Moving from Oakland to ???

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Archived Q&A and Reviews

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Leaving Oakland, seeking a safe, family--oriented neighborhood

May 2007

We currently live in the Dimond/Laurel area of Oakland with our young children. Unfortunately, there has been a recent increase in crime in our neighborhood, to the point where we no longer feel all that comfortable living here. We are interested in living elsewhere in the East Bay, somewhere that is safe and very kid-friendly where the neighbors really know and look out for each other, close access to nature, and in a good school district. Oh yes-and affordable. Don't know if this is too much to ask? We have thought about living through the tunnel in Moraga, Lafayette, etc., but I do like the progressiveness and diversity of Oakland/Berkeley. Are there some neighborhoods we aren't aware of? Rockridge is great but there is no way we could afford it. I don't know if it is too much to ask to live in a place where the kids can run around in the neighborhood after dark-or is that something from the past that we were able to do in different times? Or is it possible still to do that somewhere like Lafayette/Moraga? I would love any suggestions. We are planning to send our kids to public school, by the way, so we would like to live in a neighborhood that has a good elementary school. Thanks. Looking for safer pastures

We live in El Cerrito and both of our elementary school age children attend the local public school.

It's not perfect because we are a resource-poor district but it's worked out great for our kids. The parents are very involved (volunteering in the school) and they raise funds to provide the students with a good education. The PTA provides art, music, and science programs to supplement what the district provides.

At last count, there were at least 8 elementary school children on our block--all living within 5 houses of each other. At night they run in and out of each others' back yards and play in the front yards. Some parents in El Cerrito opt to go to private schools but I think the local elementary school is just fine. We are also planning to go to the local public middle school when my son is ready. Most of El Cerrito is very safe and family-friendly. There are great parks and a terrific public pool.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's that affordable for first-time home buyers but houses are slightly less expensive than Albany, Lafayette or Orinda. Consequently, there is more diversity in the local public schools.

You're in luck - such a place does exist! We were looking for a similar place as you describe, and we found it in Alameda . It's a very neighborly, friendly place, where most people will say hi to you as you pass on the street, kids play together outside and the ice cream truck stops on the corner in the summer. The schools are good - some have better reputations than others, and I cannot attest to that as my kids are not yet in elementary school, but you can check out the basic stats on www.greatschools.net.

We love that we can walk to the park or to dinner, and there is a good mix of people (ages and ethnicities) and young families. Holidays are fun here - the whole town is out for the 4th of July parade, Halloween is so fun and tons of kids abound, and over the holidays we love going to ''Christmas tree lane'' to see the lights.

Lots of changes/improvements are in store over the next year or two - the historic theater downtown is getting renovated, the mall is undergoing a revitalization and will have more restaurants and shops, including Borders books, and plans to develop the old military base on the west end are in the works. I think it's a good time to get in the market here.

Prices vary, with the gold coast neighborhood and the east end being the most expensive - gold coast due to the concentration of large mansions there, and the east end due to the good reputation elementary schools and proximity to shopping on Park Street.

Come on down and take a drive through the town - you won't be disappointed. I would recommend it over Lamorinda - you can actually walk to school/grocery store/restaurants here and there is more diversity. Good luck! at home in Alameda

We were in your boat four years ago and we found near-nirvana in San Leandro ! The neighborhoods around Dutton (right off 580) are just what you're describing: kids play on our street day and night, neighbors know each other, and the local cafe (Zocalo) makes for a friendly, progressive community center. While San Leandro was known in the 70s as one of the whitest towns in the East Bay, it is now very diverse, which we see reflected on our street and in our school. Our son is in the local public elementary school (Roosevelt) and we love it; he's learning a lot, gets great attention, and it's a wonderful community of involved parents. Plus we all love that we can just walk there. (We understand the middle school is only so-so and high school is worse -- we hope to be part of making them better by the time he gets there, or we'll look at other options.) I'd recommend that you look at real estate in the Broadmoor (north of Dutton), Estudillo Estates (between Dutton and Estudillo, on both sides of the creek), and Sheffield Village (east of 580, officially in Oakland but part of the S.L school district) neighborhoods. Most houses are cute and well- maintained, and we found prices to be about 10-15% cheaper than for similar homes in Berkeley/Oakland when we were looking (not sure if that's still true). San Leandro isn't perfect -- we especially wish for more good restaurants! -- but Berkeley and Oakland are just up 580 and/or 13, and the joy of feeling part of a safe, caring community outweigh the drawbacks by far. Good luck to you! Happy in suburbia

