What $2,000 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. This time we head to Oakland to find out if one person’s studio is another person’s townhouse? Today’s price: $2,000.

↑ Technically, this one-bed, one-bath Oakland apartment is not actually in Oakland but rather in Piedmont, here described as “quaint and quiet near downtown” on Monte Cresta Avenue. “Adorable apartment with gated entrance and secured gated parking” is the pitch with this one. Although quaintness and adorableness are in the eye of the beholder, it is demonstrably centrally located for Piedmont purposes, only a couple of blocks off Piedmont Avenue. The place measures out to 675 square feet, the deal is $2,000/month, and the lease allows cats.

↑ Rather than quaint, the byword for this one-bed, one-bath, 500-square-foot apartment in the Glenview neighborhood is billed as “woodsy.” While it sits a couple of blocks from Dimond Park, the references in this case are probably to the brown-shingled exterior and Craftsman design, which always seems to communicate something rustic to Bay Area dwellers. The top floor of this triplex rents for $1,900/month. No word on pets.

↑ Sticking with the woodsy theme, this apartment advertises itself as a “cool Oakland studio in the woods, overlooking the creek.” The area around Nairobi Place and Oakdale does feature some heavier vegetation than usual—and it’s near the Mills College campus and Millsmont Ravine—but as is often the case it comes down to a judgment call on whether the rural appellation really qualifies. The one-bath apartment itself is an in-law unit accessible through a backyard with heavy vegetation, yours for $1,850/month and advertised at 514 square feet. “We welcome your well behaved dog for consideration,” the landlord writes.

↑ West Oakland, on the other hand, is as un-woodsy as a place can get. This apartment on Ninth Street rents for $2,000/month. The apartment is dubbed a “one-bedroom, one-bath Duplex unit” featuring “a lovely deck and hardwood floors.” The rent also covers the WiFi and, notably, “pest control,” which may or may not be a good idea to broach with renters right off the bat, pragmatism notwithstanding. No pets allowed though, despite the fact that an active cat cuts down on pest bills.

↑ Finally, the only home on the slate to break the one-bedroom barrier is this two-bed, one-bath apartment in the Oak Tree neighborhood, northwest of Fruitvale, dubbed in the ad as “beautiful, quiet, and peaceful” on Foothill Boulevard. It’s also the largest of the five offerings at an advertised 800 square feet, making the $1,995/month rent a bargain relative to the others on a pure square foot basis. The ad is mum about pets.