Where in the Bay Area do you prefer to live? Why? (San Jose: rental, condos)

[EclecticEars]

This is something I'm asking just out of curiosity.

I have been on the SF Peninsula for five months and like things here overall, so it's not that I'm necessarily looking to relocate. (I'll admit, though, the job I moved here for already didn't work out, so who knows where I'll be in a few months.) Anyway, I've had some time to really explore the area, get a feel for cities and communities, meet plenty of people, and enjoy the natural beauty, but then that's almost everywhere around here.

I honestly like the peninsula as well as any place in the entire Bay Area. A little more laid back than SF or Oakland, more accessible to the start-ups, easier place for me to bicycle, it's easier to drive there than SF, and there's Half Moon Bay!! A secondary option would be North Marin; I like the mountains, Point Reyes and more laid back nature away from those snobby South Marin communities. Another secondary area is San Francisco; I find some SF people to be kind of obnoxious to be perfectly honest, but it is also a world class city and has many of the attributes that come with that. Plus, as a person developing my photography skills, what better place to develop those in this area than SF?

Now, with exception of Berkeley, I honestly don't care for the East Bay. No offense to any East Bay lovers, it just isn't my thing; even if I landed a permanent job in the East Bay, I'd still probably commute from the peninsula. I'm not "bowled over" by Oakland at all, much of the outer EB is just very generic and bland, and their Bayfront areas are not as well developed as they are on the peninsula. Just yesterday, my time in San Ramon/Danville/Walnut Creek was not exactly pleasurable because of the pervasiveness of really cold, snobby people I encountered. Even though it's not "in" the Bay Area, it's closely associated, and that's Santa Cruz; the snobbery there reminds me of San Ramon/Danville/Walnut Creek, ruining a town with an otherwise nice vibe.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by EclecticEars

Now, with exception of Berkeley, I honestly don't care for the East Bay. No offense to any East Bay lovers, it just isn't my thing; even if I landed a permanent job in the East Bay, I'd still probably commute from the peninsula. Even though it's not "in" the Bay Area, it's closely associated, and that's Santa Cruz; the snobbery there is so bad, in my experience, that I'd almost rather live in Barstow.

My preference would be a house up in Strawberry Canyon overlooking the newly remodeled stadium.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

My preference would be a house up in Strawberry Canyon overlooking the newly remodeled stadium.

Hmmmmm...I'll admit, that might not sound so bad!

[mayorhaggar]

The Peninsula just seems really bland to me considering how expensive it is. If you want to drive to work in SF or Silicon Valley it's convenient (which is why it's so expensive) but there isn't really anything there, and Caltrain is pretty awful compared with BART because of the station locations--in SF they're in the middle of nowhere and outside of SF they're in suburban locations where you need a car to get around anyway. East Bay has a lot of really blah areas but if you work in downtown SF, it's just more convenient because of the way BART is set up. Definitely it's not convenient at all to Silicon Valley which is why it's a lot cheaper than the Pen.

[jade408]

Most important neighborhood amenities for me are walkability for basics, easy access to a good variety of interesting restaurants, sufficient public transit, friendly people, reasonably sunny weather, and safety of course. Amenities of slightly lesser importance than the top of the list: diversity, proximity to the freeway, proximity to parks, and interesting architecture.

I don't really like the Peninsula. Most towns feel really suburban, and outside of the downtown, it isn't walkable at all. Transit isn't great if you need or want to go to SF. The only redeeming quality is proximity to the Silicon Valley. I find it odd that restaurants are so mediocre at the midrange, considering how great the bay area is for this in general. Everyone once in a while, I'll uncover a great block with good architecture in the Peninsula, and I'll be surprised and it will really remind me of the way the Peninsula gots its start, summer homes for SF residents.

For me, there are only a few areas in the Bay Area that meet my requirements:
Parts of Oakland
Parts of SF
Parts of Berkeley
Parts of San Jose
Albany

Most of outer Alameda county, most of Contra Costa county, most of the Peninsula, and most of Santa Clara county don't work for what I am looking for.

