<p>Any advice? I know that South Oakland isn't the best but at what streets does one draw the line? No car available so relying on bus service. No problem during the day but worry about bus back to Squirrel Hill, let's say in the late evening and then walking home. Thanks for any input? This is for the summer only.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t go south of Bates Street in South Oakland. Larger apartment buildings in North Oakland such as Webster and Fairfax are very secure, but I don’t think that tenants are permitted to sublet.</p>
<p>Do you live in Squirrel Hill? It probably isn’t worth renting a place in Oakland.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. This is for a student working at PITT for the summer. One choice was in Squirrel Hill but seemed too far without a car and returning home by bus later at night. Another choice was on Dawson St near Oakland Ave. Just shy of Bates. It may be a done deal by now.</p>
<p>There must be lots of people with 12-month leases who want to subletfor the summer months. Did you try the Pitt Housing Office? (I would try not to live on the ground floor though, as it is less secure…especially if there is no air-conditioning and you plan to leave the windows open.)</p>
<p>South Oakland is dingy, but it’s mostly populated by students, so it isn’t dangerous per se. That being said, I stand in accordance with lkf… I wouldn’t stray below Bates.</p>
<p>North Oakland actually tends to be a bit cheaper (less demand), and is much safer. Shadyside is also nice, but a bit expensive. Squirrel Hill is probably your best bet. Relatively low rent, but extremely secure.</p>
<p>avoid dawson if you can. it’s pretty bad down that way, and a very long walk from the bus routes, especially at night. i lived on oakland and bates last summer and did not feel safe walking from the bus stop to my place at night if i was alone. squirrel hill is much safer, and easy access to tons of buses.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. Still have a few questions. Is the area undesirable because the buildings are rundown? Do people leave garbage out etc? Are there undesirables hanging around at night? How about the incidence of crime? Ocean Girl: Can you explain what made you feel unsafe? I’m coming from a normal, very middle class neighborhood and have some knowledge of neighborhoods on NW Washington, DC. Just trying to get a feel here. As another posted stated, is it mostly populated by college students? How about street lights? Thanks again for your helpfulness. I do appreciate it.</p>
<p>it is mostly college students, but IMO there are NOT enough street lights. That was one reason i felt unsafe. another was the crime; last summer there was a fight that started at the hookah bar on atwood & bates and ended in a shooting, as well as a gun fight between the police & some guy who ended up getting killed, only 2 blocks from there. and football players living on oakland were shooting off guns in the air which brought the police in. it was a crazy summer. there are usually a lot of police patrolling though, often on foot, bc there is so much underage drinking in s. oakland. and yes, both places i lived in (i had to split time) were sh–holes. there is a lot of corruption with the landlords in s. oakland, and a few places were shut down last year, and the kids living there were kicked out. needless to say, i’m not a fan. it may be convenient and cheap, but i (not to mention my parents) would never do it again.</p>
<p>Thanks for being so honest, Oceangirl and not sugar coating your comments. Didn’t like what I read but truly appreciate your honesty.</p>
<p>Most buildings are run down, and many have absentee landlords who do not make repairs promptly. However, some are pretty nice - you just have to look. Garbage collection has historically been a problem. There is more crime in south oakland than north oakland, with part of south oakland being a gang turf (below the Blvd of the Allies, I think.) South Oakland has more drunken students and is noisier than north Oakland. But once again, it depends. One street (maybe Halkett?) usually has been more adult oriented. You have to visit places, see how the landlord or management company is, and maybe check the Pitt Police crime report for your area. It will be abnormal to visit now since most of the students have gone home. Summer in Oakland is quieter, has a higher ratio of non-students:students, and has less campus feel than it does during the school year.</p>
<p>Also consider Friendship and Bloomfield. My next door neighbor in Friendship is a Pitt professor and does not even own a car.</p>
<p>My D sublet a place on Mckee about half a block from Bates. Should I be worried? I thought it looked like a dump but she said that it was fabulous compared to others that she looked at. It’s in one of those old apartment buildings. I thought the hallways and stairs were pretty dark.</p>
<p>Maybe it is one of the better ones! I would make sure that there are safety features in place, such as smoke detectors, CO detectors and fire extinguishers. Also, I would request that the door locks be changed if that was not offered.</p>