Have you ever consider Benicia ? It's affortable and close to Easy Bay. It's 20 plus minutes to the Bay Bridge and 10 mins or so to Walnut Creek so it's not a bad commute and there is a ferry service into the city. If there is anything else you like to know please email me. A great and safe community with a lots of parks. Amy

We lived in Oakland for a long time and now live in Moraga . It is ridiculously family friendly. All the kids in the neighborhood are in and out of each others houses after school and on weekends. The other parents in the neighborhood are extremely kind and helpful. Yes, my kids can walk or bike to school, walk or bike to the farmer's market, and play outside after dark. When I moved here, I was braced for feeling like a fish out of water, but I have been surprised and humbled at my generalization that all people out here would be conservative and narrow minded. I was wrong.

It is very white, but that is changing, slowly but surely. I have seen a slight demographic shift in the couple of years that I've been here.

When you compare a place like Moraga to the safer neighborhoods of Oakland (Rockridge, Montclair, Redwood Heights), I think you get a little more for your money out here. The lots are bigger, the streets are conducive to kids playing in them, and the schools are among the best in the state. The property taxes are expensive though, which is the downside. You'll have to do your math and decide the best solution for you based on your income, number of children, commute, and so on.

For us, it has been one of the best changes we ever made. There is so little stress now: no serious crime, no worries over school quality and safety, no constant scheduling of and driving to/from playdates. My kids are happier than they've ever been.

We LOVE living in what has recently been dubbed ''Piedmont Pines'' - the hills in Oakland just above Joaquin Miller Elementary School. Our backyard is the trailhead to Joaquin Miller & Redwood Regional Parks, we have great neighbors, many with children, and living on a cul-de-sac allows us to let our children (with supervision) to run around in a safe environment, where we all look out for each other. Cost is an issue. When we moved in, things were not so bad, but we've been looking at housing prices skyrocket since. If you own your home though, I'm sure you'll get a good price when you sell and could find a place in our neighborhood to make it work for you. Hope we meet your family soon

We love El Sobrante . We moved to El Sobrante from Albany in order to purchase a larger home. El Sobrante is somewhat rural (there are horses and goats in our neighborhood), diverse and family friendly. It is also very safe. There is an active neighborhood association which just oversaw the installation of a brand new toddler/kid park. Olinda and Valley View are wonderful schools. I have heard great things about them from parents who have children there. There is a beautiful creek, library, boys and girls club, dance studio, soccer league, and some great restaurants (peruvian, salvadoran, chinese, italian, mexican, indian as well as local breakfast places). The Lakeridge Athletic Club is also in El Sobrante and offers swim, tennis and other aerobic classes and camps. We also have Canyon Swim school which is quite popular for children's swim lessons. One of my favorite places is Central Foods on Appian which just changed owners and has lots of organic and natural products, produce and meats. Another wonderful place is Eco Village Farm which is a community learning project for sustainable farming. The weather is great, just outside the fog belt. My husband works at UC Berkeley which is a 20 minute ride. He can also drive the back way through Tilden to avoid traffic. We are very happy here. Come check it out! Loving El Sobrante

El Cerrito ! It has become my favorite east bay city. Close enough to freeways so you can get anywhere. Easy shopping at the E.C. plaza and E.C. Natural Grocery. There are lots of new families moving here, it is relatively safe and has good schools. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is actually more diverse than our old neighborhood in SF. Our block has lots of different kinds of families - different ethnicities and family structures. There is crime everywhere and E.C. is no exception but we have not experienced anywhere near what we did in SF or what some of our friends in Oakland have. I think it is in part because even though El Cerrito is a part of the larger bay area community it still has a small town feel. Our neighbors here have been friendlier than anywhere I have lived and about 1/3 of the houses in our immediate neighborhood has kids. anon

