Jack London Square advice
Hello! My family is considering relocating to Jack London Square from Rockridge. Our daughter is 11 months old, and we’re trying to get a feel for how it would be to live there with a baby/toddler. I read an old BPN thread on this from 2014, but would love to hear what parents think now. I’m particularly interested in parks (and other kid-friendly outside spaces) and libraries in walking distance and whether there are any neighborhood listservs that folks recommend joining.
Thanks so much!
Jun 30, 2019
Parent Replies
I have a friend who lived very near there for a year and a half. She said it was fun at first but was eventually bothered by the large amount of dust and dirt from the 880 freeway. She said it was very hard to keep her condo clean and she started to develop breathing problems from the air quality. As a result she sold her condo and moved to a different part of Oakland away from a freeway.
I lived there for 10 years and had twins, who I raised in our condo until they were 5, when we moved to LA. Jack London Square has a lot to offer - waterfront walks, restaurants, easy BART and ferry access. In terms of parks, I would usually drive. The small park in front of plank was ok, but it pales in comparison to other Oakland parks. You need to drive to get groceries too, although the farmer's market is good. The Oakland Museum of CA is walkable and has off the grid and music on Fridays. There is a library that's near-ish, around 12 st? I found it easier to drive as well. I also had a love hate relationship with the train. My boys loved going to the train station when they were little, but the horns are blasting all day and night. A 4am train blast is usual. I never really got used to it and I would say that it's the biggest negative about living in JLS.