Berkeley Parents Network: Living in Piedmont

Berkeley Parents Network

Living in Piedmont

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

Considering a move to Piedmont
Renting in Piedmont
Is Piedmont culturally and politically diverse?
Moving to Piedmont for the schools
Piedmont Public Schools

Considering a move to Piedmont

June 2006

We are considering moving to Piedmont instead of staying in Oakland and sending our son to private school. We would love to hear some experiences of those living in Piedmont (schools, neighborhoods-mid priced for area, activities for kids) Thanks! Annie

We have lived in Piedmont for nearly 20 years and moved here before we had kids because we happened to find a house we loved here. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of the voters are registed Democrats. We have made many good friends through our children's schools. As my children are progressing in the schools I am finding out that althought the schools seem to be very good for the low and middle ends of the academic spectrum, they are not so good for the upper end. I think that this is almost unavoidable in a small public school district . There are no GATE pull-out programs and little chance for ability grouping until high school. Based on conversations I have had with Piedmont educators and teachers, this is based at least in part on a philosophical committment to keep bright students in the mainstream classrooms as a way of raising the bar for others.

As you can imagine based on housing costs, there is limited ethnic and economic diversity. We have tried to counter this to some degree by having our kids participate in Oakland league sports.

There is also a element of keeping up the Joneses - but it can be ignored - and many people do ignore it! It really is a small town - with both the positives and negatives of that. People know everyone and that can be quite friendly. My personal experience in dealing with the city departments has been quite positive and helpful On the other hand there are families who have lived here for generations and some of them don't like seeing any change in the status quo.

On the whole, we like it very much. We are walking distance of Grand and Piedmont Avenues with access to lots of great reasonable restaurants, movie theaters, etc. The parks are good and the Piedmont Rec dept has good offerings of summer and school year classes for kids. The commute to SF is great with lots of casual carpooling and good bus transit

We moved to Piedmont two years ago, and we have been happy with our decision, even though we miss our home in Berkeley. We live in a lower-to-mid-priced neighborhood in Piedmont, and we have found the people here very welcoming. Within two blocks, there are 17 children aged 5 years and younger, and we are thrilled that our kids will all go to the same school together. We have block parties 3 times a year, and we meet often as a group to discuss earthquake preparedness, etc. Neighbors help with spontaneous play dates, babysitting my babies while I pick up preschooler from class, unexpected trips to the emergency room.

The Piedmont Park & Rec Department is excellent, and they offer a wide range of activities and classes for all ages. There are several good preschools in this town, and that is how we are meeting people from ''up the hill'', i.e. ones that are more economically advantaged. About half the kids in the classes are from Oakland, so there is a great mix. We live close to Piedmont Avenue, so we can walk to kinder-gym classes, grocery shopping, post office, library, coffee lucky to be here

Renting in Piedmont

March 2005

Can anyone advise me on renting a home in Piedmont? Is there an agency to call for listings or one specific company one would use? Or am I basically on my own using craigslist? I am looking for a home for my family so we can send our kids to public school there, we can't afford to buy in. Thanks.
moving for good schools

Hi - We were renters in Piedmont for 6 mos after selling our home in Oakland and before buying our current home in Piedmont. I have also had several friends that have been in the same situation. Two of the best places are the classifieds in The Piedmonter (part of the Hills Newspaper chain, you can also look in the Montclarian as it is basically the same paper) There are usually several rentals listed there. You can also go to the Grubb Company web site or call the Grubb Company in Montclair. They usually have several rental listings as well, though they are sometime more expensive. Good luck! kristi

try looking on the last page of the Piedmont Post newspaper; there are often rentals listed there... the paper comes out weekly, on Wednesday afternoons, and can be purchased at the convenience store in the center of Piedmont (on Highland Ave, across the street from the gas station) good luck! piedmont resident

Try the Piedmont Post (a local paper distributed on Tuesdays) or the Real Estate section of the Hills Newspaper Group (Montclarion, Berkeley Voice, Piedmonter). Pacific Union and Grubb real estate sometimes have places for lease. A Piedmont parent

Try calling the Grubb Company (they're on Mountain Blvd. in Oakland). While they mostly handle real estate purchases and sales, their agents do sometimes handle houses that are available for lease - I see houses around town occasionally with a Grubb company ''For Lease'' sign in front. Piedmont resident

Is Piedmont culturally and politically diverse?

