Keith

I've wondered about this too - from what I can gather, it is because Albany's roots are very working class and I'm guessing that the developers originally built housing for that demographic. I think my cousin also mentioned that some of the housing was built long ago as secondary housing for some of the San Franciscans.

I totally agree - great city (schools, retail, feel), but the housing is substandard (small sq. footage, tiny lots, no character/charm/design, and hideously expensive for what you get!!). Most homes that are larger are really smaller homes that often have poorly integrated additions. Bummer!!

The prices in Albany make North Berkeley/Berkeley Hills look like a bargain (well, sort of...) (but of course, you don't get the high-scoring Albany schools....) - Thu Aug 30 2007, 15:38

Berkeley, baby! Great restaurants, cool shops, culture. Diverse and eclectic mix of students, professionals and hippie leftovers from the 60's. Close to SF, but prices are lower and with less congestion. There's the legendary family-owned Berkeley Bowl for the best produce selection in the state - and at reasonable prices compared to that other big food market in the recent news where the CEO went to the online message boards to bash his competitor before making an offer to buy them :)

Really great restaurants in both Berkeley, Albany and nearby Rockridge (Oakland), unique boutique shopping on Fourth St, varied styles of housing (this ain't the 'burbs!) and lots of trees keep it real. Birthplace of Peet's coffee, Tilden Park for hiking, biking, walking, the UC Campus. - Mon Jul 23 2007, 16:16

I live in North Berkeley and used to live in South Berkeley - For the most part, South Berkeley is a safe area. Parts of South Berkeley are in fact some of the most expensive and coveted areas in the city. For instance, the Elmwood District (College at Ashby - zip 94705) is typified by million dollar plus homes and has some great shopping & eating establishments in the 'hood. Homes in the Elmwood (where I used to live) sell quickly and for high prices; homes in the nearby Claremont district in S. Berkeley sell for even more. South Berkeley closer to the UC campus isn't as nice because there are a lot of homeless and teenage panhandlers (Telegraph Ave) - the city is taking big steps to resolve this issue and is trying to improve the experience on Telegraph Ave by courting nicer retailers like Peet's coffee. Anything above (East) of Telegraph Ave. is more highly desired than below Telegraph and anything above College is more desirable than above Telegraph. All in all, I'd highly recommend living there - as in all cases, you'll need to pay attention to the specific streets & micro-neighborhoods within the area. - Wed Jun 13 2007, 16:36

The Marina was hit hard in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake b/c it's built on landfill, which is prone to liquefaction during quakes. According to USGS, the Bay Area is already at a 67% chance of a major quake within the next 30 years on one of its major fault zones. Add the liquefaction matter into the equation and I would be mindful of that when considering the Marina (especially given the sky-high prices and in spite of the beautiful scenery/location). In fact, the SF Chron outlined a study describing a nightmarish scenario for SF housing if a 7.2 quake hits (go to sfgate and do a search for "Grim forecast sees housing in tatters after major S.F. quake" article). The article doesn't even mention the Marina, but it would surely be severely affected b/c of the landfill issue (evidenced by the '89 quake). The study says at least 30k homes would be decimated. Then again... if a really big one hits, no homes in any neighborhood will necessarily be safe from significant damage (even in quake-aware Japan, many of the supposedly quake-engineered structures in Kobe collapsed during a large quake). Happy reading! - Fri May 11 2007, 11:57

A bit of an outlier, but West Portal is a highly coveted 'hood if you have/want to raise a family. West Portal Ave. has some good restaurants (e.g., Fresca Peruvian food) and a Peet's coffee, among other stores and amenities, all within walking distance. Very community oriented.

Downsides: Out of the way, weather not so great, homes are very expensive. - Thu May 10 2007, 17:11