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Old 01-14-2012, 05:51 PM
 
2 posts, read 3,030 times
Reputation: 10

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We are 30 years old with a 4 month old baby. Looking to move out to the Bay Area but have no clue what the cities around San Francisco are like. We love SF but can't afford to live there. Looking for some place that has a little culture (not just strip malls), but is still good for young families as far as safety, schools, etc. Also, and this might be a lot to ask, but near BART would be nice. My husband's parents live in Antioch but when we came to visit it seemed a little dull...

Thanks!

*Possibly, not possible

Last edited by lady5280; 01-14-2012 at 06:55 PM..
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Old 01-14-2012, 06:32 PM
 
1,664 posts, read 3,939,161 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lady5280 View Post
We are 30 years old with a 4 month old baby. Looking to move out to the Bay Area but have no clue what the cities around San Francisco are like. We love SF but can't afford to live there. Looking for some place that has a little culture (not just strip malls), but is still good for young families as far as safety, schools, etc. Also, and this might be a lot to ask, but near BART would be nice. My husband's parents live in Antioch but when we came to visit it seemed a little dull...

Thanks!

With parents in Antioch, check out Clayton. On the best 100 city list of the USA. It is a great small town with lots of kids and families. Has a small downtown, good schools and very safe. Close to BART and has a great trail system.
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Old 01-14-2012, 11:51 PM
 
Location: California
37,032 posts, read 41,957,933 times
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Walnut Creek! Close but not too close...haha.
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Old 01-15-2012, 11:04 AM
 
4,307 posts, read 6,225,470 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lady5280 View Post
We are 30 years old with a 4 month old baby. Looking to move out to the Bay Area but have no clue what the cities around San Francisco are like. We love SF but can't afford to live there. Looking for some place that has a little culture (not just strip malls), but is still good for young families as far as safety, schools, etc. Also, and this might be a lot to ask, but near BART would be nice. My husband's parents live in Antioch but when we came to visit it seemed a little dull...

Thanks!

*Possibly, not possible
You may also want to consider several cities along the peninsula (between Mountain View and Burlingame). You don't have the BART, but you do have a Caltrain line. These cities tend to be pricier than those in the east bay, but you do have nice downtowns and a bit more culture.
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Old 01-15-2012, 12:28 PM
 
Location: Palo Alto
12,149 posts, read 8,373,859 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lady5280 View Post
We are 30 years old with a 4 month old baby. Looking to move out to the Bay Area but have no clue what the cities around San Francisco are like. We love SF but can't afford to live there. Looking for some place that has a little culture (not just strip malls), but is still good for young families as far as safety, schools, etc. Also, and this might be a lot to ask, but near BART would be nice. My husband's parents live in Antioch but when we came to visit it seemed a little dull...

Thanks!

*Possibly, not possible
A wise man once said "Go west, young man". The young man was smart, and went south down the peninsula, and he was better for it. :grin:

We are in Palo Alto. A little pricy for a young couple, but there are other areas. BART makes it to Millbrae during the week, and San Bruno all the time. You might not know about Caltrain, which serves the peninsula from SF down to San Jose and even to Gilroy during the week. You can transfer from Caltrain to BART at the same station.

It depends on your budget and employment. An apartment five minutes from your office and a nice park might be perfect compared to a house in Palo Alto if you work downtown SF.
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Old 01-15-2012, 01:20 PM
 
40 posts, read 84,008 times
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Lafayette is on Bart and has good schools & safety. Danville and Alamo are nice areas. Davis has a rep for great schools, is safe, has some culture, and is about an hour and 20 minutes from both SF or Antioch. You can take Amtrak from there to SF or connect to Bart.
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Old 01-15-2012, 03:42 PM
 
Location: Bay Area
3,981 posts, read 8,949,769 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lady5280 View Post
We are 30 years old with a 4 month old baby. Looking to move out to the Bay Area but have no clue what the cities around San Francisco are like. We love SF but can't afford to live there. Looking for some place that has a little culture (not just strip malls), but is still good for young families as far as safety, schools, etc. Also, and this might be a lot to ask, but near BART would be nice. My husband's parents live in Antioch but when we came to visit it seemed a little dull...

Thanks!

*Possibly, not possible
You need to give us a budget and housing preferences. Also where you/your husband will be working.
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Old 01-15-2012, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Los Altos Hills, CA
36,625 posts, read 67,140,815 times
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Closer to Antioch, Walnut Creek really meets all over your criteria. Its a very nice town that has all the amenities your looking for. Along BART lines as well. Someone mentioned Clayton? Yes that's a nice area too. Its hotter in that area than it is closer to the Bay. Just informing you in case its an issue.

Closer to SF, Alameda and Albany easily qualify when it comes to 'not just strip malls'. Both towns have extremely walkable areas with rather vibrant downtown areas(Alameda is a bit larger tho) and both are very charming(left leaning. Close enough to BART to count.
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Old 01-29-2012, 10:55 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,030 times
Reputation: 10
Wow thanks for all the replies, everyone, and keep 'em coming! This gives us a really good starting point of where to look and where to avoid.
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