborhood and has had little success in trying to sell the property. She does not have any children - but if she did, I think she would leave the house, rent elsewhere and take the loss. I am not sure what your financial circumstances are or how familiar you are with the East Bay, but I think the North Oakland/South Berkeley area is not really a good place to raise your children. Unless you live in Mayberry, I don't think any neighborhood is perfect, but perhaps you might consider another area in Oakland (east of the 580 - go towards the hill). Good luck to you :) Anon

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