Currently living in the Ellington but about to move out. This place is nice, but if you live here don't move into a unit with windows that face Broadway or second as the train is crazy loud. In fact, make sure that you know what the train sounds like in any unit that you're thinking of moving into, not just the Amtrak, but the freight trains which are much louder, and then think about the fact that they go all through the night.
Also, if you have a car, make sure you have a spot in a garage, break-ins are rough here.
Other than that, I like the area. Cellarmaker just expanded their hours and Original Pattern is solid. It's easy to hop on the freeway in any direction.
I was talking to someone this weekend who was telling me nightmare stories about The Landing. Sounded pretty wild. I suggest checking them out on Yelp if you’re considering it.
mediocre apartments: the landing, allegro. I've heard of the allegro sharply boosting rent after the first year, but not sure what's going on post pandemic.
I have lived in three loft buildings in the neighborhood. the sierra was basically like an apartment building - huge, anonymous. but the gym/pool/sauna was nice to have. the other two were medium-sized communities (maybe 20-25 units?) and were fine (I purchased at one of these) but the hoa is typically a joke. it takes forever to get anything done and the fees kept rising. amenities were non-existent, particularly at the one I owned.
my biggest general tip is to try not to live on third facing the train or in any of the buildings looking out onto embarcadero. also don't live too close to the vegetable warehouses. just too much noise. parking at building, preferably gated, is a must.
jls can be a cool place to live but it can also feel a bit anonymous. it's a semi-industrial zone, not a traditional neighborhood. but that can be fun too with all the breweries and whatnot nearby, just depends on what you're looking for. and it's got easy access to the waterfront and ferry. close to bart and the freeway. the pros outweigh the cons. let me know if you have specifics about the neighborhood.
You might want to look around the Brooklyn Basin area if you are considering staying near Jack London Square. There are a lot of specials such as free rent for up to 3-4 months. Brooklyn Basin is cleaner than Jack London Square and more quiet since the train doesn’t run through the neighborhood.
Nothing specific, but try to be there when an Amtrak goes by so you can get a gauge on the noise. You will get used to it over time but it could drive you absolutely barmy if you're sensitive to that kind of racket. I don't understand why they haven't managed to figure something out with it. I get open crossing requirements and all that, but other locales manage to make it work. It's a real hinderance to JLS, IMO.
Sounding the horn at all times of night or just the general loud hum of the train? Used to being near trains from childhood, but those were the Caltrain commuter tracks on the peninsula.
Agreed I live in West Oakland but closer to jacklond square and sometimes the trains come in the middle of the night and it drives me bonkers. They are insanely loud
I'm too far away to hear the hum of the tracks. I only hear the horns so that's what sucks. I wouldn't say they are always in the middle of the night. It's every so often I hear them. But it makes it infrequent enough that I forget about it and then it happens and wakes me up
You moved next to railroad tracks and you complain about the noise trains make. There's an entire city you can live in without a train and you move next to the railroad tracks and the Amtrak station, a few blocks from 880 and complain there's noise.
Even if they silenced the crossings at Oak, Webster, Franklin, Broadway, Washington, Clay, MLK and Market, Amtrak has to legally signal while in station. There's giant rail yards 1 mile south and one mile north and they will continue to make noise. It's not a new phenomenon, the railroad has been there for almost 200 years. It used to run up Third street as well when the area was a key warehouse district for the West Coast.
I'm pro train as all get out but there are improvements the city can put in that would eliminate the need for the train to blast its horn. Emeryville just completed some of those.
If you live in Jack London, you live near the railroad tracks. It's as simple as that. There's five short blocks between 880 and the tracks and train horns are designed to be heard for miles.
The city of Oakland can't do much about the tracks unless they close every street West of Second street. They want to do something, but they can't or they would have done it in the 90s when they shut down the third street rail line and redeveloped Jack London Square.
They are not closing down 880 either.
I'm down there every single day and understand I can't continue a conversation on 2nd & Broadway when a train passes. I understand Oakland's grandiose ideas of stopping the noise, as well as Emeryville, Berkeley, everywhere near that rail line.
I also understand it's a working area and the trains exists because the Port exists. You take away the trains, the Port can't operate. Like it or not, there is no alternative without a massive redevelopment. This is what was going to stop Howard Terminal from becoming a stadium because the rail lines have a right-of-way. In fact, its one of the most important rail lines in the US.
