Living in Grand Lake / Lakeshore
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Parent Q&A
Try the Grand Lake area in Oakland. The Lakeshore commercial district is lovely, you are close to the lake and parks. Crocker Highlands Elementary, Cleveland Elementary, and Edna Brewer Middle School are all good. None of Oakland's high schools are all that great, though I think Grand-Lake is mostly zoned for Oakland Tech was rated highest when we were choosing for my daughter 4 years ago (my daughter goes to Oakland High, which has not been terrible but has presented some frustrations on the academic front).
Hi Rosalie,
congratulations on your move! As an ex-New Yorker who grew up in Hell's Kitchen, I can sympathize. I hate driving and strip malls give me a lot of anxiety. San Francisco will probably be the best replacement for New York life, but it's still a very car dependent place. You'll want to look at central parts of the city (Castro, Duboce, Mission) for proximity to transit. However, these are both expensive and transit is still meh. BART works well enough if you're going on its lines, but otherwise buses and MUNI trains will be needed.
as for Oakland, we moved here 8 years ago when houses were bought out from under us 2x. We like it here and though I used to yearn for SF I don't so much anymore now that we have two kids and enjoy the trails and the privilege of a backyard. We initially lived in N Oakland because it was closer to BART. We found that was only useful for my husband's commute. We now live near Lake Merritt, off of Lakeshore, and I have to say it's a decently urban existence. I love the Grand Lake market and though we don't shop at many of the Lakeshore spots, it's got thing s that are useful and we can walk to it.
It's really hard to find super walkable neighborhoods in Oakland. Rockridge is highly prized for that, but it's almost expensive as SF without the benefits, I'd say. Near Piedmont Ave (still in Oakland, not the Piedmont town) is pretty walkable and near highway and bus lines.
good luck!
Agree with the other post about neighborhoods :) we ended up in Grand Lake as well as for a walkable option close to the great parks in Piedmont, rose garden, more neighborhoody feel than urban, and a bit cheaper than other areas that are comparably nice. We had a really challenging time finding a place online though and so we chose to put our stuff in pods that could be stored (thru U-Pack) and we stayed at an Airbnb until we found the right place. It was so hard to have a sense for a neighborhood from just looking at google maps and some places we saw online looked great and then we saw them in person and understood why they were cheap...next to a halfway house or moldy or etc. Good luck and if you find yourselves ending up in Oakland, please reach out to me! It’s so tough relocating and especially with kiddos and especially in a pandemic and I found it really isolating at first so I empathize with your situation! My names Jenneva and I have a 1.5 yr old, please reach out when you get here if you need to connect or get mom recommendations for fun parks and stuff to do with kiddos. Good luck with your move!
While I agree that our public transit has nothing on London, I think some of the previous posters have made the East Bay walking situation sound worse than it actually is! When looking for a home, my husband and I also wanted a walkable neighborhood. We ultimately settled in the Grand Lake area of Oakland and haven't regretted it. Here's what we can EASILY walk to (admittedly some of these business are shut right now because of Covid):
- Trader Joe's (grocery store), small produce market, health food store, large Whole Foods (a bit farther)
- Weekly Farmers Market (thankfully still open even with Covid)
- A plethora of bars and restaurants
- Post Office (admittedly not my favorite branch!) and places to drop of FedEx and UPS packages
- Grand Lake movie theater (please reopen soon!)
- SF fitness gym plus other workout classes, yoga classes, etc
- Dry cleaners and a couple of tailors
- A kids' clothing, shoe and toy store plus other gifty stores on Lakeshore
- Kids' activities such as Gymboree (when reopened!), Martial arts, ballet, etc
- Library with Kids' storytime
- Reasonable commute transit options to San Francisco (should you ever need them)
- A couple of doctor/urgent care options -- Carbon health and One Medical (though that one requires a subscription)
- a good pediatric dentist
In short, we can accomplish a lot of errands without a car and have places to gather for food and drinks with friends nearby (once that's allowed again). Pre-covid my husband walked to work in downtown Oakland and I worked from home. We did still drive our eldest to school daily since it's a bit far to walk and a difficult bike ride. So I'm not saying you'll never want a car -- just saying there are options.
Feel free to message me for more information or just to say hello. I love London and have spent a lot of time there over the years. You will likely miss many things (the theater scene would be biggest for me) but I bet you'll enjoy the weather here. And that helps the walk factor too!
- Lucy
We also live in the Lakeshore area (just north of Grand/Lake). Like the last poster said -- it's a great neighborhood. We have lived in SF, moved to North Oakland (west of but not far from Temescal), then moved over here, and we love it here. When we moved to N Oakland from SF, we also prioritized BART, but the truth is except for my husband's commute, we didn't take it much. It's a limited public transit system (I grew up in NYC, so…I have higher expectations for what a rapid transit system could be). Don't conflate your London expectations with SF ones. It's hard to find truly walkable neighborhoods in the East Bay. Rockridge has it, but it's very expensive for pretty limited housing stock. The Grand/Lake area, pretty much near the lake and north really offers that. Plus the Saturday farmer's market is fantastic. My only complaint is the relative lack of playgrounds north of the Lakeshore district. Everyone has a yard, so there doesn't seem to be an investment in public play spaces.
