Oakland Neighborhoods Guide
Moving to Oakland is a great choice, considering all of the beautiful neighborhoods there are to choose from. It’s also a smart way to live in the San Francisco Bay Area without necessarily paying San Francisco prices for the pleasure. However, with so many neighborhoods to choose from, you’ll want to take time to do your research. While the best Oakland neighborhoods are those that fit the unique personalities of the individuals who live there, the following list tend to be the most beloved based on certain traits. Here’s our Oakland neighborhoods guide with a few of our favorites:Low Rent
The San Francisco area is renowned for its astronomical rent prices. Like we mentioned at the beginning, getting out of the city can be a smart way of tackling this problem. However, just because you’re in Oakland doesn’t mean you won’t have to spend some serious cash for the pleasure.
East Oakland is a good option for cutting back on your living expenses though. The East Oakland neighborhood (not the actual geographic area) is probably going to be your best bet for finding places with low rent. West Oakland (again, the neighborhood) is also another good place to check out. Be warned, though, these Oakland neighborhoods still feature some pretty rough areas, though things are getting better.
Luxury
On the other end of the spectrum, if you have some money to burn, there are going to be a number of Oakland neighborhoods that will make it worth your investment. Of them, though, Montclair, Claremont Hills and Forestland are probably the best. These neighborhoods are located up in the hills, which makes them far more exclusive than other options. Amongst other things, this means a lower crime rate. Furthermore, this location will also provide you with all kinds of lush greenery and countless parks. Up in the hills it becomes easy to forget you’re situated near a major metropolitan area.Easy Commutes
If you don’t actually work in Oakland, you’re going to have a significant commute facing you. This could still be the case if you live in Oakland specifically. Living downtown will help with this though. While there are many benefits to living downtown (the nightlife, the shopping, the restaurants, etc.), one of the best may be your access to public transportation. There are a number of BART stations that will give you access to San Francisco or other locations in the Bay Area. By making your home downtown, you could easily sell your car and use that money to help cover other expenses.Good Schools
If you plan on raising a family in the near future or currently are, you’re probably most interested in Oakland neighborhoods that can offer you good schools. On the other side of the hills, you’ll find Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda, three neighborhoods often referred to as “Lamorinda” by locals. Most schools in Oakland tend to be very good, but the ones you’ll have access to by living in these Oakland neighborhoods are going to be even better, for the most part.Dog-Friendly
Of course, you may be thinking about another member of your family. The San Francisco area is extremely dog-friendly, but some Oakland neighborhoods are better than others. If you want you and your dog to make plenty of friends, Piedmont, Rockridge and Elmont are easy recommendations.
Best All-around Neighborhood
According to the American Planning Association, the best neighborhood not just in Oakland, but the entire country, is the Uptown area. As the “arts and entertainment of Oakland”, Uptown will ensure you always have plenty to do. Plenty of transportation options are available as well, making it easy to get elsewhere. Best of all, the residents here are extremely dedicated to keeping their neighborhood a great place to live.
Finding the right neighborhood is essential to moving to Oakland. To help make that move as easy as possible, let Boxbee help with the best moving products available for rent.
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