Let's Talk About Bay Area Neighborhoods

[amy g.]

So we are contemplating something that I never thought we would do...leaving Texas for California.

 

We are still in the negotiating phase, but the new company wants to fly us out for a house hunting trip the first weekend of May.

 

Here are the facts.

 

The office is in San Ramon. Dh commutes over an hour to work now, and is willing to do the same there so that we can live in an area we like.

 

My 20 and 19 year olds would be staying here, but I want to keep my options open in case they need to join us at a later date. I'm not open to a 1,000 square foot house for that reason.

 

We will be taking our 16, 8 and 5 year olds. I have a buyers agent and a mortgage broker there already. I just need to narrow down the search areas a little.

 

So far, I have found houses to go look at in Rio Vista and also in Brentwood, but I understand that it is a seller's market and they are not likely to still be on the market next week.

 

Does anyone have advice about other areas to consider? Where would you live within an hour of San Ramon?

 

Thanks!

[stupidusername]

Can you afford something in San Ramon itself? I hear it's nice. Am not familiar with Rio Vista and Brentwood.

[amy g.]

I think we may be priced out of San Ramon. We could afford....something, but I'm afraid that what we could afford would be so small that I would not enjoy living there.

[Arcadia]

I have friends in Danville and Walnut Creek who like it there. Further away would be Berkeley.

 

Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore are near but prices are back to high now.

 

Brentwood is a nice farming area. We go U-pick for cherries there.

 

How about community colleges for dual enrollment? I'm in South Bay. The East Bay and Central Valley people will be better able to advise on the community colleges there.

[amy g.]

Information about the community colleges in the area would be helpful.

 

I haven't had time to think about everything that needs to be done.

[Lawyer&Mom]

I have a lot of coworkers with kids who love San Ramon. I wouldn't rule it out, traffic on the 680 corridor can be abysmal because there is no BART or commuter rail. I would also look at Pleasanton and Livermore. Going west to Berkeley etc will just get more expensive with a longer commute.

 

There are buses from the Walnut Creek BART station which is something to consider.

If I'm guessing your employer correctly, they have a really lovely campus, and I think they may have some of their own shuttles.

[Lawyer&Mom]

Benicia! My friends recently bought a house there and it's known for having good schools and a small town feel. A little close to the Martinez refinery for my taste, but there are always trade offs.

[goldberry]

Have a friend that used to live in Walnut Creek and she liked it there.

[idnib]

I would not live in Brentwood and comment to San Ramon. The main artery, Vasco Road, is a nightmare. That area used to be mostly agricultural and the road is not designed for the heavy traffic. There have been many fatal accidents and people treat it like it's a freeway, driving 70 mph 10 feet from the next car's bumper. 

 

South of San Ramon, you can look in Dublin and Pleasanton. East, Castro Valley. North, Alamo and Danville are quite expensive but I don't know what your budget is. If you go further north, you can check out Walnut Creek. If you want less expensive, check Pleasant Hill and Concord.

 

Avoid Antioch and Pittsburg.

[Crimson Wife]

Avoid Antioch and Pittsburg.

 

Pittsburg has a few nice neighborhoods but you would have to find the right realtor who really knows the area. There is a neighborhood called San Marco or San Marcos that is nice.

[Ellie]

Fremont or Milpitas. The drive shouldn't be more than an hour, and prices might be better.

[EmseB]

When I went to high school in Danville, which was admittedly awhile ago, Diablo Valley College (the local CC) was considered a good feeder to the UC system and 4 year colleges.

 

Twin Creeks is a neighborhood in San Ramon that is not as expensive as some other places.  There are duplexes that are decent sized (1600sq ft) and some single family homes.  Real estate is generally pretty insane in California, but for the area San Ramon is one of the safer/nicer cities but not as expensive as a place like Danville or Alamo.

[Lawyer&Mom]

DVC has a great reputation. They transfer 200+ students to Berkeley each year. They are easily one of the top CCs in CA.

[idnib]

When I went to high school in Danville, which was admittedly awhile ago, Diablo Valley College (the local CC) was considered a good feeder to the UC system and 4 year colleges.

 

I agree. If one has a plan to use a CC before transferring to a 4-year, DVC is a really good one to live near or have transit to.

