East Bay Neighborhoods (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley: apartments, condos, homes)

[lucillenyc]

I live in Mission Dolores in San Francisco and LOVE it here. But my boyfriend is moving to SF in January and we're going to need a bigger place. The going rents are out of our price range, so I've been exploring the East Bay. So far my impressions are:

Rockridge - Pretty, but felt too yuppie and "quaint" for me. I think I would get bored here.

Downtown Oakland and Grand Avenue - Felt a little depressed and was less vibrant than I was expecting, way less energy than SF.

Downtown Berkeley - I liked the vibe a lot, but too many students. Felt like a campus.

Are there any other neighborhoods in the East Bay you recommend I check out?

North Berkeley?
Other areas of Berkeley (How is the area by the Ashby BART station?)
Temescal?
Piedmont Avenue?

Looking for something vibrant, urban, diverse ... Am I going to find this outside of SF?

[jade408]

Originally Posted by lucillenyc

I live in Mission Dolores in San Francisco and LOVE it here. But my boyfriend is moving to SF in January and we're going to need a bigger place. The going rents are out of our price range, so I've been exploring the East Bay.

You are arguably in one of the most vibrant, urban areas of SF now. You aren't going to find that similar feel outside of SF.

Rockridge - Pretty, but felt too yuppie and "quaint" for me. I think I would get bored here.

This neighborhood doesn't have much nightlife, but it is very close to areas with more nightlife (downtown Oakland, Berkeley)

Downtown Oakland and Grand Avenue - Felt a little depressed and was less vibrant than I was expecting, way less energy than SF.

Grand goes on for a few miles, were you on the downtown side or the end in the Grand Lake theater (above the Theater)?
Downtown Oakland is a bit disconnected. Think SOMA, not the mission. (Although not as generic). It is mostly closed after the business day ends but the areas around the Fox Theater are pretty busy in the evening. There are also some spots near 13th, 14th east of Grand.

The Grand Lake area is pretty vibrant and more and more places open all the time for nightlife.

Downtown Berkeley - I liked the vibe a lot, but too many students. Felt like a campus.

Downtown Berkeley is pretty busy all day, but you are correct. There are lots of students there.

North Berkeley?

The Solano Ave area feels like Rockridge. As does the area north of downtown. Limited nightlife.

Other areas of Berkeley (How is the area by the Ashby BART station?)

Sketchy. It is pretty dangerous there. Lots of assaults and stuff. It is way too expensive for the level of sketchy. It is also less busy than downtown or Rockridge.

Temescal?
Piedmont Avenue?

These areas are similar to Rockridge with a different mix of restaurants and people. Temescal has more hipster 20-somethings. Piedmont Ave is all ages. Each area has a little bit of nightlife (around a dozen bars each).

Looking for something vibrant, urban, diverse ... Am I going to find this outside of SF?

Based on your expectations: no. Everything is going to seem quiet based on your definition.

Oakland is big and not big at the same time. Rockridge, Piedmont Ave, Temescal, and Downtown are only about 4 miles from North to South and 2 East to West. Each area has different benefits. Rockridge, Piedmont Ave, Grand Lake/Adam's Point are what I would call complete neighborhoods with grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants and bars. Downtown Oakland is generally incomplete with varying degrees of vibrance -- but plenty of nightlife.

If you move to the Grand Lake Area (above the Theater) and the surrounding streets. You might find what you are looking for. If you live on the downtown side of the Theater, there isn't much going on in terms of restaurants/etc. But it is very dense population wise.

Try Fruitvale? That's definitely a vibrant area.

[lucillenyc]

Thanks for your detailed reply, jade408. I know I won't find anything like Mission Dolores outside of SF. Actually, I'm looking forward to having more breathing room, so I think I'll like the East Bay once I find a good spot.

If Temescal and Piedmont Ave are a bit more gritty and diverse than Rockridge, then I think I'll like those areas. I'll also explore the Grand Lake Theater area more. I walked from downtown to the theater, but didn't go any further.

At least things seem close enough that we could drive to a variety of nightlife/shopping/cafes even if everything isn't outside our doorstep like it is here.

[mayorhaggar]

If by Mission Dolores you mean the area around Dolores Park, I don't really see much of a difference between the Dolores Park area and Rockridge other than that Rockridge is quieter, feels safer, and is a bit warmer and sunnier. I'd equate Rockridge more with Noe Valley maybe, 24th in NV and College Ave in RR are pretty similar.

Yes Oakland/Berkeley feels a bit different from SF in terms of commercial strips but it's not a huge difference. SF gets more and more bland and yuppified every day. Oakland can be kind of beige, there's a bit too much bead shops n' stroller stores on College, but it's so damn middle class that you still get a lot of the kind of good cheap restaurants and quirky neighborhood shops which are dying out in SF.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by lucillenyc

If Temescal and Piedmont Ave are a bit more gritty and diverse than Rockridge, then I think I'll like those areas. I'll also explore the Grand Lake Theater area more. I walked from downtown to the theater, but didn't go any further.

Yup they are!

Try Temescal, Grand Lake, Piedmont Ave (and Adam's Point).

These areas can blend together. They are connected. The mix of single family homes to condos/apartments can range a bit. They are all also more diverse than Rockridge. But in terms of people shopping/eating/bars you'll find most of Oakland is really diverse. Neighborhoods can range a bit in who lives there. But generally, you'll find everyone everywhere mixed in income, class and ethnicity.

If you live around 40th and Broadway, you are basically at the edge of Temescal or Piedmont Ave. Depending who is making te map, you'll live in either neighborhood. It is about a 10 minute walk to BART, 5 minutes to Piedmont Ave, 10-15 minutes to the heart of Temescal and on 2 of the busier bus routes (the 51 which goes from Berkeley to Alameda, through downtown Oakland. downtown Alameda, downtown Berkeley, Elmwood, Rockridge and the Cal campus. The 57 runs North and South through Oakland roughly along Macrthur, starting in Emeryville and ending in Deep East Oakland, but stops in Grand Lake, Piedmont Ave, and the most of the main shopping areas in Emeryville.)