Single and moving to Palo Alto (Redwood City, Mountain View: apartments, for rent, houses)

[crazytrain]

Hello,

I am thinking of moving from Seattle to Palo Alto to work at a high tech firm. I'm single and in my late twenties. I'm looking to rent an apartment somewhere that is close to work (near Stanford) to minimize the commute and somewhat close to areas that have a nightlife.

I'm also paying close to $1300 for rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Seattle and would like to spend around the same.

Any places you would recommend?

Thanks!

[sonarrat]

At that price your options will be limited. The apartments are out there, but the competition is fierce. I think your best bet may be Redwood City as apartments run a bit less there and it's still a short train ride to Palo Alto.

[humboldtrat]

$1300 probably won't get you much of a 1 bed apt. in Palo Alto. Palo Alto is nice (a bit upscale) with a nice downtown with some nightlife. Nearby Mountain View to the south or Redwood City to the north would be a little cheaper than Palo Alto or Menlo Park.

[crazytrain]

Wow. So I'm thinking $1300 will get me a studio then. When it comes to renting, are there a lot of people doubling up/sharing or is renting just not popular? How's the night life in Redwood City?

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by crazytrain

Wow. So I'm thinking $1300 will get me a studio then. When it comes to renting, are there a lot of people doubling up/sharing or is renting just not popular? How's the night life in Redwood City?

The thing is that entry-level houses in Palo Alto cost $1-1.2 million, and that is no exaggeration. Renting is the only option for the vast majority of people. And yes, there is a lot of apartment sharing out of pure necessity.

Night life around downtown RWC is all right, but a bit grittier than Menlo Park or Palo Alto. The ability to speak Spanish is a big plus. Until recently they used to call it "Deadwood City" because there was nothing to do after dark. That is starting to change now.

[crazytrain]

Thanks for the help. Are there any particular areas where apartment sharing is more prevalent than others? I'm guessing that there would be areas that are considered student ghettos (where sharing would be more common) and other areas that are mainly family residential.