Oakland (San Francisco, Berkeley, Richmond: best city, crime, homes)

[Moscow]

Hello!
I'm from Russia and I'll go to Oakland for summer by program allows students from European countries to come to US during their summer vacation for a period of up to 4 months and legally work.

Can you tell me about Oakland and job there?Are there restaurants, cafes, shops or smth like it?It there a resort area?

And what about San Francisco?

Thanks in advance.

[gizmo980]

Oakland itself is actually a dangerous city, so you'll need to be very careful wandering around... but there are some nice spots and plenty of restaurants/cafes, shops, etc., where you could find work. I'd suggest looking into Berkeley instead, which is a safer & cool town next to Oakland. You'll get the total Bay Area experience there, and it's FULL of college students - many international students too. It was the original "hippie" town, so there's still a nice mellow (and very liberal) vibe to the community... I love it, and would totally move there if I found a good enough job.

San Francisco is also a great city, and I think you'd have fun living there for a while. It's very expensive though, unless you're willing to live in a bad neighborhood. Some nice areas that aren't too pricey would be the Sunset district, Richmond, SoMa (South of Market), Lower Nob Hill, Castro, Noe Valley, and Potrero Hill. If prices are too high for you, try to find a roommate or two, and you'll be able to afford a nicer place.

Finally, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "resort"? If you mean golf & country-club types of places, there are lots of those around the Bay Area. If you're talking about skiing and such, you can find that in Lake Tahoe, which is a 3-4 hour drive. Of course we also have great beaches, in San Francisco and all the way down/up highway 1. Anyway, I hope this helps & good luck. Btw, I'm of Russian descent, but haven't been there yet... the rest of my family has visited, and I can't wait to go some day! Wish we could trade places for that 4 months, LOL.

[beone]

Hello Moscow,

I just have to say I love Russian culture, especially Russian opera and ballet. I also always pull for Russia in figure skating and hockey

Welcome to the Bay Area! I think you're really going to love it here. San Francisco is far and out the best city in the bay area. It is the most interesting architecturally, and offers just about everything a world class city, such as Moscow, offers. I think you'll probably end up spending a majority of your free time in San Francisco. However, you should definitely make sure to check out Marin, Napa and Sonoma (which I prefer to Napa). There are a lot of great places here...Monterey too.

The previous poster said, "Some nice areas that aren't too pricey would be the Sunset district, Richmond, SoMa (South of Market), Lower Nob Hill, Castro, Noe Valley, and Potrero Hill." I disagree with this - the Castro (where I live), SOMA and Noe Valley are not among the lesser expensive areas to live in. However, the Castro, Mission and Noe Valley neighborhoods are easily accessible by BART and the MUNI Metro, which gives them a huge advantage over other neighborhoods in my opinion. You'll also find a lot of resturants/cafes in these neighborhoods (like in most SF neighborhoods). The Sunset (especially the Outer Sunset) and the Richmond do rank among the cheaper neighborhoods, but they are far from everything (except the ocean and Golden Gate Park) and the only way in and out of the Richmond is by bus. The N-Judah (MUNI Metro) line goes through the Sunset, and the Inner Sunset is quite lovely. You may want to check that out. My favorite neighborhoods are Russian Hill and Pacific Heights, but they are among the most expensive in the city. I think, for someone who doesn't have a car, your life will be a lot easier if you live close to BART or the MUNI Metro.

Keep the questions coming. You will love San Francisco.

[Bickie]

OAKLAND is a beautiful city with multi-million dollar homes nestled in the hills.
Mills College and Holy Names College are two very prestigious universities located within this fine city. The culture is very diverse, the Oakland Ballet is award winning as is the symphony.
Children's Hospital is one of the nations leading pediatric research/ trauma centers.
The topgraphy is beautiful -- you will see people strolling Lake Merrit, shopping on Lake Shore avenue and sipping coffee at the many Starbucks.
The crime is in the flatlands, and is turf related.
Don't believe the hype and false hysteria - Oakland is awesome!

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by beone

The previous poster said, "Some nice areas that aren't too pricey would be the Sunset district, Richmond, SoMa (South of Market), Lower Nob Hill, Castro, Noe Valley, and Potrero Hill." I disagree with this - the Castro (where I live), SOMA and Noe Valley are not among the lesser expensive areas to live in.

I agree, those are on the higher end... I just wanted to list the safer parts of town, which weren't ridiculously expensive - like Twin Peaks, North Beach, Upper Nob Hill, etc. But you're right, they aren't cheap! Then again, what is cheap in San Francisco, unless you live in the Tenderloin or Bayview?

And to "Bickie", I didn't mean to paint Oakland in a terrible light... I realize there are nice parts, and it has a lot to offer. In fact, I'd considered applying for a job there, since they pay extremely well in my field; and I would've moved there if I had gotten a job in Oakland. But I do think it's important to warn "Moscow", since he/she has very little knowledge about the area. And I'd hate to see them end up taking a job in East Oakland, where they could be in danger! I live in a bad neighborhood myself (East Palo Alto), so I'm all too aware of what can happen if you're oblivious...

[Moscow]

Oh, thank you all so much for answers!:*
I will take into account all your advices, and I hope, I will see all the cities, you tell me!!

I can't wait for the summer! I want to go to the USA so much!!!!
I hope it will be the greatest time!