[go_go_gadget]

I would not live in Brentwood and comment to San Ramon. The main artery, Vasco Road, is a nightmare. That area used to be mostly agricultural and the road is not designed for the heavy traffic. There have been many fatal accidents and people treat it like it's a freeway, driving 70 mph 10 feet from the next car's bumper. 

 

This, and there's no way that the commute would be a mere hour if your husband works typical hours. A very long, more-than-averagely-dangerous commute would not justify extra square footage, for me. Livermore and Dublin are generally cheaper than San Ramon, though not as cheap as Brentwood. Another option is Hayward, which has some sketchy areas but plenty of perfectly fine ones, and is usually a bit cheaper than Livermore. It's a little further from San Ramon, but has a reverse commute.

[Cafdog]

I live in San Ramon!  :)  Will send you a PM.  

 

[amy g.]

This is really helpful information. I'll cross Brentwood off the list.

 

My husband will have flexible work hours. Right now, he leaves the house before 5 am to make the commute into downtown Houston before rush hour.

[Cafdog]

Las Positas CC in Livermore is also a good school, and tracks into UC Berkeley.  I know many kids attending this school right now who are having a great time there. 

 

[idnib]

Another thought for some cities over others is whether you plan to use BART a lot. If you're planning to head into SF often, it's often better to use transit. Check the BART map for locations of stations. That would be a plus for Dublin, Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, and Hayward.

[amy g.]

What about Tracy?

[Crimson Wife]

What about Tracy?

 

The Altamont pass from Tracy over into Livermore is a nightmare during commute hours. Even during non-commute hours it can get bad. Also, Tracy is super-hot during the summer months.

[Cafdog]

I spent ten years in Tracy.  Would be happy to give you more details in a PM, if you like.  

 

[Cafdog]

Ten loooong years.  LOL

[Crimson Wife]

The one positive thing I have to say about Tracy is that *IF* the high-speed rail link to San Jose ever becomes a reality, the real estate prices will go through the roof because it'll then be a reasonable commute.

[creekland]

Just a totally off topic thought... it took until I was actually reading your thread that I realized you mean San Fran.  My first instinct with "bay area" is Tampa or St Pete.  My second is the Chesapeake.  I'm going to take a long-shot guess that my thoughts on specific areas won't help you though.  ;)

[go_go_gadget]

Las Positas CC in Livermore is also a good school, and tracks into UC Berkeley.  I know many kids attending this school right now who are having a great time there. 

 

I dual-enrolled and transferred from Las Positas myself.

 

 

What about Tracy?

 

My former husband leaves Tracy at 5:00 am to arrive at 7:00 in Walnut Creek, only slightly further than San Ramon. Four hours a day is a long commute. Also, gas is expensive in CA. On the other hand, if you live nearish the BART line (so in the Bay Area proper) your husband could take the train and then a bus or shuttle to San Ramon. My husband rides to the train station, takes his bike on the train, then rides to his destination on the other end. 

[amy g.]

Ok, so Tracy is out too.

[Cafdog]

Just sent you another overly-long PM about Tracy and Mountain House. 

[medawyn]

We currently live in Danville, and DH works in Livermore. We have several friends actively homeschooling in the Livermore are who love their homeschool communities, so hopefully there is that for you all.

 

Coming from TX (we moved from OK), you will definitely find yourself sacrificing square feet for commute and community - it's a challenge. But you also have outdoor weather about 355 days a year, which helps make up for it.

 

I would definitely take Tracy off your list for commute reasons; the traffic can be a nightmare.

 

I would look seriously at Dublin and Livermore with of San Ramon and Pleasant Hill and Concird north of San Ramon. They are $$$ than some of the areas mentioned, but you can find less expensive pockets with a good realtor.

 

FWIW, my DH is currently apply in to jobs in MI, so while my casual house browsing is giving me reverse sticker shock, it SNOWED there yesterday. It's 75 and sunny here. (With no humidity, which is one of the most amazing things for this Okie).

[Ms.Ivy]

Rio Vista, Antioch, Pittsburgh, Concord, Richmond, Tracy, Bethel Island (aka Methel Island)...all areas with very high crime rates, lots of gangs, very high rates of methamphetamine users... and the traffic is nuts all over, so you'll probably have to move closer to the office than you realize to have a one hour commute.

[amy g.]

That is such a good point, Ms Ivy.

