Living in West Berkeley
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Living in West Berkeley
Feb 2012
Hi folks. What do you know of the neighborhood around San
Pablo park in terms of safety and friendliness? I'm looking
to buy and it's the only nice looking neighborhood I can
afford in Berkeley. I'm single with a 5 year old so safety
is a priority but we are used to city living so don't expect
perfection either. Thanks! House hunting
We've lived in the San Pablo park area for over three years
and love it. It's very diverse, both ethnically and
economically, which does lead to more police activity - we
personally haven't had any problems, but there have been a
recent rash of burglaries in the area, and crime from San
Pablo or Sacramento sometimes finds its way into the
neighborhood. We still love it. Within a mile there's
everything you can imagine - playgrounds, markets, Bart,
library, great restaurants and cafes, nurseries, even a post
office. It's a quick walk to the 4th street area, and of
course Berkeley Bowl is very close and wonderful. When it's
time for us to get a bigger house we hope to find something
in this same neighborhood.
Make sure to take a close look at your neighbors when
looking at a specific house. There are some 'problem
homes', so to speak (mostly the kids or grandkids of folks
who have lived here for 20+ years causing the problems) and
it sure would be annoying to be right next door to one of
those, and there are some apartment buildings tucked here
and there that I wouldn't want to be right next to, but as a
whole neighborhood it's really great! l.
May 2011
In our transition to Berkeley, we are considering renting at
4th and U apartments until we find a permanent home.
However, we're concerned about whether this would be an ok
place to live with children, given that it would be mostly
single people/couples and that some reviews have said that
it is 'sketchy.' Does anyone have first-hand experience
with these apartments and an opinion about whether it would
be ok for around 3-6 months with children? Almost there in
Berkeley!
My fifth grader, young dog, and I just started renting a
large 1 bedroom (April 9th) at 4th&U and really like it so
far. We switched from a 1200SF house in El Cerrito with a
yard, so it's been a space adjustment, but we feel like
we're having a great adventure, like moving to Paris for a
year. We have an interior apartment, and the train noise
hasn't been a problem. For fun we bike along Aquatic Park
(little kid's playground about 12 minutes walk south) and
over the footbridge to Sea Breeze for snacks. Forget finding
space in the bike room! We haven't seen many kids, but my
child's social life is at school and with sports teams. For
me the pluses are: a beautiful and modern locked and safe
community; an easy acceptance of dogs (mine is young and not
that well-trained yet, so I had a hard time finding a place
to rent); the spacious closets and w/d in the apartment; the
thick walls (don't hear the neighbors except some light feet
overhead once in a while); train track for squishing
pennies; and a fun neighborhood with stores, parks and easy
access to public transportation (we're looking forward to
walking a block to the train station and taking a day-trip
to Sacramento to see the state capitol). A cafe is supposed
to open soon downstairs. The down side so far has been the
parking; it takes 5-10 minutes to get out of the garage if
you have one of those stacked parking spaces. The residents
are nice, but I think it's more of a transient community
with lots of people moving in and out. There are many young
singles and couples, but it's not a loud party place, and
there are also many middle-aged professionals as well. I
would definitely recommend the apartments for short-term
(although I think you need to sign a 13-month lease). We
moved to get to a better middle school and don't plan to
stay in Berkeley for more than 3 years. FYI: there are LOTS
of dogs in the building, in case any of your kids have
animal fears. I would also avoid the apartments facing the
train tracks as there are supposed to be 72 trains passing
by everyday. The train is okay, but the ding-ding-ding of
the lowering of the crossing gates is really annoying!
j
May 2011
We will be relocating to Berkeley this summer and are
interested in a home in West Berkeley. What insight can you
share about this neighborhood? Is it a good place to raise
a family? My husband and I have two boys ages 5 and 7. It
seems like there are a lot of family-friendly amenities
within walking distance. On the other hand, some blocks and
homes seem a bit run down and it is right along the freeway
and the train tracks. Any thoughts would be very
appreciated! living in West Berkeley?
'West Berkeley' is a large demographic area and you don't
say whether you would be in southwest or northwest Berkeley.
We've lived in southwest Berkeley, the San Pablo Park
neighborhood, since 2003. We really like it here. More and
more families with young children are moving here because
it's one of the more affordable areas in Berkeley. We're a
few blocks away from Berkeley Bowl West, a few blocks from
San Pablo Park, the largest park in Berkeley (I think),
close to freeway access, and close to the shops along San
Pablo Ave near Dwight Way.
That said, we do have crime here but from what I understand,
crime is not only found in the flats -- we get burglaries
and car break-ins just like anywhere else in Berkeley. We
have young dudes smoking pot and/or drinking at the park and
prostitutes on San Pablo. It's not Lafayette. It is
definitely gritty and sometimes it bums me out, to be
honest. But it is affordable and we love our neighbors.
Our street has a disaster cache, an active neighborhood
email list, block parties twice a year, and lots of kids.
Everyone here looks out for each other. I love going to the
grocery store and bumping into a neighbor -- I feel like a
definite part of the community! SW Berkeley Fan
Feb 2003
Re: Seeking a friendly neighborhood w/kids
Hi, We live in the San Pablo Park area of Berkeley on Carleton
Street (the 1200 block). We find the neighborhood to be very kid
friendly and in the 3 years that we have lived here we have
gotten to know pretty much all the families with kids around the
ages of ours (2 and 4). The neighborhood is no paradise mind
you, but it has a lot of very nice qualities. There is a very
nice and active park near by (San Pablo Park). The area is
pretty diverse ethnically (primarily a mix of African-American
and Caucasion families). And it is very centrally located
(perhaps too much so) close to freeways and major streets. There
are a number of rentals in the area, though our street (which I
am most familiar with) is mostly owner occupied. One more note,
neighborhoods in this area are really different, street by
street, so check them out pretty thoroughly.
Good luck,
Cherene
this page was last updated: Jul 18, 2012
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