Napa to Fairfield Commute (Davis, American Canyon: homes, gated, living in)

[tarheel06]

Hi All,

I've received an offer for a new job located in Fairfield. I'm planning to live in either Napa or Davis. If I were to live in Davis, I would be interested in taking the train to the Fairfield/Suisun station. Does anyone have any insights into the commute from Napa to Fairfield or from Davis to Fairfield (by car and by train)? Any insights would be appreciated. (The job will be from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. Thus, I will be relegated to the rush-hour commute.)

Thanks.

[sonarrat]

Well, Jameson Canyon Road (Hwy 12) is not my favorite road. One lane each direction, super heavy truck traffic, and 55 mph speed limit means catastrophic accidents when they occur. If you don't mind detouring to American Canyon Road (mostly divided, 40 mph limit), then you'll mostly just have to deal with the getaway traffic patterns on 29. Other than that, it's not a bad drive.

[Bulldogdad]

This is easy. Live in Davis and visit Napa. Trust Us

[believeland]

I used to live in Napa (until '03) and loved it. The hills around Napa are greener than anywhere else in the area. big malls, a not too many strip malls; just enough to get what you need (a loaf of bread, a jug of wine...). It felt like a real community with a heart and center; not just another suburb. Occasionally I drove to Fairfield to shop; an easy 20 minutes from the north side of Napa. Most of the tourists come in for the day on weekends, or arrive Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon. They take 29 north past Napa and into the valley. They would only affect your Friday commute home, and you could take another route, or live on the south end of Napa. Each area of the Bay Area has its own microclimate. In Napa this translates to summers of no rain from May to October, and 90ish most days. Cool nights, and tule fog most summer mornings that suddenly disappears about 11am. Winter's are cool-warm and wetter (if you could even call it winter). Fall blends into Spring. I used to call it Sprall, and every year when the mustard bloomed in the vineyards I would look around and find at least one blossoming tree that was also holding onto one or two fall leaves Living in Napa is different than visiting. There's nothing like it: driving past vineyards to go everywhere, and watching them change from gnarled old vines, to tender buds, to fruit-laden, to brilliant with leaves; picking out an excellent, yet inexpensive bottle of wine at the local grocery store, that you know is only available in the valley, and knowing the people who made it; bringing your soup pot to the back door of a favorite restaurant at 5pm and having the cook fill it with sauce for a minimal charge. Hurrying home to put it on a low burner to keep warm while you make a salad from the wonderful local produce and boil some pasta. Packing a picnic supper with wine and dinner to attend an informal concert for customers and friends in the private courtyard behind your hairdresser's shop. Sharing Sunday night tappas with your friends at a local eatery after all the tourists have left the valley. Then, awaking one fall morning to the scent of deep dark fruit rushing down the valley and through your open window, and realizing that crush time has begun again.

[happehart]

Originally Posted by believeland

I used to live in Napa (until '03) and loved it. The hills around Napa are greener than anywhere else in the area. big malls, a not too many strip malls; just enough to get what you need (a loaf of bread, a jug of wine...). It felt like a real community with a heart and center; not just another suburb. Occasionally I drove to Fairfield to shop; an easy 20 minutes from the north side of Napa. Most of the tourists come in for the day on weekends, or arrive Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon. They take 29 north past Napa and into the valley. They would only affect your Friday commute home, and you could take another route, or live on the south end of Napa. Each area of the Bay Area has its own microclimate. In Napa this translates to summers of no rain from May to October, and 90ish most days. Cool nights, and tule fog most summer mornings that suddenly disappears about 11am. Winter's are cool-warm and wetter (if you could even call it winter). Fall blends into Spring. I used to call it Sprall, and every year when the mustard bloomed in the vineyards I would look around and find at least one blossoming tree that was also holding onto one or two fall leaves Living in Napa is different than visiting. There's nothing like it: driving past vineyards to go everywhere, and watching them change from gnarled old vines, to tender buds, to fruit-laden, to brilliant with leaves; picking out an excellent, yet inexpensive bottle of wine at the local grocery store, that you know is only available in the valley, and knowing the people who made it; bringing your soup pot to the back door of a favorite restaurant at 5pm and having the cook fill it with sauce for a minimal charge. Hurrying home to put it on a low burner to keep warm while you make a salad from the wonderful local produce and boil some pasta. Packing a picnic supper with wine and dinner to attend an informal concert for customers and friends in the private courtyard behind your hairdresser's shop. Sharing Sunday night tappas with your friends at a local eatery after all the tourists have left the valley. Then, awaking one fall morning to the scent of deep dark fruit rushing down the valley and through your open window, and realizing that crush time has begun again.