[Alicia64]

I grew up in the East Bay (Moraga) and my parents have good friends in Danville. It's a very nice area. You do not -- do not -- want to even consider an hour commute. Bay Area traffic is brutal. Please trust me. (I live in Atlanta and listened to people on here about Atlanta-traffic. Thank goodness I listened.)

 

Walnut Creek to San Ramon: map says 15 mins, but in traffic it's more like 40 mins. Walnut Creek is upscale and very nice.

Alamo: closer to San Ramon (but I don't know Alamo although I suspect it's nice.)

Dublin says 11 mins. to San Ramon, but I don't know anything about it. I suspect all of the areas around San Ramon are upscale, but you need to check with locals.

Berkeley to San Ramon: totally untenable. Way too far away and traffic would make it insane.

Danville is super nice and close to San Ramon.

 

Prepare yourself that the Bay Area is very upscale and pricey. I've moved twice in five years: rent, don't buy so that you can get a lay of the land. Smartest thing we did.

 

My best friend lives in Walnut Creek. PM me if you'd like first-hand info. from her.

 

Good luck to you!

 

Alley

 

 

[Alicia64]

Rio Vista, Antioch, Pittsburgh, Concord, Richmond, Tracy, Bethel Island (aka Methel Island)...all areas with very high crime rates, lots of gangs, very high rates of methamphetamine users... and the traffic is nuts all over, so you'll probably have to move closer to the office than you realize to have a one hour commute.

 

Right on target.

 

San Ramon, Danville,and Walnut Creek are very nice. Dublin might be fine, but I don't know.

 

Alley

[Crimson Wife]

Concord is one of the Bay Area cities that is very mixed. There are some upscale areas and some ghetto neighborhoods. The part near Walnut Creek where the Catholic high schools (Lime Ridge I think it's called?) is nice.

[idnib]

Concord is one of the Bay Area cities that is very mixed. There are some upscale areas and some ghetto neighborhoods. The part near Walnut Creek where the Catholic high schools (Lime Ridge I think it's called?) is nice.

 

It's also nice in the area south of Ignacio Valley Park. I have some friends who have a nice house there. They are quite wealthy but also live modestly and are picky about safety. They could easily have lived elsewhere but liked the neighborhood.

[Spy Car]

What about Tracy?

The other areas being mentioned are mostly lovely (lovely) areas to reside. Tracy is a hick-town. Ugly, agricultural (in the bad way), and just not a place you'd want to live, unless you like that sort of thing.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

To preserve quality of life, and quality of family life, really think about how to be as close to work as possible. The East Bay communities are often nice, but traffic is not to be underestimated. Listen to those warning against a plan for a long commute.

 

NOT.A.GOOD.PLAN.

 

Bill

[rebbyribs]

We live in Richmond, which is less than an hour from San Ramon.  It's got good (Point Richmond, the Annex, the Richmond View (hills)) and bad areas (the Iron Triangle, North Richmond), but it's one of the most affordable cities on the BART lines (not that BART would be helpful for your husband's commute, but it's great for getting to downtown Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco).  Because it's situated right near the Bay, the temperatures are very mild, and it's not as dry as the areas east of the hills.  

 

I'd be inclined to look at Concord and the part of Castro Valley south of 580 (with Hayward schools, which aren't as good as the Castro Valley schools, so it's more affordable.)

 

Google Maps will helpfully predict how long the commute will take at different times of day.  

[Liz CA]

Others have given specific advice regarding areas. I am wondering if this is a long-term (permanent as much as anything is permanent) move or a temporary assignment? Will you definitely want to return to TX some day or not necessarily?

 

I agree with another poster to rent first while you scope out areas, get used to the heavy traffic - even though I suspect living around Houston, you know what we are talking about - find out how much of a commute your dh is willing to do to offset real estate prices, etc. This gives you a chance to find areas you like and cross those off you do not want to consider. You will also get a feel for RE prices while you are living here in addition to COL overall.

 

Central valley towns like Tracy, Manteca, Stockton have varying crime rates (dh just murmured to avoid Stockton :)) and get rather hot - think a dry F110 in July/August but that may be nothing compared to TX.

Closer to the coast, you get a nice evening breeze, hardly need AC and can play at the beach if so inclined, however, in some areas mornings are often downright cool and frequently foggy until noon or so.

[Laura in CA]

Las Positas CC in Livermore is also a good school, and tracks into UC Berkeley. I know many kids attending this school right now who are having a great time there.

