Oakland... to live in, or not to live in?
Hey everybody, I am a senior in college, born and raised in NY state, considering moving to the Bay area and getting a job out there working with underserved youth. My job will probably be located in Oakland or somewhere near there on the east bay. I was originally thinking of living in San Francisco proper but I have been researching rent prices and I don't think I can afford it... haha. So what about living and working in Oakland? Is Oakland a good city to live in? What parts of Oakland are the "good" or "safe" areas to live in? What parts would you recommend not moving into? I'm not from the area and I don't want to look for apartments in areas that aren't safe! Oh.... and does Oakland have the same amazing transportation system that San Francisco has? I do not have a car. I need to be able to get around the city, to and from work and anywhere else I need to go. Also, when I try to search for apartments online, all I get are these ugly tower buildings that are like 20 stories high, very commercial looking. Surely some people in the bay area must live in houses, even in NYC people live in houses! So if you can navigate me to some websites where I can look for apartments that don't look like they are part of the Holiday Inn, that would be great. Thanks!
San Francisco - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
One of my friends who grew up there said he didn't like it cause it was dangerous. Idk if gangs or what.
2 :
Thats a horrible place to live in.
3 :
There are some nice areas in Oakland like Oakland Hills
4 :
There are some good and not so good areas of Oakland. The areas you might want to consider are Grand lake, Lake Merritt, and Montclaire. Berkeley also is a good area near Oakland. Public transportation is better in SF but there are options in the East Bay and depending on where you live and distance to work a bicycle can be a good option. I don't know where you are looking at housing on line but it is very possible to rent an apartment in a house or even rent a house [if your budget allows] in the East Bay. You might want to check out the rental listing on Craig's List as you can search by budget, area and type of apartment. http://www.craigslist.org
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