Relocating to the Bay Area, looking for a walkable neighborhood

Re: Relocating to the Bay Area, looking for a walkable neighborhood
We live in and love the Rockridge area of Oakland It's highly walkable and close to BART, good restaurants, etc. though as not as comprehensively useful as Piedmont Avenue. Admittedly it's not the cheapest place to buy a house.

We also adore our pre-school, Room to Grow. It's a reggio inspired program with really caring adults, who go the extra mile for the kids. You'd be amazed what kids can accomplish given adults who are open to seeing what they can do. The outdoor space is small, but they make the most of every inch. You get yoga, lots of art, great science exploration, cooking, and a gentle place that really understands kids.

It currently has openings. Our older child who is now in elementary went there for 2 years, and our youngest has been for six month. Happy Parent

Living near Shattuck & 58th St

I am currently in the process of downsizing and moving to a smaller house since my children are grown and living on their own. I have lived in North Berkeley for twenty years and know the area well but haven't found a house I like in the area. I have found a lovely small house in North Oakland on the west side of Shattuck at 58th street but don't know anything about the neighborhood. The streets in the area seem quiet and safe and most seem attractive and well tended. Is the area safe, friendly and stable? moving on

You can search back in time to see what was happening in the area for the last few months.

You also might want to read about the city of Oakland and its financial problems; the financial situation is causing difficulties for citizens to get the services they need. You might want to compare the governments of Berkeley to Oakland. The city police force is definitely understaffed; street maintenance is suffering; parks and rec are being defunded; etc. abetteroakland.com is a good blog to give you some insight into the city.

When you look at crimespotting's website you can find out what Neighboorhood Crime Prevention Group (NCPC) you would be in ; you might want to contact them for some neighborhood advice. Sue

Re: new to Elmwood/Rockridge
Welcome to the area! I live in Rockridge and have a daughter who is just turning two. There are tons of things to do - we almost never use our car. Here's a list of places we go and things we do together...

1. Rockridge Library. They have story time on Wednesdays and Saturdays. But we also go at other times. They have a great kids area with toys, crayons/coloring sheets and (of course) books. The childrens' librarians are also wonderful.

2. PARKS. In the area, we frequent...
--Colby Park on 61st near Colby
--Bateman Park, right next to Alta Bates Hospital
--Willard Park (Hillegass and Stuart-ish)
--FROG Park, down where Claremont Ave crosses the 24 freeway
--On weekends, we use some of the local elementary school parks, including Chabot School (on Chabot Ave) and John Muir (on Claremont up by Ashby).

3. We take Music Together classes at Rockridge Danspace. (Andy Fullington is a GREAT teacher.)

4. There are great toddler/baby swim ''classes'' at the Berkeley Warm Pool on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. This isn't in rockridge/elmwood but is near downtown Berkeley and easily accessible by BART.

5. In warm weather, the beach at Temescal Lake is great.

6. Kid-friendly coffee shops in the area are...
--Cafe Zoe on College and Harwood. The chairs and big and sturdy and won't fall over if your toddler likes to climb. The staff there is super friendly to kids.
--The Beanery, on College Ave in Elmwood. The coffee there is wretched, but they have an awesome enclosed patio in the back - great for letting your toddler roam and relatively private if you need to nurse.

7. Check out Habitot in downtown Berkeley - right near BART.

8. Also check out MOCHA (the museum of children's art) in downtown Oakland. It's also right near BART and offers hands-on art projects for kids. My daughter loves it.

There are tons of used toys/baby gear to be had if you don't want to bring your own. Check out BPN's Marketplace newsletter. And there's tons of stuff on craigslist. We have also found some great stuff at Child's Play on College and Chabot (sells used kids' clothing as well as baby gear, toys, even some books). Best of luck to you - hope you like it here as much as we do... A Rockridge Mom

Re: Where's the 'Park Slope' of Berkeley/Oakland?
From everything you said, Rockridge sounds like the best match to what you are looking for. I think it resembles Park Slope the closest, although you will never get a perfect match. Walkable shopping areas, close proximity to BART, good public elementary schools, tree lined streets, and nice weather. M

Coming from New York, you will find the pace slower, but it is also much easier to cope with daily life. You'll never have to haul a stroller up subway steps again. As in the slope, public schools are less certain after elementary, but our neighborhood middle school is getting better all the time and more neighborhood families are choosing it each year. Lastly, although the bay area is expensive compared to most of the country, we've got nothing on the most desirable parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan so you should be spared some sticker shock. Good luck in your choice!

Moving to Rockridge neighborhood with small kids

Greetings! My husband and I are seriously considering moving to the Rockridge neighborhood from Danville with our 2 year-old son and new baby. We are looking to live in a more urban, culturally diverse neighborhood but want to make sure that this is a good neighborhood for raising small kids as well. In particular, we want to know what families in Rockridge do with their small children, is it easy to meet other families, how are the parks and other kid facilities, are you happy with your decision to raise your small kiddos there? Thanks so much! Mama hoping to move to Rockridge area

-Plenty of parks with playgrounds. Near us are Temescal,
Dracena, Montclair, and Frog Park but there are lots more
throughout Oakland and Berkeley.
- Lawrence Hall of Science
- Oakland Zoo
- Tilden Park, especially Little Farm and the Steam Trains
- Farmer's markets
- Storytime at the Rockridge and Montclair libraries
- Lots of classes: music, kindergym, yoga, swimming, toddler
playtime

Moving to Rockridge with little ones

My husband and I are moving to Rockridge (from Cambridge, MA) this August with our 2 and 4 year old girls. We're very excited! I'm a SAHM and would love some initial pointers on the area - yummy child-friendly restaurants & hang out spots, best places for groceries, and, most of all, best places/ways to meet other families in the neighborhood with preschoolers. It seems playgroups and such tend to be mostly for infants/younger children -- any advice on good ways to connect with other parents of similarly-aged kids? Any parents interested in meeting up - please feel free to email me! Jen

Playgrounds & parent groups in North Oakland?

We will soon be moving to North Oakland (Rockridge adjacent -- 61st and Shattuck) -- I'm wondering if there are any active local parent groups, or even a local playground where kids (and parents) congregate and can get to know each other (I'm new to the Bay Area)? I have a 10-month-old daughter. Kim