 

 

 

DVC has a great reputation. They transfer 200+ students to Berkeley each year. They are easily one of the top CCs in CA.

 

I haven't read all the replies yet, and maybe I should PM you, but I agree that DVC & LPC are great. My son has taken classes at both; he had amazing professors at both schools, but it's much easier to get into classes at DVC (we're not sure why). Maybe it's just that DVC is bigger (?) and has more offerings. For example, over the summer, DVC has three sections of multivariable calculus; LPC has none.

 

And here's an idea -- look at the "traffic" setting on Google maps for various commute times to see which highways are red. Some highways are parking lots in one direction, but a breeze in the opposite direction -- e.g., 580 westbound in the morning, and eastbound in the afternoon (starting at 2:30pm). The PP who called Vasco a nightmare is right.

 

San Ramon is lovely, but expensive. Berkeley is amazing (my son is in school there), but even more expensive. Hayward is more affordable but there are some sketchy areas. My BIL lived in Concord (also relatively "affordable"; schools aren't great, but if you're hs'ing that won't matter, and it keeps housing prices down!). You might look at Castro Valley -- my brother lived there and commuted on his motorcycle to Silicon Valley. It has a BART station, and your husband would have a reverse commute. Plus there is a "back way" (Crow Canyon Rd), which is beautiful and rural and an option for when the freeway is backed up because of commute, an accident, etc. -- these country roads (Camino Tassajara, Crow Canyon, etc.) are cool because you are minutes from a crazy freeway but it looks like you're in the middle of nowhere (just watch out for cyclists!). (Oops -- I see Crow Canyon is now heavily used by commuters (sigh); still, we've taken it and it was a nice shortcut.)

 

Oh, I see someone suggested renting. That's what we did when we first moved here from a much-lower-COL area, to get a feel for the neighborhoods. Personally, I'd rent in San Ramon, at least at first. My husband and I both work where we live. His commute is 5 min; mine is 7. We sometimes ride our bikes to work. :)

 

ETA: There are some wonderful, inclusive homeschooling groups in the Bay Area. Often people join the online group before they move, and get advice from folks on the board. I will try to PM you the info for some of these groups tomorrow!

[Guest mauolaidom]

I hear it's nice. Am not familiar with Rio Vista and Brentwood.

[amy g.]

Liz, I wish that I knew if it was long term or just a temporary move. At first I thought he might be using it as a stepping stone to come back here or go someplace else for something even better.

 

We even discussed his accepting the job and living in their corporate housing while I stay here with the kids, or if we go there, renting our house here so we can come back to it.

 

I've rented my house out before and have regretted it. Dh is increasingly feeling like he may want to stay at the new company for the next 20 years. I think that long term is the best way for me to look at it.

 

Renting short term is an idea, and we can do that, but the company offers substantial mortgage assistance to bridge the difference in cost of living if we purchase a house in the first year of employment.

 

Even with that, we would be going from one of the very cheapest areas to live in to one of the very most expensive. It is rather unnerving.

 

Here we have plenty of disposable income which is a good thing because we have 2 kids in college and another one starting in the next few years.

 

The community college information given here has been priceless. I'm going to make being close to those our first priority.

 

I would love any links to area homeschool groups. I may also see if we can visit a church in one of the areas we are thinking about. That may allow us to get some advice on the neighborhood.

 

I really can't tell you how much I appreciate the time and the trouble everyone here has taken to answer my questions. You guys are the best.

[idnib]

Since Laura is in the thread, it reminded me that if you want your last child to attend a UC school, there are different requirements than most states. It's not as easy as applying like a typical freshman for a state university. Take a look at a-g requirements and also admission by testing. The UC system is not very homeschooler friendly, although it's a nice path from CC to the UCs, better than many states. But for a 4-year admission, it can be tricky.

[amy g.]

I'm going to make being close to Diablo Valley College a non negotiable requirement.

 

I found a house in Concord to look at. It is still pretty far from Concord to San Ramon, but of don't want Dd to be the one needing to commute to community college.

[Spy Car]

I'm going to make being close to Diablo Valley College a non negotiable requirement.

 

I found a house in Concord to look at. It is still pretty far from Concord to San Ramon, but of don't want Dd to be the one needing to commute to community college.

