Help Choosing 2 Apartments between 2 Neighborhoods (San Jose, Oakland: condo, violent crime, house)

[dipswitch]

Hi all,

The SJ forums have been so good to me so far, and I am very grateful for all the information. I do need some specific input now from you folks.. I am moving in with my gf from out of state to SJ within the next few days. We are in the area to look for apartments and have identified and visited a few already. There are two that we really like and couldn't quite decide between them. Hopefully with your input, we can make the right choice.

We are in the market for a 2BR and our price range is up to $1600. Here's a breakdown of the two that we really liked:

#1:
Location: Just south of DT SJ, near 3rd St and Patterson St.
Monthly Rent: $1550
+ Comes with a closed garage that fits one car, and a driveway for the second
+ Walking distance to DT SJ
+ Gated (feels safer)
- All carpets (more difficult to maintain than #2)

#2:
Location: Along Fruitdale Ave., between Bascom Ave. and Leigh Ave. (95128)
Monthly Rent: $1495
+ Wooden floors (classier, easier to maintain)
+ Much bigger space (particularly in living room) than #1, and natural lighting
- Comes with a garage and driveway that still fits two cars but it's open
- Not gated

We've made a table of our different, weighted criteria and rated both apartments for each. #1 won by a very slim margin.

Ratings aside, I would rather go for #1 because I feel safer with the gated building and a closed garage, but the gf really liked #2 because of the space (and the lighting) and the wooden floors. Don't get me wrong, I like the apartment for those reasons too but I feel that, especially coming from out of state, that we are better safe than sorry.

In any case, I'd like to get your folks' inputs to see if we've missed a major factor in this decision. I've heard that spots of downtown SJ are undesirable and also heard that the Fruitdale area may not be the best, so any insight with these neighborhoods/areas would be very invaluable.

For example, if you can convince me if #2 isn't really as unsafe as I make it out to be, then I would probably consider #2 a little bit more.

Thanks everyone!

-Nestor

[cardinal2007]

Location #1 is probably somewhat sketchier, hence why they have gated areas, but location 2 is further from restaurants and other services.

I think in terms of safety I wouldn't count gated places as that much safer, my condo complex is gated, but people break into the parking garage all the time. I don't think Fruitdale is unsafe, and south of 280 by downtown certainly feels sketchier. I would call it a draw in terms of safety.

How you weigh other things depend on taste, #1 is easy commute to and from 280 for example. #1 is probably more urban area than #2. #1 is probably better for car break ins, less likely to be an issue if the garage only fits one car like that.

Most of the crime in San Jose is very minor in comparison to most cities, but you're welcome to look at the map, CrimeReports Map from the SJPD, sleepy subdivisions, even ones from the 1920s-30s tend to be where crime is the lowest, but like you, that's out of my budget. Violent crime is rare, not to say you don't need to be vigilant, but yeah San Jose is still one of the safest cities in the US.

[RatSnake]

I lived in that area from 2005 - 2009 ---- off of Bascom - but on the opposite side of the new library (between Winchester and Bascom).

That area of Fruitdale is pretty tough relative to the other side.
We travel there a lot ... the McDonalds', Crossroads church - and visit friends on DeRose Way.

Yes - the crime is all just petty crime ... but if you have young kids, please check the state sexual offenders' website too. Also there is a condo on DeRose way - that sees a lot of car break-ins - INSIDE the gated complex!

[vrhunski]

I vote for #2

[ChromeHuman]

I lived at #2 for 17 years. I'd recommend it over #1.

At #2 my car did get broken into about every 2 years. But I never was worried about my personal safety. I'd be more concerned about that at #1.

The living conditions along Fruitdale can vary considerably from one apartment building to another, depending on how carefully they screen tenants.

I found #2 a very convenient location. From there you can quickly get on the freeway to be on your way to SF, Oakland, Santa Cruz, but without living so close to the freeway that you can hear it, like #1.

[justinbro2002]

The way things are now a days car breakins are all too common place I've had my car broken into several times over the last 5 years.my girlfriends suv was broken into in broad daylight i a shopping center in an affluent neighborhood. My car was broken into in my driveway at my last house in a small subdivision of very nice single family homes in livermore. years ago someone use to always break in to my car and steal change and laundry detergent a few times. I filled a tide bottle with half pink clothes dye and they stole that.they kinda stopped then I kept an eye out for a lowlife with pink clothes but never saw him