You can find a studio in Alameda for a "mere" $1200 a month. It's a safe city with good access to San Francisco (or what we just called The City when I lived there). San Leandro isn't a bad city either in terms of BART access.
As bad a rep that Oakland has, and much of it is deserved, there are areas that aren't a warzone there.
As bad a rep that Oakland has, and much of it is deserved, there are areas that aren't a warzone there.