8.0 out of 10

Dimond

Ranked 5th best neighborhood in Oakland
37.7974855838541 -122.211103240161
Great for
  • Eating Out
  • Parking
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Public Transport
  • Cost of Living
Not great for
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Schools
  • Safe & Sound
  • Clean & Green
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+

Reviews

5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 5/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Schools 4/5
2yrs+

"Great neighborhood with restaurants, parks, trails, and shopping"

I'm not sure why Dimond has such a low score -- the neighborhood has everything one needs. A great organic grocery store, an excellent bakery, great pet store, cvs, Safeway, several coffee shops, a park with a swimming pool/tennis courts, library, post office, a beautiful trail that runs up Sausal Creek through Joquin Miller park, quiet tree-lined streets, views up the hill, and is highly walkable but still has great freeway access making it very easy to drive anywhere in Oakland. There are also a bunch of broken-down houses and some riff raff that tends to both loiter/litter (probably my biggest pet peeve with the area), but hey, it's Oakland, and I think these things are slowly but surely cleaning up. The neighborhood association really cares. There's a nice Oaktoberfest each year, and new restaurants pop up regularly. Houses are still affordable -- but probably not for long. Public transit could be a little better, but there's an active casual carpool straight to SF, and Dimond is the first stop on an express bus back from the transbay terminal in SF. Quick bike ride to BART, as well. Neighborhood is also extremely diverse (could be a pro or a con for some). Weather is really great too -- warmer and sunnier than even other parts of Oakland.
Pros
  • Great weather
  • Parks/Trails
  • Restaurants/Shopping
  • Close to the Freeway
  • Good Transportation
  • Excellent amenities
Cons
  • Dirty
  • Litter
  • Occasional Riff Raff on McArthur
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
4/5 rating details
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
2yrs+

"The Dimond - Very nice for the price!"

The Dimond, ( no “a”) ! sometimes referred to as the Fruitvale since the shopping area and freeway exit is on Fruitvale. In general the area is not large and at the top runs into lower Lincoln Heights , and on the South side the Laurel.
Many of the homes are Charming 1920s and 30’s craftsman, albeit modest in nature. There is a main shopping strip and the 580 freeway is close by. Some streets succumbed to a rash of multifamily units, built for function not form!
A desirable characteristic of this neighborhood is that prices are more moderate than in other Oakland neighborhoods boasting similar amenities.
The main shopping streets are McArthur and Fruitvale. The last few years have seen a concerted effort by the local merchant and resident community to attract more business and beautify the area.
There is a large Farmer Joes supermarket, La Farine bakery, several coffee shops and a wide selection of multi cultural stores and restaurants. Dimond Park with swimming pool and tennis courts, a Safeways , a local branch library and a post office are all pluses for those looking for neighborhoods with higher walkability and transportation options.
HeadRoyce and Montessori schools are nearby, as is the popular Sequoia elementary public school.
I lived here after escaping the SF fog and commuting to work was very easy, with a casual car pool and express buses.
No BART nearby, but the view from the bus on the Bridge is way better anyway!
Pros
  • Excellent amenities
  • Close to the Freeway
  • Good Transportation
Cons
  • Litter
  • Occasional Riff Raff on McArthur
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Schools 1/5
2yrs+

"Dont bother"

Dimond District is a thin slice of residential area, stretching for about six neighborhood blocks. It sits along the northern side of Interstate 580, which has both its perks and its faults. For one, the freeway offers easy access for commuters and the like to get around the Bay Area. However, the district’s proximity to the noisy interstate can be quite frustrating.

To many Oakland residents, the Dimond District is something you’d likely pass over on the freeway without ever knowing it existed. Houses in this neighborhood are a bit middle to lower-middle class, with many older and rundown homes occupying the eastern side. The streets are unkempt, weeds and bushes are overgrown onto the sidewalks and yards are typically unmaintained and gritty. Some properties are even protected by ugly chain-linked or shoddy wood paneled fencing. For the most part, the rents are cheap, but you get what you pay for.

The only significant attraction that the Dimond District maintains is its small strip of commercial stores edging the northwestern border. The area offers a myriad of small shops, including a yoga place, a bookstore, an ice cream shop, a women’s workout facility and a Peet’s coffee. Underneath Interstate 580 is a somewhat convenient public parking lot which helps customers shopping the CVS pharmacy and a shopping center across the street.

The neighborhood is has its trouble with crime, but relatively normal to its neighboring districts.
Pros
  • Affordable Rents
  • Close to the Freeway
Cons
  • Dirty
  • Run Down
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"Too Close to the Freeway"

Dimond is a long strip of neighborhood sandwiched between MacArthur Blvd. and MacArthur Freeway. It is technically a middleclass neighborhood though it looks a lot more rundown than most middle class neighborhoods.

As with the other neighborhoods around this area, there are a lot of classic older buildings here that those who love architecture will appreciate. More than half of all the buildings in this area were built during or before World War II. That means lots and lots of Craftsman style homes and large elegant apartment buildings (though there are some of those boxy 1970’s deals as well). Although it does not make the neighborhood feel wealthy (in fact, these homes give the neighborhood kind of a run down feel), the homes are all fairly varied and interesting to spend some time studying.

On its northwestern end, the neighborhood has a pretty good market, Farmer Joe’s and a sort of middle of the road sushi place, Nama. There is also a Kasper’s Hot Dogs and a few other restaurants about along with a good share of repair shops and a drug store, etc.

On the southern end of the neighborhood you find some of those pastel colored gentrification fortresses where the slightly higher income folks move in as the neighborhood begins to change. You see them all over the place in some neighborhoods, but they are just beginning to make a dent here. They are nice, I suppose, though they always feel a bit more like prisons to me than anything else.
Pros
  • Close to the Freeway
  • Good Transportation
  • Affordable Rents
Cons
  • Dirty
  • Run Down
Recommended for
  • Students

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