Moving from Oakland, seeking a friendly neighborhood w/kids

Feb 2003

We are going to move soon and would love to find housing in a neighborhood that has other small children and is community- oriented. We would consider cohousing but we can't afford that right now as we are renters. The next best thing would be to live in a neighborhood where people know each other and there are other small children. These days it seems that most neighborhoods are somewhat anonymous, but I have heard that there are some special ones out there that have a communal atmostphere. I haven't lived in one myself, though.

We could go almost anywhere in the East Bay, if we found the right place (we live in Oakland right now and my husband works in Concord). If you know of or live in such a neighborhood, could you drop me a line or post a response to let me know about it? You don't have to know of any rentals available there. I am just wanting to find out where such neighborhoods might be in order to guide our search for housing and to give me hope for the future. (When I say neighborhood, by the way, I mean a small area within a town. Towns can vary a lot depending on what block you live on, in my experience.)

Thanks!

We have been living in the Glenview area of Oakland for 3 years now and really love it. There are lots of small children around us for our 3-year old daughter to play with, and for the first time in my life, I can say that I know and am friendly with all my immediate neighbors. There is a very strong sense of community in Glenview.

Within walking distance, we have a great park(Dimond) with activities for kids and a pool, as well as a small commerce area (Park Blvd.) which has a neighborhood market, a cafe, and couple of restaurants. I sometimes see rentals available in the neighborhood. For more info on the area, you can check out the Glenview Neighborhood's Association website at http://www.glenviewneighborhood.org Angelica

You can't beat Albany for what you're looking for -- the good schools mean there are a lot of families with kids here. Our neighborhood (the area behind the Mallard bar) is full of kids. On our block there are 11 kids on our side of the street, and 6 on the other. Granted there are neighbors I've never met, but those with kids all know each other, our kids play together, when someone needs a hand we take care of each others kids, and when I'm short an egg when baking a cake I can always run over to my neighbor. When we were interested in buying our house we talked to the neighbors and asked about the ages of kids in the neighborhood, and we drove by at different times of day and saw all the kids in the area. Good luck in your search. anon

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

Hi. In response to your message about finding a friendly neighborhood with children - we live near Poinsette Park, off Barnett in El Cerrito. Our block on Mono Ave. in particular is very close knit - most of the neighbors know each other and we have holiday parties (Halloween, Christmas, and progressive dinner parties). It's a true gift. I've never lived anywhere like it, and it easily is one of the best things about our home (which we love). There are several families with small children on our block, and I see lots of children when I drive through the neighborhood, and when we go to Poinsett Park (on Poinsette St. or Dr. - up the hill from Home Depot and the San Pablo Safeway). Hope you find something comparable. Best wishes. debora

We recently moved to Alameda, because we wanted to be in a neighborhood that's good for raising children. In our neighborhood at the East End of Alameda, there are lots and lots of children, friendly families who all know one another, quiet pretty streets with kids playing on the sidewalks, lots of kid activities and parks, relatively less crime than most other parts of the bay area, good public schools, several nearby at- home daycare places that are less expensive than those in Berkeley or Oakland, good preschools nearby. It's a nice place to be raising our children, and is very convenient to many other parts of the Bay Area (10-20 minutes to many parts of Oakland or Berkeley; not too bad a commute to San Francisco or other places east or south of here). There are lots of rentals as well as owner-occupied houses, and when I was looking for a house I found prices for both to be somewhat less than in Berkeley, Albany, or Oakland. I think most of Alameda is very family oriented. It feels like a small town hidden in the Bay Area. Alexandra

My sister lives in the Glenview area of Oakland and her street (Randolph Ave) is very neighborhoody - in fact, I take my son over there almost every weekend as he has so much fun with all the kids playing outside. I have noticed this on some other blocks in the area, so you might want to check it out. anon