Relocating to SF - work in Menlo (Redwood City, Palo Alto: rental, houses)

[gettingoutofpa]

Hi,

We are considering relocating to the SF area; my husband will be working in Menlo Park.

I have looked over numerous posts about relocating but I'm not always clear how they relate to our situation so I decided to post.

As a family with pets we're in need of certain things which I'll list below. I welcome any and all advice on good neighborhoods to look into.

- We are open to either renting or owning but need a minimum of 3 BR (price range of either would be helpful to give us a sense of what we're looking at)
- Need to be able to keep dog/cat
- Need a safe neighborhood with good schools or access to decent private schools
- My husband would like to commute to Menlo by public transportation if possible (if not, are there better/worse ways in?)
- We actually live in a city neighborhood now but we're open to a more suburban neighborhood/community
- I'd prefer an area that isn't on the hot side; fog not a problem
- An area with better air quality is a key priority because of asthma
- We'd like to be a reasonable commute to a Children's hospital or at least a good satellite of the hospital given chronic health problems

So, it's a huge list I know. But any advice on different aspects will at least help me narrow down to a more manageable list of places to explore online.
Thanks again for any and all help!

[clongirl]

Any of the surrounding cities, including Menlo Park would work...Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, etc. Schools are generally good, but it's all about which neighborhood you end up in!

The weather in all these places are pretty ideal w/o being too hot. You didn't mention housing budget so you'll want to peruse craigslist for general ideas about rental costs. Houses to purchase (keeping your wants/needs in mind) are around 900k+. Stanford in Palo Alto has an excellent children's hospital (Lucille Packard). For more specific information on neighborhoods, repost this on the South Bay/Peninsula/Silicon Valley boards.