What is the best area in Oakland for Ferry compute to SF. Looking for Urban enviroment, good schools?

Recently this question was asked and here is my response.

Where is the best place will really depend if you want to be walking distance to the Ferry or if you would be okay with driving and parking at the Ferry.

I would also ask if you are willing to consider BART, because this will open up the possibilities for commuting.

In Oakland some popular areas are Rockridge, Crocker Highlands and Montclair. Rockridge has a BART station and is a short drive to the ferry. It is a urban area with lots of shops and restaurants. Crocker Highlands is a little less urban with easy access to bus lines and a short drive to BART and the Ferry. There is a great area along Lakeshore and Grand Ave that have access to shops and restaurants. Montclair is also a popular area. Montclair is the least urban in my opinion of the 3 areas, but access to public transportation is good and there is a Montclair shopping area.

You may also want to consider Piedmont. Piedmont is a small city that is basically surrounded by Oakland. Many consider the schools in Piedmont to be stellar and access to the ferry and public transportation is similar to areas in Oakland.

As mentioned previously, Alameda is also a potential possibility. It definitely has a less urban feel to it, but access to the ferry is great and again many consider the schools to be excellent.

One resource for checking out neighborhoods and parents opinions of schools is the Berkeley Parents Network at http://parents.berkeley.edu/ This site has a lot of great resources and information regarding schools in and around the Bay Area. Finding a school that fits a family can be a very personal choice and being able to talk to other parents regarding different schools I found to be very helpful when I was researching schools for my kids.

Another on site resource ishttp://%20www.greatschools.net/

Below are links to the school districts in Oakland, Piedmont and Alameda for you take a look

Oakland: http://webportal.ousd.k12.ca.us/Default.aspx
Alameda http://www.alameda.k12.ca.us/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1
Piedmont http://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/

If you would like more information regarding homes in these areas, please contact me.

Thank you,

Lisa Cartolano
Alain Pinel Realtors
510.213.1139
Lisa@LisaCartolano.com

Visit my website at http://www.lisacartolano.com/