What $2,100 rents you in Oakland right now

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a regular column exploring what you can rent for a set dollar amount in different neighborhoods. Today we go across the bridge to Oakland once again. Is one person’s studio is another person’s townhouse? Today’s price: $2,100.

↑ This Ivy Hill apartment knows what it’s got going for it, advertising itself as a “fabulous building” with “old-fashioned charm and architecture.” And yes, there’s no doubt about it, that towering red Tudor facade is a killer no matter how you take it. The one-bed, one-bath, 600-square-foot apartment letting for $1,970 is more modest, but the ad does point up the nine-foot ceilings, built-ins, and the fact that it the bathroom has a “tub, not small shower.” Also, per the ad, “No pets, animals, dogs, cats, birds, turtles, frogs, or snakes allowed,” though, but that does technically leave the door open for lucky ferret owners.

↑ On the other hand, this apartment on the edge of Adams Point offers identical specs—one bed, one bath, 600 feet—but a much more Oaklandish architectural style, as well as a slight premium on the price at $2,070. Although for that little extra scratch renters are at least allowed to bring cats (no word on the turtles, frogs, or snakes on this one). Be aware that this ad is actually for two apartments offering the same deal. Note the obelisk-shaped hallway in one and light blue color in the bathroom; little touches of personality are always nice.

↑ And this West Oakland house on Campbell and Seventh Street has the ultimate workaround: If a home just plain doesn’t have an intriguing or singular facade, just make sure the flowers grow completely rampant over the fence and it’s just as well. “This house is five minutes’ walk from the West Oakland BART right next to a grassy, open community garden,” the landlord promises, adding that “the house has a large living room with a skylight.” The whole place is two beds, one bath, and over 820 square feet, plus you can bring the pets along for an even $2,000.

↑ Although this pad in the San Antonio neighborhood fancies itself a garden apartment, it might end up experiencing floral envy compared to the previous listing, offering only a smattering of poppies in the photos. Still, the ad does promise that the garden is private, so maybe the opportunity to coax it into something gorgeous but drought resistant will be worth the $2,100 it’s presently asking. Once again the layout is one bed, one bath, and 600 square feet—is this some sort of Oakland fad?—and the property permits cats but not dogs.

↑ Finally, the R-word (remodel, although “renovate” is just as popular) doesn’t appear in Oakland ads nearly as often as in San Francisco these days, but it’s still hovering on the horizon. In this case, a studio in the Lakeside neighborhood perches high up in the absolutely stunning Tudor Hall Apartments on 17th Street, and the interior overhaul promises the likes of “new stainless steel appliances,” “custom granite countertops” and “refinished hardwood floors,” although the spectacular vaulted ceiling down in the lobby is at least as much of a draw on its own. It’s $1,950, “no pets please.”