SF is a beautiful and lovely city, and we miss it, but Oakland has been a great city to have kids in even though I am not someone who dreamed of a yard and a car and my own private house (I grew up in a multi-unit building). I still wonder if I'd be happier in a flat in the city with nearly no driving required. But I also know we are very fortunate.
Regarding the schools, my sense is SF is much more complicated. People don't always get their first choices of schools, but you rank them in Oakland and can select places nearer to your home. If you transfer when your kid is in (what we call) first grade, you may have an easier time getting a spot in a school (maybe). Your younger child might then get a preferred spot at your older child's school.
good luck! We've done cross country moves but not international ones. It's hard and wearing and just know it's going to take 6 mos-1 year to recover from all the logistical and emotional changes. Be patient with yourself!
We live in Grand Lake/Lakeshore neighborhood in Oakland and commute to SF everyday. First, I'd like to give a shout out to our neighborhood which has a landmark historic theater, little cafes, restaurants, shops, parks for kids, library, the oldest bookstore in Oakland, and one of the most vibrant farmers' markets around and of course, Lake Merritt. It's also quite a bit more affordable than Rockridge and I feel a bit safer than Temescal.
Oakland does have an options process for schools but you get preference for your catchment (the neighborhood zone for your area school). Rockridge area has some of the more popular schools (Chabot/Peralta/Hilcrest) and the area middle school and high school are also well regarded. The neighborhood school for Temescal is Emerson which is not ranked high but is well regarded and beloved by families who attend the school. Chabot is a larger school and out of catchment kids do get into Chabot. We like our neighborhood school (Cleveland), which is a hidden gem. In addition to BART, there are transbay buses that get you to downtown SF as well as casual carpool. I have lived in different neighborhoods in Oakland and have commuted to different parts of SF. You don't have to limit yourself to being able to walk to BART to have a pretty easy commute. If being able to walk to BART is really important and you want to stay on the west side of the Caldecott Tunnel, the "safetest" family friendly neighborhoods with BART within walking distance and commercial amenities would be Rockridge BART, North Berkeley BART, El Cerrito BART areas (El Cerrito BART area feels more suburban than hip urban neighborhood). Parts of residential areas near downtown Berkeley BART can also be nice. Piedmont Ave. neighorhood is also very nice and it's one of my favorite places we have lived. Commute to SF is quite easy from Piedmont Ave. area. The neighborhood school is not highly ranked and many famlies in that area send their kids to Chabot or Cleveland which are close or private schools. Berkeley and SF both have blind lottery system, so you could end up in a school that is not close to your house. Oakland gives preference to neighbhood kids and siblings of current students and if there is any room left, they run a lottery for the rest.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
April 2012
Re: Moving to Oakland with small children
I also like the areas along Grand or Lakeshore, particularly north of the 580 Freeway.
April 2011
Re: Affordable Tot-friendly Oakland Neighborhoods
Grand Lake area is awesome. There are 3 parks within walking distance (we live just off Lakeshore, between Lakeshore and Grand). Huge farmer's market on weekends with kid friendly live music and bounce houses. Trader Joes is walkable. Zip around the lake with a stroller. Walk to Fairyland. Walk to Whole Foods. Benefits of Rockridge without insane rents. jaime
My father-in-law lives on Perkins, near Jayne, north of the lake (and doesn't have a car). It is a great neighborhood and very walkable. You can walk to the 19th Street BART station from his house in about 15 minutes. There is a Whole Foods at Harrison & Bay streets and a Grocery Outlet on Broadway @ 29th.
The area between Grand and Lakeshore is also very nice, with lots of convenient shopping and services. On that end of the Lake, there is a Trader Joe's at Lakeshore near the 580 Freeway, and a Safeway up Grand @ Sunnyslope Ave.
You might have trouble finding a two-bedroom for $1200 a month in either of those neighborhoods (I'd expect 1400 or more), but you could probably find a 1 bedroom for that price.
The east side of the lake is a bit more affordable. The availability of shopping/cafes/restaurants isn't as good. There is a Lucky's at E. 18th and Lakeshore. The neighborhoods close to the lake a pretty good, but as you move east away from the lake the they get progressively dicier. Not horrible, but not as nice as the north side (I live on the east side). But I actually think that bus service is better on the east side. The 62 bus hits 4 BART stations over its winding path.
There is a park and a library at the corner of the lake by El Embarcadero (by the 580 Freeway), and Lakeside park in the triangle between Grand Avenue and the Lake (I think technically Lakeside park goes all the way around, but most of the land and play areas are in that triangle). Oh, and Children's Fairyland! The Oakland Main Library is on the other side of the lake (Oak & 14th), but easily walkable from much of the Lake's perimiter (I think the lake is about 3 miles around).