Nov. 2002

we are seriously considering relocating to piedmont. things i love about berkeley are 1) it's cultural diversity and tolerance, 2) there are fun educational things to do for all ages, 3) berkely is a beautiful city, 4) berkeley is on the water/close to sf, 5) people here are friendly, educated and liberal, 6) excessive materialism doesn't exist. in light of what i like about my community, i'm interested in insights into the ''community feel'' of piedmont. do you feel that the financial wealth of the community negatively impacts the children in any way, especially the high school aged children? do you think that stay-at-home parents are in the minority or majority? do you feel that piedmont is culturally diverse? do you feel that piedmont is politically diverse? are children's extracurricular activities fairly accessible in the city of piedmont? looking forward to your insights.

I live 1/2 block from Piedmont, I take walks there a lot because the gardens are beautiful, and have considered sharing a nanny with a couple of Piedmont families. However, the wealth of people living in Piedmont is difficult for me to be around on a day-to-day basis. I would not send my child to a Piedmont school, because I don't think my child would benefit from the lack of economic diversity. But I'm not you. I would suggest that the best way to find out is to spend a little time in Piedmont. Sit outside the elementary school in the morning and observe the parents, teachers and kids. You will know right away whether it's right for you.
Oakland Mom

Advantages of Piedmont:

1) It is culturally diverse and tolerant. It's boy scout troop is reputed to be the only one in the nation that has clearly rejected the anti-gay policy, and the Piedmont choir has made a point of acting as ambassadors to countries such as Slovenia and Cuba.

2) As a small town, it's cultural options are limited, but it is accessible to all of the things accessible to Berkeley, and the recreation department and schools have many enrichment opportunities.

3) It has beautiful neighborhoods, many where kids play along the sidewalks and streets with their neighbors.

4) It doesn't have it's own waterfront, but it's not that far from Berkeley's, and it's very close to Lake Merritt. 5) There are many friendly people. It is especially easy to meet others if you are active in the schools or attend kids activities (soccer, music). There are people of all political persuasions--plenty of '60's graduates.

Disadvantages:

1) While there is plenty of cultural diversity, it is definitely an upper income community, although there are also families that have moved to the city for the schools and don't have lots of disposable income for luxuries. My kids have learned that they are not the richest by a long shot, but neither are they the poorest. However, they think the city has an image as being snobbish.

2) Education and academic success is such a concern that it can be counterproductive for some kids. Homework requirements are tough in many elementary school classrooms and at the middle school, and there is lots of stress over the college search process. If your kid is not naturally a high achiever academically, the pressure can turn them off to school. One of my children is finishing high school at a private school. A second one went to private school in 3rd and 4th grade and is now in the district's alternative highschool. On the other hand, the alternative high school is very good, and the district also has a strong special ed program. The school also gives lots of support in the college search process and has no problems with getting records to schools on time.

3) Materialism is definitely a concern, especially at the high school level, where some kids have access to cars and to enough money to support any substance abuse problem they choose (but Berkeley is hardly immune from substance abuse problems, either). Kids who are not into clothes, cars or social groups can feel pretty alienated. (On the other hand, there are many kids with many different interests, so most kids find a group of like-minded friends; my daughter is very happy with the group of students she has met at the alternative high school, after hating the middle school scene. My older son just ignored most of the social pressures and hung out with his own group of friends who had similar interests and income levels to his own.)

There are also reputed to be real differences in the three elementary schools in the area, if you have kids in that age group. Havens draws from the highest income parts of the community (and from other parts as well), and many of the social complaints I've heard at the K-5 level came from parents with kids at that school. However, our school (Beach) wasn't immune from such things as 4th and 5th grade girls talking about dating, 5th grade dance parties, catty gossip sheets etc., to all of which my children seemed to be oblivious, for the most part.

One refreshing thing about Piedmont compared to Berkeley is that the local politics are generally much lower key and more concrete. No attempts to force ''politically correct'' stances regarding our very limited retail sector, but lots of community input on resources such as soccer fields, tot lots, etc. Of course politics in the city have an irritating side as well, such as the recurring efforts to ''free'' the city from the Oakland and BAYLIS library system (I love having access to the Oakland and Berkeley libraries), the hours spent at the planning commission over remodeling issues, and controversy over the ''swim club'' facilities. A Piedmont Parent

The opinions and statements expressed on this website are those of parents who subscribe to the Berkeley Parents Network. Please see Disclaimer & Usage for information about using content on this website.