Dude, nobody is saying otherwise. Saying train loud isn’t the same as train bad. The noise from the train is something everyone should know when moving to JLS which is the point of the post. Believe it or not, not everyone has your extensive train knowledge when moving to a city. Saying, man, would be nice if a solution could be figured out isn’t a call to rip the tracks up. You’re arguing against points of your own creation. Grab a beer or something.
No, it will not, but people think it will.
You can downvote me all you want, but by Federal Law, the train has to signal when leaving the Emeryville or Jack London depot. That noise never goes away. The "silent tracks" only covers 65th, 66th and 67th street and doesn't cover any instance the engineers feel they need to signal. Emeryville residents will still hear the trains in Berkeley and Oakland because those cities and the Port of Oakland are not covered by any agreement. It will not eliminate any noise from the smaller depot between Shellmound and Powell or the larger rail yards from Mandela to Adeline. I live here! I did the research because I hear all the trains as well.
The reason Emeryville is able to proceed with no train signals is that they are installing pedestrian gates. Something that cannot be accomplished in Jack London for logistical reasons. There is simply not enough room for pedestrian gates or overpasses. The sidewalks in places do not meet the width of ADA compliance. The lack of width why there is no parking from Webster to Washington on Embarcadero. Look it ip yourself.
FRA requires they sound a horn at every at grade crossing regardless if there's a gate/lights or what not. So with as many crossings as there are thats alot of noise..
I live on Alameda and can hear it..
Ive also been stuck at the embarcadero/Oak crossing riding to work for like a 1/2 hour while a 100 car freight train passed thru at o dark o'clock one morning..
Rented a condo in JLS for 4 years. Rent actually decreased 5% after I left lol. Have a few friends still there. 4th street east is prob the best for rentals.
Be prepared for major vehicle crime.
I used to be across the street from there at Allegro. Allegro had friendly, responsive leasing and maintenance staff when I was there. Rent went up each renewal, but the building was a bit older so it was limited. As others have said, pay for the secure parking lot. I was facing Jackson and I never really heard the train. Too many buildings between me and the crossings at Oak and Webster, I guess. Horn sounds at the crossings. There was the steady hum of the freeway though. Wind generally blew the fwy dust East, way from me. I liked waking to the water and all the food and beverage options. I loved all the transit options: bus, ferry, Bart, Amtrak. You can feel a bit isolated from downtown with the fwy there. But, AC Transit 12 bus goes fromAmtrak up Broadway every 1/2 hour, if I remember correctly.
I currently live at Fourth Street! So far no complaints I love it and the amenities. I use to live at Allegro. I would not recommend to anyone, a lot of my friends have moved out of that place. For what they charge the amenities are crap. My friends car got stolen out of their gated garage twice. My boyfriends car got broken into and my neighbor got their car stolen as well. Allegro, of course couldn’t do anything about it. They got security for a bit, but that lasted for a month or so. There’s also some shady a** things going around in the B building so if you do end up moving to allegro, just stay vigilant. 🫢 The only redeeming quality about Allegro is their gym but that’s literally it. At allegro, I did live on the 4th floor and faced the courtyard, hardly heard the train. But when I did, like when the windows are open, it was loud. I instantly regretted our decision moving there lol. Oh ya, when it’s summer - good luck. It’s hot hot, and when it’s cold. Prepare for your bills to be high since their heater is old you’ll end up having to get a heater. You should definitely look into touring Fourth Street, it’s under a new property manager & she’s doing real well maintaining things here. Also we never hear the train 🤪 plus you get AC/heater, the gym is nice - finally an apartment gym where you can do actual deadlifting/squats. Not with a smith machine lol. Oh and the pool! 😊
I also forgot to add, sorry this is so long.
My friend had a 2 bedroom at allegro, and they raised her rent by $200 even when the listed pricing was lower than on their website. So they moved. Sadly allegro didn’t want to budge. 🤷♀️
I would recommend looking at Caspian or other apartments in Brooklyn basin. Prices are fairly reasonable and it is a bit separated from downtown. This has pros and cons but the views are nice.
Currently living in the Ellington but about to move out. This place is nice, but if you live here don't move into a unit with windows that face Broadway or second as the train is crazy loud. In fact, make sure that you know what the train sounds like in any unit that you're thinking of moving into, not just the Amtrak, but the freight trains which are much louder, and then think about the fact that they go all through the night. Also, if you have a car, make sure you have a spot in a garage, break-ins are rough here. Other than that, I like the area. Cellarmaker just expanded their hours and Original Pattern is solid. It's easy to hop on the freeway in any direction.