If you are going to stay long enough to worry about public elementary schools, Lakeview has a bad reputation, but Crocker Highlands and Cleveland good ones. Moving a bit further eash, Bella Vista and Franklin are lower income but still perform pretty well. You can find a map of school neighborhod boundaries on the OUSD website.
Good luck. I think the north side of Lake Merritt is a great choice. Carrie
June 2006
we are moving to the grand lake area of oakland. i have a 5 month old son and was wondering if there are any moms and babies groups out there and/or recommendations in terms of family life (parks, activities, etc.) i am moving from bernal heights where i attend a weekly moms and babies group. i would love to become part of a new group and don't know much about this area. i would also love to start networking with people in the oakland community since it is very new to me. any feedback is greatly appreciated. thanks for your time. stephanie
i live in the grand/lake area and have a 10 month old son. we love the area. you are welcome to contact me for a walk or play date. welcome to oakland liz
Do you have neighborhood names? East of lake Merritt could mean several different neighborhoods: parts of Cleveland heights, Trestle Glen, Lakeshore, Grand Lake, parts of Adams Point. We live in Grand Lake close to the Rose Garden. We find this part of the neighborhood to be quiet, family friendly, and down-to-earth. Neighbors are diverse from young singles and couples in their 20s to grandmas. We see many people walking their dogs and pushing strollers. We have friends who live along Grand Ave. and Lakeshore Ave. on the Piedmont side of I-580 and all find the neighborhood to be generally safe and family friendly. It's Oakland and there are crimes, but we don't feel like we need to dodge bullets on our way to pick up pizza from the Star or our morning bagels from Noah's. We love walking to the farmer's market on Saturdays and enjoy the beauty of the Rose Garden when all the roses are in full bloom. There are a lot of great preschools and child friendly activities nearby. I'm not sure how little your kids are but Fairyland is incredible for kids 1 through 5. Several elementary schools in the area are excellent and recently Piedmont has been accepting transfers from other districts. Good luck!
Ten years ago that area was dicey, but I wouldn't hesitate to live there now. As always, in Oakland, I wouldn't walk around late at night. Just use commonsense. It's actually a pretty fabulous area. I had some friends live in an apt in exactly at that area with two small children. They walked everywhere. They moved because they wanted more room for their kids.
We are in Cleveland Heights and feel safe, but send our child to a preschool just south of the lake and are careful about walking around there after dark. Being RIGHT on the lake is not something I'd recommend to newcomers who want peace and quiet-- the lake has been referred to as Oakland's "living room" for a reason and there can be a lot of gatherings and loud celebrations during summer months and warm weather. But, I've had (single) friends who did live right on the lake and had some amazing views. We do love jogging around the lake and being able to walk to playgrounds (FM Smith, Astro), the library, the farmers market, Trader Joes, banks, Arizmendi, tacos and other food options.
Thanks for your response! It would be Cleveland Heights and right by the lake.
Hi there,
There’s crime everywhere in Oakland. Hills, flats, borderline of Berkeley/San Leandro. It doesn’t really matter where you live. Always be aware of your surroundings, keep your head on a swivel, and teach your kids to do the same. Welcome to the Town!
Our family moved to the Bella Vista/Ivy Hill neighborhood just east of the lake and it has been safe. We haven't had any problems. It's very diverse and neighbors actually know and talk with each other--they also look out for anything strange or odd. We have 2 young kids and often walk to Bella Vista Park, which is a nice community gathering space. I've never seen anything questionable there. Since you're new to the Bay--just know that across the entire area, there are car break-ins and catalytic converter thefts, though to my knowledge, those haven't happened in my neighborhood since we moved here. Good luck with your decision, and welcome to the Bay!
I live in the Cleveland Hts/Lakeshore area and had been happy for many years--up until last year. Crime is so bad here that I don't dare go out. I haven't walked at the Lake for a long time. Just read NextDoor: Car jackings--when people park their cars on the street and get a gun pointed at them when they get out. Car break-ins in broad daylight along Lakeshore Ave at the busy shopping area near Trader Joe's. Smash and grab in the stores.
Also an out-of-control carnival atmosphere on weekends and holidays: Lakeshore gets so clogged that even EMT vehicles can't get through and ambulances get harassed by the crowds.
I wish I could move away.
We have a two year old and live east of the lake on Hanover, which is considered near the edge of Cleveland Heights. Our street feels pretty safe. Lots of foot traffic and no major crimes that I know of. Occasionally car windows get smashed in the middle of the night by thieves, but i think you will find that phenomenon most places in the Bay Area.
As you may be aware, crime in the Lake Merritt area has spiked recently with a lot of shootings. Although none of them have been in Cleveland Heights, the proximity does make us anxious.