Home in East of Lake Merrit

Do you have neighborhood names? East of lake Merritt could mean several different neighborhoods: parts of Cleveland heights, Trestle Glen, Lakeshore, Grand Lake, parts of Adams Point. We live in Grand Lake close to the Rose Garden. We find this part of the neighborhood to be quiet, family friendly, and down-to-earth. Neighbors are diverse from young singles and couples in their 20s to grandmas. We see many people walking their dogs and pushing strollers. We have friends who live along Grand Ave. and Lakeshore Ave. on the Piedmont side of I-580 and all find the neighborhood to be generally safe and family friendly. It's Oakland and there are crimes, but we don't feel like we need to dodge bullets on our way to pick up pizza from the Star or our morning bagels from Noah's. We love walking to the farmer's market on Saturdays and enjoy the beauty of the Rose Garden when all the roses are in full bloom. There are a lot of great preschools and child friendly activities nearby. I'm not sure how little your kids are but Fairyland is incredible for kids 1 through 5. Several elementary schools in the area are excellent and recently Piedmont has been accepting transfers from other districts. Good luck!

Ten years ago that area was dicey, but I wouldn't hesitate to live there now. As always, in Oakland, I wouldn't walk around late at night. Just use commonsense.  It's actually a pretty fabulous area.  I had some friends live in an apt in exactly at that area with two small children.  They walked everywhere.  They moved because they wanted more room for their kids.  

We are in Cleveland Heights and feel safe, but send our child to a preschool just south of the lake and are careful about walking around there after dark. Being RIGHT on the lake is not something I'd recommend to newcomers who want peace and quiet-- the lake has been referred to as Oakland's "living room" for a reason and there can be a lot of gatherings and loud celebrations during summer months and warm weather. But, I've had (single) friends who did live right on the lake and had some amazing views. We do love jogging around the lake and being able to walk to playgrounds (FM Smith, Astro), the library, the farmers market, Trader Joes, banks, Arizmendi, tacos and other food options.  

Thanks for your response! It would be Cleveland Heights and right by the lake. 

Hi there,

There’s crime everywhere in Oakland. Hills, flats, borderline of Berkeley/San Leandro. It doesn’t really matter where you live. Always be aware of your surroundings, keep your head on a swivel, and teach your kids to do the same. Welcome to the Town!

Our family moved to the Bella Vista/Ivy Hill neighborhood just east of the lake and it has been safe. We haven't had any problems. It's very diverse and neighbors actually know and talk with each other--they also look out for anything strange or odd. We have 2 young kids and often walk to Bella Vista Park, which is a nice community gathering space. I've never seen anything questionable there. Since you're new to the Bay--just know that across the entire area, there are car break-ins and catalytic converter thefts, though to my knowledge, those haven't happened in my neighborhood since we moved here. Good luck with your decision, and welcome to the Bay! 

I live in the Cleveland Hts/Lakeshore area and had been happy for many years--up until last year.  Crime is so bad here that I don't dare go out.  I haven't walked at the Lake for a long time.  Just read NextDoor: Car jackings--when people park their cars on the street and get a gun pointed at them when they get out.  Car break-ins in broad daylight along Lakeshore Ave at the busy shopping area near Trader Joe's. Smash and grab in the stores.

Also an out-of-control carnival atmosphere on weekends and holidays:  Lakeshore gets so clogged that even  EMT vehicles can't get through and ambulances get harassed by the crowds.

I wish I could move away.

We have a two year old and live east of the lake on Hanover, which is considered near the edge of Cleveland Heights. Our street feels pretty safe. Lots of foot traffic and no major crimes that I know of. Occasionally car windows get smashed in the middle of the night by thieves, but i think you will find that phenomenon most places in the Bay Area.

As you may be aware, crime in the Lake Merritt area has spiked recently with a lot of shootings. Although none of them have been in Cleveland Heights, the proximity does make us anxious.