Richmond, CA, California

What's it like living in Richmond, CA?

Thinking of buying a house in El Cerrito, as well as Richmond, specifically the North and East neighborhood. (Renting in Berkeley but house prices are absurd.) Without doing any other research besides viewing a crime map, looks like N&E is still challenged in that respect.

Answer:
I grew up in Richmond and own a house here. I would consider N&E a nice part of Richmond and would not mind living in those areas. Richmond gets a bad rep but crime is no where near what it was before. Yes there is crime but it is no worse than any other place in the bay. During the 90's and 2000's we used to have a lot of gangs. I rarely see gang members anymore. You should still be street smart though.

Don't start shit with people, don't go hang out at parks at night, don't be an asshole and you will be fine. Of course sometimes you may run into an asshole/s but that can happen anywhere. People of all cultures and backgrounds live here and we all get along for the most part. Like anywhere there will always be groups of people causing trouble. You should know when to spot them.

It is not the prettiest city but there is a lot of cool history here and it is still affordable and close to San Francisco.

Diverse? Yes.

Booming? lots of businesses are moving here due to lower rent. We even have an Amazon warehouse here now.

Getting expensive? Yes, people are starting to find out it is not that bad here.

Gentrifying? I would say yes but not as fast as San Francisco. Most gentrified right now would probably be Point Richmond and the Richmond Marina.

Activities: Hiking at Miller Knox, Alvarado Park or Wildcat Canyon. Kayaking from Point Richmond or Richmond Marina. Wind surfing, Sailing, fishing, shooting at the Richmond Gun and Rod Club, Bowling at Albany Bowl, bbqing, dog walking at Pt Isabel Dog Park, you can bike a trail from Richmond Marina all the way to Treasure Island, you can bike from Alvarado park to Oakland through Wild Cat Canyon. A lot of outdoors stuff but if you want night life you need to go to Berkeley, Oakland or SF which are not far.

Food: Taco trucks on every corner. Thai, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Soul Food, etc. everything can be found here.

Schools: Not the greatest but there are many charter and private options. I think they have been improving. You can search school ratings easily.
Hope any of this helps.

Living in Richmond?
Currently live in a different part of the East Bay and thinking about moving to Richmond. We'd like to own a home/condo, and there seem to be some affordable areas in Richmond where we can own a nice place at a reasonable (for the Bay) price. We've looked at the Marina Bay community and the area near Point Pinole park. Been able to find a lot of info about living in the Marina area, but having trouble finding any info or opinions about the area near Point Pinole. Newer subdivisions, close the distribution centers and country club. Anyone lived there or know the area well?

Answer:

I know you mentioned that you are more looking for info about Point Pinole, but my wife and I bought a condo in the Marina Bay area of Richmond a year ago and love it. Very quaint, feels safe with lots of families. The prices in our area are a lot more reasonable than SF, the Peninsula, or Oakland. My commute to the city is great. For me, it’s a 15ish minute walk (or 5 minute bike) to the Richmond ferry. From there, the ferry takes you to the Ferry Building in SF in about 35 minutes. There’s always plenty of seats, everyone is a working professional, and there’s obviously no traffic in the Bay. Cons of living here: school district is really poorly rated, lots of traffic driving toward Oakland/SF during rush hour, and there’s not a ton of restaurants or super markets nearby. We often go to El Cerrito, Albany, and Berkeley for groceries or dinners out. Happy to answer any other questions you may have. Best of luck!

Living in Richmond?

Check out the 94805 zipcode area. It's the Richmond hills, and is a short drive to del Norte Bart. We came here cuz we could get a standalone house for the price of a condo in Oakland. Area feels safe and neighbors we've met are pretty chill, but it's definitely a little bit of an older crowd. Historically home values have had a pretty stable rose here if you look at zillow or redfin trends. We walk our dog around the neighborhood and see a good amount of families around. School districts are okay if you plan on having kids. This area is also really close to wildcat canyon, so hiking is pretty accessible.

Thinking About Living In Richmond, California?