Thanks for the great info, I am considering a move back to CA and thought of Napa as an option to live. Which parts of Napa has affordable homes? of course if you still remember. What about American Canyon, would this be close enough to get the feel of Napa?

[believeland]

Oops, I meant to say no malls, and not too many strip malls (unless that has all changed since '03).

Originally Posted by believeland

I used to live in Napa (until '03) and loved it. The hills around Napa are greener than anywhere else in the area. no big malls, and not too many strip malls; just enough to get what you need (a loaf of bread, a jug of wine...). It felt like a real community with a heart and center; not just another suburb. Occasionally I drove to Fairfield to shop; an easy 20 minutes from the north side of Napa. Most of the tourists come in for the day on weekends, or arrive Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon. They take 29 north past Napa and into the valley. They would only affect your Friday commute home, and you could take another route, or live on the south end of Napa to minimize the distance travelled on 29. Each area of the Bay Area has its own microclimate. In Napa this usually translated to summers of no rain from May to October, and 90ish most days. Cool nights, and tule fog most summer mornings that suddenly disappears about 11am. Winter's are cooler and wetter (if you could even call that winter). Fall blends into Spring. I used to call it Sprall, and every year when the mustard bloomed in the vineyards I would look around and find at least one blossoming tree that was still holding onto one or two fall leaves. Living in Napa is different than visiting. There's nothing like it: driving past vineyards to go everywhere, and watching them change from gnarled old vines, to tender buds, to fruit-laden, to brilliant with leaves; picking out an excellent, yet inexpensive bottle of wine at the local grocery store, that you know is only available in the valley, and knowing the people who made it; bringing your soup pot to the back door of a favorite restaurant at 5pm and having the cook fill it with sauce for a minimal charge; hurrying home to put it on a low burner to keep warm while you make a salad and boil some pasta; packing a picnic basket with wine and dinner to attend an informal concert for customers and friends in the private courtyard behind your hairdresser's shop; sharing Sunday night tappas with your friends at a local eatery after all the tourists have left the valley. Then, awaking one fall morning to the scent of deep dark fruit rushing down the valley and through your open window, and realizing that crush time has begun again.

[believeland]

I don't know what the prices would be like now but American Canyon would certainly be less expensive. The landscape is flatter and drier and the community stretches along Hwy 29 just south of the Napa Valley. We attended a very friendly, selfless, community-minded little church in American Canyon called American Canyon Baptist Church. Other than that I don't know much about the area.

Originally Posted by happehart

Thanks for the great info, I am considering a move back to CA and thought of Napa as an option to live. Which parts of Napa has affordable homes? of course if you still remember. What about American Canyon, would this be close enough to get the feel of Napa?

[OTownKnight]

Originally Posted by believeland

I used to live in Napa (until '03) and loved it. The hills around Napa are greener than anywhere else in the area. big malls, a not too many strip malls; just enough to get what you need (a loaf of bread, a jug of wine...). It felt like a real community with a heart and center; not just another suburb. Occasionally I drove to Fairfield to shop; an easy 20 minutes from the north side of Napa. Most of the tourists come in for the day on weekends, or arrive Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon. They take 29 north past Napa and into the valley. They would only affect your Friday commute home, and you could take another route, or live on the south end of Napa. Each area of the Bay Area has its own microclimate. In Napa this translates to summers of no rain from May to October, and 90ish most days. Cool nights, and tule fog most summer mornings that suddenly disappears about 11am. Winter's are cool-warm and wetter (if you could even call it winter). Fall blends into Spring. I used to call it Sprall, and every year when the mustard bloomed in the vineyards I would look around and find at least one blossoming tree that was also holding onto one or two fall leaves Living in Napa is different than visiting. There's nothing like it: driving past vineyards to go everywhere, and watching them change from gnarled old vines, to tender buds, to fruit-laden, to brilliant with leaves; picking out an excellent, yet inexpensive bottle of wine at the local grocery store, that you know is only available in the valley, and knowing the people who made it; bringing your soup pot to the back door of a favorite restaurant at 5pm and having the cook fill it with sauce for a minimal charge. Hurrying home to put it on a low burner to keep warm while you make a salad from the wonderful local produce and boil some pasta. Packing a picnic supper with wine and dinner to attend an informal concert for customers and friends in the private courtyard behind your hairdresser's shop. Sharing Sunday night tappas with your friends at a local eatery after all the tourists have left the valley. Then, awaking one fall morning to the scent of deep dark fruit rushing down the valley and through your open window, and realizing that crush time has begun again.

I feel like I just read a romance novel haha. Great post though, sounds very nice.