# Real estate close enough to Berkeley to commute, cheap enough to actually buy/rent **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 12, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132 "2013-12-12T03:02:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/81 "2013-12-14T09:07:56Z")
> [@Caldazar](#): > > You could probably also find something in budget in the El Cerrito/Richmond areas, but there can be crime and safety concerns in parts of those latter areas. El Cerrito is fine as long as you’re not within a couple of blocks of San Pablo Avenue (the main commercial street). There’s a crime corridor along there, but when you get up the hill a little bit it’s much safer. Richmond is very spread out geographically, and has some nice neighborhoods and some terrible ones. Point Richmond is a great little community, but you’re taking your life in your hands if you cross the tracks into North Richmond (which is actually an unincorporated area). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/82 "2013-12-14T10:42:38Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > El Cerrito is fine as long as you’re not within a couple of blocks of San Pablo Avenue (the main commercial street). There’s a crime corridor along there, but when you get up the hill a little bit it’s much safer. > > Richmond is very spread out geographically, and has some nice neighborhoods and some terrible ones. Point Richmond is a great little community, but you’re taking your life in your hands if you cross the tracks into North Richmond (which is actually an unincorporated area). Stay away from the [Iron Triangle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Triangle,_Richmond,_California) and you’re good. Family lives a few blocks away, and it’s very safe. The main danger is vehicular collisions because the streets are so tiny. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/83 "2013-12-14T23:41:02Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Live wherever the Berkeley hippies live. Just got reminded of this thread this morning. I was driving in Berkeley and I ended up behind an elderly, bearded gentlemen with a Grateful Dead sticker on the back…of his shiny, new-looking Lexus :p. Hippies aren’t all quite what they used to be. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/84 "2013-12-14T23:42:30Z")
I was expecting that dead-head sticker to be on a Cadillac, cause you can’t go back, you can never go back… ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/85 "2013-12-15T02:09:25Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Just got reminded of this thread this morning. I was driving in Berkeley and I ended up behind an elderly, bearded gentlemen with a Grateful Dead sticker on the back…of his shiny, new-looking Lexus :p. > > Hippies aren’t all quite what they used to be. A few years back we went to Berkeley with the son of a friend of ours - and walked into what looked like an old traditional riot. A car was on fire, and a shop window was smashed. It turns out they bought the car to torch, and the shop window was an accident. The organizers paid for it. So, not at all like it used to be. (Though I went through my real riot in Cambridge.) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/86 "2013-12-15T02:25:06Z")
Not East Oakland, Richmond or Hayward. It’s not worth living there, and if you need three bedrooms, you really don’t want to be raising kids there. I did a Craigslist search and those were the only cities within commute distance; there were some places farther out in Pittsburgh or Antioch, but that’s waaaayyy out there for a daily commute. Like, an hour and a half to two hours. You might have luck in San Leandro; it’s kind of a reasonable enclave between Oakland and Hayward, and you should be able to commute to Berkeley on BART. Farther out in the east bay, Concord & Pleasant Hill might have something, but they’d be pretty far away for a daily commute. Three months ago I was renting a studio in Berkeley for $1,350. No charge for utilities, though! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/87 "2013-12-15T03:15:12Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > A few years back we went to Berkeley with the son of a friend of ours - and walked into what looked like an old traditional riot. A car was on fire, and a shop window was smashed. > > It turns out they bought the car to torch, and the shop window was an accident. The organizers paid for it. So, not at all like it used to be. (Though I went through my real riot in Cambridge.) It was a “riot” though? Like the slacktivism version? In SF, I saw a bunch of protesters protesting bank bailouts or some such. At a bank which is not greatly associated with those problems. At a closed branch. Really daring there, guys. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Not East Oakland, Richmond or Hayward. It’s not worth living there, and if you need three bedrooms, you really don’t want to be raising kids there. > > I did a Craigslist search and those were the only cities within commute distance; there were some places farther out in Pittsburgh or Antioch, but that’s waaaayyy out there for a daily commute. Like, an hour and a half to two hours. > > You might have luck in San Leandro; it’s kind of a reasonable enclave between Oakland and Hayward, and you should be able to commute to Berkeley on BART. Farther out in the east bay, Concord & Pleasant Hill might have something, but they’d be pretty far away for a daily commute. > > Three months ago I was renting a studio in Berkeley for $1,350. No charge for utilities, though! East Oakland is like 1/2 - 2/3 of the city by area. There’s some decent parts, but West Oakland as a whole isn’t terribly great. Hayward is fine, except maybe around Tennyson, and when I went back the downtown-ish area is yuppified. But considering San Leandro is between both cities, parts can be rough. Not germane to affect choosing to move there today, but their past “respectability” was due to some very racist housing laws. But I think it’s important to be reasonably close to bart station, even if you plan to drive. Looking at the map, for what’s not mentioned, Dublin is expensive, Castro Valley is fine if boring, the nicest Oakland station is Rockridge, but it might not be cheap to live near. Walnut Creek is nicer Concord, Lafayette and Orinda are usually to pricy, although I know parts of at least Moraga were somewhat affordable. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/88 "2013-12-16T22:11:11Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > If you can find a house within less than an hour’s driving distance of Berkeley that only costs $500k, there’s a good chance it was actually on fire when it was listed. Listing for a 2 bedroom home in the Berkeley hills, asking price $899,000: “One of the most spectacular views properties in all of Northern California. Nestled in the pristine hills of Berkeley, with this two million dollar view you can see San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge & Mt. Tam. **Home has severe fire damage.** Get the jump on this amazing opportunity now!” Oh, and… no picture available. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132/89 "2013-12-16T22:51:17Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > It was a “riot” though? Like the slacktivism version? In SF, I saw a bunch of protesters protesting bank bailouts or some such. At a bank which is not greatly associated with those problems. At a closed branch. Really daring there, guys. It was the simulation of a riot. I think they were protesting something. I forget what. I should have known it wasn’t real - no cops. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-close-enough-to-berkeley-to-commute-cheap-enough-to-actually-buy-rent/676132.md?page=4)