Seeking advice: Move w/kids from SF to Oakland (Trestle Glen)

Welcome to the neighborhood! Trestle Glen/Lakeshore is one of the nicest areas of Oakland. It's wonderfully walkable. However, it is also close to the freeway and Lake Merritt and crimes do exist. Do Not Leave ANYTHING in the car. I mean, not even the kid's water bottle or a bag of goldfish. Make sure you lock your cars when you park on your driveway. I walk to Lakeshore and Grand with my kids and go to the library, the farmer's market, all of the wonderful shops, but I am aware of my surroundings. I carry a small fanny pack tucked tight and if I see a potentially unstable person, I cross the street to the other side with my kid. We haven't directly encountered any serious or violent crimes or even property crimes for the past 8 years of living in this neighborhood but we know neighbors whose garages have been broken into and bikes stolen, etc. 

There are many kid-friendly activities. Oakland YMCA isn't far away where you can take swim lessons. Many parks nearby. Frog Park in Rockridge is pretty close and a favorite among toddlers. Being close to Piedmont, all of the parks in Piedmont are beautiful and safe. It's also a short drive to Monclaire Village and Redwood Regional Parks. East Bay Dance Center in Glenview is lovely for kids' dance class and it's very very close to Trestle Glen. Our kid took dance class at EBDC from toddler age through elementary school. Once your kid is a bit older (age 4), you can also check out the choir programs at Pacific Boychoir Academy (they have both girl and boy programs). It's also in Glenview. 

1  My in-laws have lived in that neighborhood for 50+ years. They've had their house broken into 3 times. The first time they lost most of their jewelry. They stopped leaving anything in their garage except their garbage cans and unlocked car because anything else like bikes, would be stolen. My MIL was mugged a few years ago getting cash at the Wells Fargo ATM during the day. Just last week I was driving down Lakeshore and another car hit my car then sped off. The TJs has a permanent parking spot for the police. Earlier this year 15 people were shot at a Juneteenth celebration by the North end of Lake Merrit, which is on the other side of the highway from Lakeshore. So in other words, Trestle Glen is one of the safer neighborhoods in Oakland. Seriously, most of the gun deaths are on the downhill side from hwy 580 so mostly you'll get property and petty crimes.

2. There's a Gymboree near the corner of Lakeshore and Mandana. There's a cute park on Lakeshore between Mandana and Santa Ray with a playground for toddler/little kids. The closest pools are the Piedmont Pool (opening in a few months?) and Lions Pool. I've met a few parents of infants who like AquaTech in Alameda because it's a warm indoor pool. I think the Oakland YMCA has lessons but don't know anyone who has taken their kids there.  The closest library is Lakeview branch, I've never taken my kids there for toddler play or story time but I have taken them to the Piedmont Branch and Montclair Branch. It was sorta hit and miss. I actually used to meet a friend at the Sausaulito library for story time with our toddlers and came to realize that the story teller totally makes the experience.

3. One of my kids went to a forest school in Joaquin Miller park but I think they aren't around any more. I'm sure there are others but doubtful that they have a classroom. I don't think most forest schools are licensed which is why BPN doesn't allow reviews. We also sent one kid to Sequoia Nursery School. It's a coop that has a large building set in an expansive outdoor space. Not a forest school but lots of outdoor space, far more than most other pre-schools in the area.  It's a play based program so not sure if it fits your request for conventional learning. Highly recommended if a co-op works for you. 

4. Got nothing for you.

Good luck! 

Trestle Glen is a lovely neighborhood that benefits from its hilly topography and proximity to affluent Piedmont.

We lived in nearby Glenview when the kids were small.  Crime is not a major concern, although we are in Oakland, and this is an urban environment.

That said, Trestle Glen is close to Grand Avenue, which is a main thoroughfare from West Oakland to Crocker Highlands.  Sometimes crime happens on the gritty stretches of Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt and points west.

Traffic density is a concern, but less so than San Francisco.

IMHO the tradeoffs make the location you are considering totally worthwhile  You will be minutes away from beloved Oakland Children's Fairyland, the inspiration for Disneyland in the early 1950s.  Lake Merritt is also one of the oldest wild bird refuges in the country.  The three-mile perimeter is a wondeful place to walk, push a stroller, bike.  There are band concerts in the park, too.,

Broadway Children's School in Adams Point is topnotch, a play-based part-time program where our kids met lovely playmates.

In the other direction, at the top of Park Boulevard, is 500-acre Joaquin Miller Park.  There are a number of bilingual preschool programs such as La Escuela del Bosque that use the park, but I have no info about them.

Our kids are adults now, and they have benefited from growing up in this diverse city, where they have gotten to know people of every ethnicity, social class, and walk of life.

Congratulations!  We love the neighborhood so much!  (We are a bit closer to Crocker Highlands but still very walkable to Lakeshore.)