 

It has been too long since I lived up there for me to have local knowledge of the current traffic conditions; however, Google Maps shows that commuting from Diablo Valley College to San Ramon in morning traffic and returning from San Ramon to Diablo Valley College in the evening traffic takes twice as long as the reverse commute. Something to consider.

 

Bill

[Laura in CA]

I didn't have time to post before I left for work this morning (with my monster 7-min commute :D), but I wanted to mention that DVC has a San Ramon campus (!) that seems to be more than "just" a satellite -- I know dual-enrolled homeschool kids taking most of their classes at the San Ramon site. My son took a class at DVC's San Ramon campus last summer that was accepted at UC Berkeley as satisfying one of their breadth requirements. However, my other son wants to take multivariable calculus this coming summer, and the Pleasant Hill campus would be his only option, and we decided it was too long a drive. It will depend on which classes your daughter is interested in, which campus(es) she ends up attending.

 

Anyway, I'll PM you. I know lots of hs'd kids take classes at DVC, and a number are in our homeschooling group.

 

Ooh, you should probably look into residency (the subject of another recent thread) ... in-state tuition is only $46/unit, and DE is free ... but OOS tuition is pretty steep (an additional $208/unit). I know the application form asks how long you've been at your current address. It looks like you have to be living in CA for a year before you get in-state status ... :-(

 

One more thing -- if your husband has been leaving at 5 am and commuting for an hour in Houston traffic, he'll be fine commuting here (and the libraries have tons of books on tape :) ). As mentioned, there is BART and also the ACE train, heavily used by people commuting from the Central Valley (Stockton etc.) and Livermore into San José and Silicon Valley, but unfortunately San Ramon is in its own little valley not on the BART or ACE train lines ... I know there are many vanpools and perhaps buses to the San Ramon area, because of Chevron and other large employers -- if your husband wants to share the driving, he could look into that.

 

 

It has been too long since I lived up there for me to have local knowledge of the current traffic conditions; however, Google Maps shows that commuting from Diablo Valley College to San Ramon in morning traffic and returning from San Ramon to Diablo Valley College in the evening traffic takes twice as long as the reverse commute. Something to consider.

 

Bill

 

 

I'm going to make being close to Diablo Valley College a non negotiable requirement.

I found a house in Concord to look at. It is still pretty far from Concord to San Ramon, but of don't want Dd to be the one needing to commute to community college.

 

 

We have friends whose teenagers were taking classes at DVC (Pleasant Hill campus) and commuting from their home in Danville to Pls Hill in the morning. The mom would bundle up extra kids and make them come along so that she could use the carpool lane; otherwise it would have been a nightmare. I don't know which way she needed it (northbound or southbound or both). ETA: I guess she only "needed" them for the return (southbound 680) trip, as she would have had the other kids (the DVC students) in the car for the northbound part. I think she used the carpool lane both directions.

 

Oh, one more thing -- my son also took classes at Cal State East Bay under their dual matriculation program. He just made sure not to have any classes earlier than around 10 a.m. and the drive was a breeze. (He drove himself, though, and quite happy to have some autonomy.) Since CSUEB is a four-year university (with some graduate programs), he had a wide range of classes available, albeit at a much higher cost than the CCs. Anyway, something to keep in mind -- Hayward is not *that* far from San Ramon/Concord ...

[Liz CA]

Liz, I wish that I knew if it was long term or just a temporary move. At first I thought he might be using it as a stepping stone to come back here or go someplace else for something even better.

 

 

Renting short term is an idea, and we can do that, but the company offers substantial mortgage assistance to bridge the difference in cost of living if we purchase a house in the first year of employment.

 

 

 

Wow. This company is really interested in keeping your dh in place once they have him. :)  Hope this is a great move for all of you and congratulations!

Since you have been dealing with us quirky Californians for a while on this board you will have no problems acclimating. Keep us updated.  :hurray:

 

[Carol in Cal.]

A quirky idea--buy in Napa Valley, DH stays in corporate housing or rents a room T-W nights, drives in Monday, drives home Thursday, works from home Fridays.

You will get a lot more house for you money there, and it's a foodie/fiber/homeschooling/wine country haven.  Not as hot as Tracy, a nice climate.

Good education options if you ever end up not homeschooling, including a Waldorf charter school that goes through 8th grade that is excellent.

[Carol in Cal.]

PS  We really ought to have a Bay Area and surrounding vicinities meet up one of these days, in general.