September 26, 2007
Notes On A Neighborhood: “Everything On Your Doorstep” Rockridge
There’s a lot to recommend Rockridge, an Oakland neighborhood near the Berkeley border which is roughly delineated by the map below:
At the heart of this vibrant area is the eponymous BART station which gives out onto College Avenue and its veritable smörgåsbord of top-rated restaurants, popular coffee shops, clothes- gift- and book-shops as well as a world-class deli.
Real estate agents talk of “lower” Rockridge which is the part nearest to BART — and the area I am referring to here — and “upper” Rockridge which moves further east towards the hills.
Not surprisingly, friends who live there love it. They pick up dinner at Market Hall too often despite the detrimental effect on their bank balance. They have breakfast at the Rockridge Cafe, browse books at Diesel, buy designer jeans at August and sip hot chocolate at Bittersweet.
The Walk Score for a home here is going to be one of the highest you could get. I punched in a friend’s address at it came in at 92/100.
But — for there is a but — proximity to all the buzz brings with it a downside. A friend who lives on Oak Grove Avenue says he wouldn’t roam around at night, particularly near BART, it just doesn’t feel that safe. (Check out crime stats as advised in previous posts.)
Another friend who lived on Lawton Avenue at College for a few months remembers being woken up daily by the pre-dawn visitations of the garbage crews working the restaurants.
Still, if you crave an “everything on your doorstep” lifestyle, you can’t go wrong with Rockridge.
Check the “Out & About” Rockridge street fair on September 30th to get a taste of the place. You could also go on the famous “Rockridge Kitchen Tour” on October 7th. Visit the Rockridge Community Planning Council’s website for more details on this and other goings-on in the area.
Then check out homes. They turn over fast in this ‘hood, but here are three newly listed homes on the market as I write:
6020 Auburn Avenue: 3/2 Arts & Crafts with box-beam ceilings and in-builts. Price: $975,000.
6322 Colby Street: a 2/1 refurbished Craftsman with lots of original details. price: $799,000.
5137 Miles Avenue: 3/2.5 clapboard Craftsman bungalow (dining room pictured above)with home office and attached garage. Price: $859,000.