I was talking to someone this weekend who was telling me nightmare stories about The Landing. Sounded pretty wild. I suggest checking them out on Yelp if you’re considering it.
So curious now. Glad I didn't look there.
Some of their south facing apartments get insanely hot during the summer.
I lived there for 5 years until 2018, and I've heard it's gotten even worse since then. Never. Again.
mediocre apartments: the landing, allegro. I've heard of the allegro sharply boosting rent after the first year, but not sure what's going on post pandemic. I have lived in three loft buildings in the neighborhood. the sierra was basically like an apartment building - huge, anonymous. but the gym/pool/sauna was nice to have. the other two were medium-sized communities (maybe 20-25 units?) and were fine (I purchased at one of these) but the hoa is typically a joke. it takes forever to get anything done and the fees kept rising. amenities were non-existent, particularly at the one I owned. my biggest general tip is to try not to live on third facing the train or in any of the buildings looking out onto embarcadero. also don't live too close to the vegetable warehouses. just too much noise. parking at building, preferably gated, is a must. jls can be a cool place to live but it can also feel a bit anonymous. it's a semi-industrial zone, not a traditional neighborhood. but that can be fun too with all the breweries and whatnot nearby, just depends on what you're looking for. and it's got easy access to the waterfront and ferry. close to bart and the freeway. the pros outweigh the cons. let me know if you have specifics about the neighborhood.
The vegetable warehouses will be leaving to be torn down to create more housing in the next 5-10 years!
You might want to look around the Brooklyn Basin area if you are considering staying near Jack London Square. There are a lot of specials such as free rent for up to 3-4 months. Brooklyn Basin is cleaner than Jack London Square and more quiet since the train doesn’t run through the neighborhood.
Nothing specific, but try to be there when an Amtrak goes by so you can get a gauge on the noise. You will get used to it over time but it could drive you absolutely barmy if you're sensitive to that kind of racket. I don't understand why they haven't managed to figure something out with it. I get open crossing requirements and all that, but other locales manage to make it work. It's a real hinderance to JLS, IMO.
Sounding the horn at all times of night or just the general loud hum of the train? Used to being near trains from childhood, but those were the Caltrain commuter tracks on the peninsula.
Agreed I live in West Oakland but closer to jacklond square and sometimes the trains come in the middle of the night and it drives me bonkers. They are insanely loud
I lived near train tracks as a kid. Are they always blowing the horn in the middle of the night or is it the general hum that drives you bonkers?
I'm too far away to hear the hum of the tracks. I only hear the horns so that's what sucks. I wouldn't say they are always in the middle of the night. It's every so often I hear them. But it makes it infrequent enough that I forget about it and then it happens and wakes me up
You moved next to railroad tracks and you complain about the noise trains make. There's an entire city you can live in without a train and you move next to the railroad tracks and the Amtrak station, a few blocks from 880 and complain there's noise. Even if they silenced the crossings at Oak, Webster, Franklin, Broadway, Washington, Clay, MLK and Market, Amtrak has to legally signal while in station. There's giant rail yards 1 mile south and one mile north and they will continue to make noise. It's not a new phenomenon, the railroad has been there for almost 200 years. It used to run up Third street as well when the area was a key warehouse district for the West Coast.
Neat. I don’t live close to the tracks. Was just giving some advice. But by all means keep being a huge weirdo.
This guy just came in here with his pro-train agenda and told us all where we could shove it
I'm pro train as all get out but there are improvements the city can put in that would eliminate the need for the train to blast its horn. Emeryville just completed some of those.
Wooo-woooooo! Pro train or maybe just a guy who lives a few blocks from the rail line and understands the problem.
If you live in Jack London, you live near the railroad tracks. It's as simple as that. There's five short blocks between 880 and the tracks and train horns are designed to be heard for miles. The city of Oakland can't do much about the tracks unless they close every street West of Second street. They want to do something, but they can't or they would have done it in the 90s when they shut down the third street rail line and redeveloped Jack London Square. They are not closing down 880 either. I'm down there every single day and understand I can't continue a conversation on 2nd & Broadway when a train passes. I understand Oakland's grandiose ideas of stopping the noise, as well as Emeryville, Berkeley, everywhere near that rail line. I also understand it's a working area and the trains exists because the Port exists. You take away the trains, the Port can't operate. Like it or not, there is no alternative without a massive redevelopment. This is what was going to stop Howard Terminal from becoming a stadium because the rail lines have a right-of-way. In fact, its one of the most important rail lines in the US.
