Live Oak

Just north of the Gourmet Ghetto as the restaurant rich stretch of Shattuck is known, is the Live Oak neighborhood of Berkeley, so named because it surrounds Live Oak Park. Live Oak Park itself is a smallish park with lots of tree cover and walkways—a great little bucolic oasis in a suburban desert.

The main artery going through this area is Henry Street which is what Shattuck veers into as it heads up to the Solano Tunnel. Dark redwood shingled town homes and a tree-lined meridian characterize this lane. Most of the stores and restaurants are south of Rose and thus outside of the Live Oak neighborhood. The neighborhood itself is almost completely residential.

West of Henry, the neighborhood is a fairly even mix of smallish single family homes—many dating back to before World War II--and boxy three story 1970s style apartments, complete with middle courtyards so people can spend time together (in theory). The typical apartment or home in this area averages about $700 per room, a three bedroom costing around $2100.

As you move farther north, you come across a section of the neighborhood where the homes, though still very modestly sized for the most part are well-maintained giving this area an irresistibly quaint feel to it, as much of North Berkeley does. Prices are much steeper here, with the average room averaging about $900. It is also generally the case that there are fewer undergrads in this neighborhood, since many residents of this area are actually owners and those that aren’t still tend to be committed to staying put for a while.

East of Henry as the neighborhood nudges up against the Berkeley Hills, you find only small older homes.

The many schools and daycares in this small neighborhood speak to the majority of the population here—largely young professionals with small children, just as in the surrounding neighborhoods. St. Mary’s runs a daycare and a school and Congregation Beth El may do the same.

This area is also far enough from Downtown that you largely avoid the problems with homeless folks and crime.

Overall, it is a nice quiet place for Berkeley residents to raise kids.