Affordable rent one hour or less from Oakland? (San Francisco, Fremont: rentals, townhouse)

[FloridaGuy83]

Hello all,

I am contemplating a job offer for a great opportunity for me in Oakland, CA. I am a recent graduate, and I am not very familiar with California or the Bay Area. Unfortunately, my salary would only be in the 40-45K range, and I am simply looking for an affordable single unit within a 1 hour commute to Oakland.

When I did some preliminary research on rent in the area, I could not find anything reasonable for me. I realize I would have to pay a lot to live in the area, but are there safe areas where housing is a bit cheaper? If somebody could just throw some names out for towns or suburbs that are good to look in to, I would appreciate it. My main priority is to live in a safe neighborhood, followed next by price.

Thank you so much!

[gizmo980]

Hi there! I live in the Bay Area (currently 30 miles south of San Francisco), and have been here on & off since 1983... have you looked into the towns of Hayward, Fremont, Newark, San Ramon, Dublin & Pleasanton? Others to consider are Concord, Walnut Creek, and parts of Berkeley. They're all in what's referred to as the "East Bay", and are easily accessible from/to Oakland. You can either take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), which is quick & cheap, or fight the horrendous traffic on I-880... I'd suggest the former, unless you're really attached to your car.

All the towns I mentioned are fairly safe, especially compared to Oakland, and affordable by California standards. You'll still pay around $900-1000 for a one-bedroom, but that's cheaper than most other areas. Parts of Hayward and Fremont are a little sketchy, and San Ramon/Dublin/Pleasanton are somewhat dull (in my opinion)... but these are probably your best options, unless you're willing to deal with crime. I only pay $900/mo for a 2-bedroom townhouse, and there were 3 murders on my block this year. Anyway, hope this helps & good luck with the move!

P.S. Visit here - removed - for tons of rentals in the East Bay.

[almost heaven]

You are short about 100K on the salary to be comfortable in a "nice area" But there are areas of the Bay that have a bad rap that are very nice. If you don't have kids the range of areas is better. Good luck, I make a tone of money and feel like I am just getting by.

[vondeitch]

Just live in Oakland in the lake Merrit area. It is really nice and totally safe. Oakland has a really bad rep, but isn't as bad as most would have you believe. The Tri-Cities ( Fremont, Newark, and Union City) are very boring and way overpriced. Hayward is way more dangerous than anyone is willing to admit and San Leandro is, for the most part, just an extention of East Oakland (a place you may be able to afford, but don't want to live). The valley (Walnut Creek, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, Tracy) are very boring and way too expensive. I grew up in the fruitvale district, and we had a saying. Oakland is "block by block". Some blocks are great, even in the worst hood. Some blocks are BAAAAADDDDD even in the best hood. It's worth a look and a better alternative to paying too much and having to drive everywhere.

[blurstar]

I'm wondering what you considered "reasonable"?

[StandingRoomOnly]

If you are planning on living outside of Oakland (more than 30 minutes away), make sure your job and your residence are close to BART. Commute traffic will get old fast. Also, you may want to look into getting roommates, or finding a house that rents out a room...with a 40k a year salary renting a large master bedroom for 700 or 800 in a really nice neighborhood might be more worth it than spending 900-1100 on a studio or 1 bedroom in a questionable neighborhood. Also check "cottages" and "in-law" units. You'll often find these in better neighborhoods. Craigslist is the best web site to use for finding roommates or rentals in this area.

[Dedalus]

Oakland is a great town! There's lots of places that are quite safe, its reputation is undeserved.

I second the recommendation of the person who mentioned Lake Merritt. Check out the area on the side opposite the one E. 14th Street runs along.

[thesurfingcactus]

Everyplace in the East Bay is "Block by Block" Concord, Antioch, Pittsburg sure are anyway.

[CaliPeach]

I agree with the Lake area in Oakland... there are some great older buildings there with affordable rent! I think that you will have to visit there to get a good idea of what we are talking about, though...

[BlueRose]

there are some places in the lake merrit area which I really like. Try browsing Craigs list to get an idea. You may even be able to see a photo of the places.....

I like certain areas of Oakland alot...