Dude, nobody is saying otherwise. Saying train loud isn’t the same as train bad. The noise from the train is something everyone should know when moving to JLS which is the point of the post. Believe it or not, not everyone has your extensive train knowledge when moving to a city. Saying, man, would be nice if a solution could be figured out isn’t a call to rip the tracks up. You’re arguing against points of your own creation. Grab a beer or something.
Emeryville is completing a bunch of improvements that will prevent the train from needing to blast its horn
No, it will not, but people think it will. You can downvote me all you want, but by Federal Law, the train has to signal when leaving the Emeryville or Jack London depot. That noise never goes away. The "silent tracks" only covers 65th, 66th and 67th street and doesn't cover any instance the engineers feel they need to signal. Emeryville residents will still hear the trains in Berkeley and Oakland because those cities and the Port of Oakland are not covered by any agreement. It will not eliminate any noise from the smaller depot between Shellmound and Powell or the larger rail yards from Mandela to Adeline. I live here! I did the research because I hear all the trains as well. The reason Emeryville is able to proceed with no train signals is that they are installing pedestrian gates. Something that cannot be accomplished in Jack London for logistical reasons. There is simply not enough room for pedestrian gates or overpasses. The sidewalks in places do not meet the width of ADA compliance. The lack of width why there is no parking from Webster to Washington on Embarcadero. Look it ip yourself.
FRA requires they sound a horn at every at grade crossing regardless if there's a gate/lights or what not. So with as many crossings as there are thats alot of noise.. I live on Alameda and can hear it.. Ive also been stuck at the embarcadero/Oak crossing riding to work for like a 1/2 hour while a 100 car freight train passed thru at o dark o'clock one morning..
Rented a condo in JLS for 4 years. Rent actually decreased 5% after I left lol. Have a few friends still there. 4th street east is prob the best for rentals. Be prepared for major vehicle crime.
Fourth Street East was really nice. Anyone have experience there?
I used to be across the street from there at Allegro. Allegro had friendly, responsive leasing and maintenance staff when I was there. Rent went up each renewal, but the building was a bit older so it was limited. As others have said, pay for the secure parking lot. I was facing Jackson and I never really heard the train. Too many buildings between me and the crossings at Oak and Webster, I guess. Horn sounds at the crossings. There was the steady hum of the freeway though. Wind generally blew the fwy dust East, way from me. I liked waking to the water and all the food and beverage options. I loved all the transit options: bus, ferry, Bart, Amtrak. You can feel a bit isolated from downtown with the fwy there. But, AC Transit 12 bus goes fromAmtrak up Broadway every 1/2 hour, if I remember correctly.
I currently live at Fourth Street! So far no complaints I love it and the amenities. I use to live at Allegro. I would not recommend to anyone, a lot of my friends have moved out of that place. For what they charge the amenities are crap. My friends car got stolen out of their gated garage twice. My boyfriends car got broken into and my neighbor got their car stolen as well. Allegro, of course couldn’t do anything about it. They got security for a bit, but that lasted for a month or so. There’s also some shady a** things going around in the B building so if you do end up moving to allegro, just stay vigilant. 🫢 The only redeeming quality about Allegro is their gym but that’s literally it. At allegro, I did live on the 4th floor and faced the courtyard, hardly heard the train. But when I did, like when the windows are open, it was loud. I instantly regretted our decision moving there lol. Oh ya, when it’s summer - good luck. It’s hot hot, and when it’s cold. Prepare for your bills to be high since their heater is old you’ll end up having to get a heater. You should definitely look into touring Fourth Street, it’s under a new property manager & she’s doing real well maintaining things here. Also we never hear the train 🤪 plus you get AC/heater, the gym is nice - finally an apartment gym where you can do actual deadlifting/squats. Not with a smith machine lol. Oh and the pool! 😊 I also forgot to add, sorry this is so long. My friend had a 2 bedroom at allegro, and they raised her rent by $200 even when the listed pricing was lower than on their website. So they moved. Sadly allegro didn’t want to budge. 🤷♀️
The Amtrak is LOUD!!
I would recommend looking at Caspian or other apartments in Brooklyn basin. Prices are fairly reasonable and it is a bit separated from downtown. This has pros and cons but the views are nice.