Where oh where on the peninsula should we live? (San Mateo: rental, condo)

[Sdma]

Hello to everyone out there!

Our family of 4 (4yr old and a 10yr old) husband and I are moving from San Luis Obispo near (or as close to as we can I guess) to Belmont, Ca in June 2012. I am looking and looking and I can't seem to get a clear view of things. Maybe someone can help?

We need housing (apt/house/condo etc) in a place that is both in closer (30min) to work -near the water where all of the other larger companies are like Oracle -and reasonable schools. We are budgeting around $3500 for 3 bedrooms - the boys might kill each otherwise. We have no pets, no real particular needs like a yard, balcony, view or otherwise (nice to have but not a deal breaker). If the neighbors are friendly and tolerate kids - would be great if they had their own! - then we should be fine.

The question is where is the best place to look that meet our requirements of close to work and near a good school (elementary and middle)? Is it unreasonable to expect to pay $3500 and still get what we want? On the surface, it might seem easy but there seems to be slim pickins' for available houses in an area that has a school rating of 7/8 or over or maybe I'm looking at the wrong sites? Ie:Padmapper.

Any ideas out there?

Thank you!

[superfly2004]

Originally Posted by Sdma

Hello to everyone out there!

Our family of 4 (4yr old and a 10yr old) husband and I are moving from San Luis Obispo near (or as close to as we can I guess) to Belmont, Ca in June 2012. I am looking and looking and I can't seem to get a clear view of things. Maybe someone can help?

We need housing (apt/house/condo etc) in a place that is both in closer (30min) to work -near the water where all of the other larger companies are like Oracle -and reasonable schools. We are budgeting around $3500 for 3 bedrooms - the boys might kill each otherwise. We have no pets, no real particular needs like a yard, balcony, view or otherwise (nice to have but not a deal breaker). If the neighbors are friendly and tolerate kids - would be great if they had their own! - then we should be fine.

The question is where is the best place to look that meet our requirements of close to work and near a good school (elementary and middle)? Is it unreasonable to expect to pay $3500 and still get what we want? On the surface, it might seem easy but there seems to be slim pickins' for available houses in an area that has a school rating of 7/8 or over or maybe I'm looking at the wrong sites? Ie:Padmapper.

Any ideas out there?

Thank you!

I would look in San Mateo, Burlingame or Redwood City due to the closeness to the ocean and Oracle. The weather is great in all of those locations as well.

[twins4lynn]

I would look at Belmont. You can find a home or condo within your price range there. Belmont also has all excellent schools all the way through - elementary (API's in mid 800's to mid 900's), middle school (around 900), and high school (in mid 800's).

[jaypee]

Belmont has great public schools, just live on the west side of El Camino so you can matriculate to Tierra Linda Middle and Carlmont High. However, Belmont's not on the water (it does have a lushness to it the closer you get to the hills with deers and other wildlife roaming around).

If you want to be on the bay and Oracle, you'd need to look at Foster City or Redwood Shores.
They both have great elementary and middle schools but the highschools are so-so (I believe FC kids go to San Mateo High and RW Shores go to Sequoia high in RWC).

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/a...71&nh=77&nh=85

[Sdma]

Thank you very much for the information, I will begin following those leads now. Thanks again!

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Jaypee nailed it. The problem on the Peninsula is, you can choose good schools with very high housing costs, or, modest housing costs with so so schools. Belmont, Redwood Shores and Foster City are the happy medium if there is one. But even so, they are definitely not cheap.

Most people who work on this side of the Bay commute from the East Bay, South Bay or places even further away.

[tetka_grunya]

Foster City has great elementary schools (some year-around), Bowditch Middle School one of the best here. I believe, they still have open enrollment policy for all 6 high schools in SMHS district, so kids can attend any of those schools, including Burlingame and Millbrae HS.

It's hard to find 3BD apt in this area. But many townhouses in FC are rental properties

[twins4lynn]

Originally Posted by tetka_grunya

Foster City has great elementary schools (some year-around), Bowditch Middle School one of the best here. I believe, they still have open enrollment policy for all 6 high schools in SMHS district, so kids can attend any of those schools, including Burlingame and Millbrae HS. It's hard to find 3BD apt in this area. But many townhouses in FC are rental properties

You can put in intradistrict transfers (at the high school level), however some high schools receive more intradistrict transfer requests than openings (and they are impacted). At that point a lottery is held, and not all will get in. I strongly advise families not to assume their child can intradistrict transfer into the high school they desire.

[tetka_grunya]

As I remember from my daughter's time in Bowditch Middle School, in January they ask kids to specify their first and second choice of HS. Most of them got what they wanted.

[twins4lynn]

Originally Posted by tetka_grunya

As I remember from my daughter's time in Bowditch Middle School, in January they ask kids to specify their first and second choice of HS. Most of them got what they wanted.

Both of my kids went through the intradistrict transfer process twice. Neither got into their desired school. Then ended up attending their home district school (Mills). We know a few others who also requested another school and didn't make it through the lottery selection.