1. As for safety & crime, I take common sense precautions, but knock on wood, I do feel comfortable being out and about, including walking by myself later at night (I am a woman).  We've heard about some break-ins so neighbors often take each other's trash bins out if they're out of town to avoid arousing suspicion.  But overall, our neighborhood feels safer than our old block in Rockridge, where multiple neighbors' houses were burglarized, there were car jackings and muggings, and once the driver of what I can only assume was a stolen vehicle crashed into multiple parked cars and drove onto the sidewalk all the way onto our neighbor's front steps and then fled on foot...
2. We love to walk along Lake Merritt and favorite stops include the Lakeview Library, the Saturday farmers' market, Lakeside Park, Snow Park, and Fairyland.  A lot of our friends do Soccer Shots in Montclair.  Some of the fitness classes (like Bar Method) have childcare, which is nice!

Welcome to the neighborhood!  We've been here 15 years and raised a child(now 12) here.  She wouldn't live anywhere else, and while we think about it occasionally, we can't figure out where else we'd want to live.  

1. Safety & Crime - For our street in particular, I can't say if it is better or worse.  Yes, houses have been broken into, and yes, someone rifles through our car every now and again.  They seem to be looking for change - never once took our stroller but did take a coat.  We have a dog.  We can't tell if that is a deterrent, but our house has been skipped over a few times.
2. Oakland has so many kid-friendly activities. For swimming, there is Aquatech in Alameda, and we're eager for the new Piedmont pool. Music Together classes were fun when our daughter was smaller, and we've done dance at Kids and Dance and Shawl Anderson. The children's librarian at the Lakeview library was great. I'm not sure if she is still there, but the kids section is great and we go on the regular to get books.  For soccer, we did Bladium in Alameda (which has changed hands) and Montclair Clippers, both rec and club.  Dracena Park in Piedmont used to be a go to.
3. Our daughter attended Grand Lake Montessori.  It was a great match for her and great hours for working parents.

One consideration is prepping for the OUSD school assignment process.  We assumed we'd get into Crocker Highlands, but we didn't get placed there due to a surge of kids for our year.  We did end up getting a spot in 4th grade and all of our neighbors have gotten in recently, but I wished that I hadn't gone into the process with so much confidence.

If you’re moving from SF, crime in this neighborhood will be the same or lower. Other comments are correct—property crime is unfortunately common (think late night car window break ins), though less common as you get away from Lakeshore Ave/uphill. Don’t leave stuff in your car and lock your door/gate to backyard.

Not sure if you’re in the Lakeshore Homes HOA, but my neighborhood has an HOA and a community group that raises money for a security patrol and pays for Flock cameras, both of which are a deterrent. 

Most households in the area have kids, so kid friendly activities abound. Be sure to check out the Piedmont activities as well—open to non residents for a higher fee. 

Lots of preschool options spring to mind given the concentration of kids, but most of the forest schools tend to be farther north in the EB parks system and no idea how young they enroll. 

Hi! Welcome to the sunny side of the Bay! I’ve been in the area for 13 years. There is lots to do! Fairyland, Oakland Zoo, Lake Merritt, and LOTS of playgrounds around that area. 

You are still moving to an urban area. Don’t leave bikes out front and locks your doors. However there is a strong sense of community & neighborhood connection. 

My daughter went to Bloomers, which is a Reggio-play based preschool over in Glenview (about a 6minite drive from where you are talking about). It is a great program. Toys & things will look well loved & well played with….but is a fabulous place for kids! Highly recommend it.

Check out 510families.com for activites, classes etc. 

I highly recommend Pumpkin Seed Childcare on Greenly, which would be a ten minute drive for you. They are exceptional with all sorts of kids, they are outdoors a LOT, play focused, good food and very community focused. I live in Alameda and I've known a number of folks who move from SF to the East Bay and complain about lack of a community- with Pumpkin Seed, your child and your will make new connections and develop great relationships. Plus the teachers, Damond and Jenn have three grown kids of their own, so they are excellent at helping families manage juggling new circumstances such as a new environment and a new kiddo. They were extremely helpful at getting my oldest son to learn how to be a good big brother to my second. Moving and a new kid are so stressful for kiddos- having a safe and welcoming spot to land will be extremely helpful for everyone in the family. Best of luck!

Welcome! I live in TG with my three kids, 5 yo, 3 yo and a baby. It’s so walkable and social; we love the community here! A few ideas for you - re: Q #2: we’ve loved an outdoor class called “Little Ferns” at Lake Temescal. It’s a small “hike” and also incorporates a parenting discussion while the children have their snack at the end. We’ve enjoyed finding community and parent-support through the class, as well as a beautiful way to enjoy nature with little ones. More info about the parent-child classes can be found on the Berkeley Rose Waldorf School website. They have indoor class offerings as well. https://www.berkeleyrose.org/early-childhood/

510 Families website also lists some fun hikes in the area - like this one located close to TG:  https://www.510families.com/oakland-bridgeview-trolls/ 

Re: Q #3: Our kids attend preschool at Berkeley Rose Waldorf School, which moved to Oakland and is located near Piedmont Avenue. They spend half of the day outside, with a strong emphasis on appreciation for the natural world, and have a weekly “hike day” as well, where the children spend a day in the forest. 

Good luck in your search!