Where I live in Oakland is pretty much a perfect blend of my key amenities, although there are some other areas I would want to move to as well. Because I don't like the South Bay or the Peninsula much, I don't even bother to apply for jobs there. I have not desire to work for a big well-known Silicon Valley company, even though plenty of my friends do. I have no idea what I would do if I was forced to work over there. The living situation wouldn't make me happy. As I result, I limit my job searches to SF or the east bay north of Hayward.

[Glenview94602]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

My preference would be a house up in Strawberry Canyon overlooking the newly remodeled stadium.

+1, as a diehard cal football fan and East Bay native, that would be my top wish too!

[Isebiel]

Probably one of those swanky condos on top of Russian Hill, with a view of the bay. No strong preference though. I like most of the "nice" neighborhoods in SF. Haven't seen anywhere outside the city that I like as much.

[18Montclair]

Where I live now is exactly where I want to be. I've lived in San Francisco and Marin County and enjoyed them immensely and there are lots of nice places out there, but I definitely prefer the East Bay, particularly the Oakland Hills where I now live.

The extremely close access to rest of Oakland and Berkeley and San Francisco, but the ability to feel removed from the urban rat race is priceless to me.

I made this chart about a week ago and as you can see, there are many areas to choose from in Oakland 3 Hills Districts & Piedmont which is completely surrounded by Oakland on all sides:

I live in Upper Rockridge which is located directly southwest of the 13/24 interchange.

And there is great diversity in housing, in level of remoteness, in racial and ethnic diversity depending on which area of the hills we're talking about.

Oh, and I made a mistake--this data is from 2009-NOT 2010. Sorry.

[rkwalton]

I have no love for the Peninsula. I don't hate it. It just strikes me as REALLY dull in comparison to what you get in San Francisco and the East Bay Cities. It would be my last choice. My decision not to own a car influences a lot of my decisions on where to live. I have to have decent mass transit but also good rental options nearby. Places like the East Bay and San Francisco offer both. Other spots in the Bay Area don't.

Right now I'm in Berkeley pretty near Cal. When I decided I was fleeing NYC, I opened up my search area to the city and towns like Berkeley and Albany. I'm close enough to San Francisco via BART but have a more relaxed environment. This sort of set up grew on me when I stayed a few months in Valley Forge, PA - close enough to Philly but far enough out that you can breathe. You've got (mostly) well-heeled and educated locals, and Cal students don't seem too crazy (maybe that happens up the hill where it's more students than not.)

I like the East Bay area that I'm in right now, so that's second. I lived in San Francisco for years and loved it there. That's always going to be my first choice as I do miss 24/7 transit options. AC Transit and BART just don't measure up. My third choice would be out in the burbs. I'd live in Orinda or Walnut Creek over a city in the Peninsula any day. I just like it there and have friends in that area.

1) San Francisco
2) East Bay - North Oakland/Berkeley/Albany
3) East Bay - Orinda, Walnut Creek
4) Marin
5) Peninsula

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

The Peninsula just seems really bland to me considering how expensive it is. If you want to drive to work in SF or Silicon Valley it's convenient (which is why it's so expensive) but there isn't really anything there, and Caltrain is pretty awful compared with BART because of the station locations--in SF they're in the middle of nowhere and outside of SF they're in suburban locations where you need a car to get around anyway. East Bay has a lot of really blah areas but if you work in downtown SF, it's just more convenient because of the way BART is set up. Definitely it's not convenient at all to Silicon Valley which is why it's a lot cheaper than the Pen.

I think the caltrain station locations south of maybe South San Francisco are pretty good (I don't see how they're any worse/different than the BART stations located outside of SF...). The station locations in SF, however, aren't the most centrally located. The only downside is there are possibly maybe too maybe too many stations (although, the express baby bullets help IMMENSELY if you're going great distances...wish BART had express trains).

In regards to there not being anything in the peninsula...it's really not any different than any other suburban location in the bay area. I do like the fact that there are a lot of nice down towns up and down the peninsula. I have found some of this in the east bay, but it doesn't seem to be as prevalent (especially south of Oakland). It is also nice being near the ocean and being able to get into SF by car in 20 minutes anytime of the day (don't need to worry about any bridge traffic). It is possible to be less car-dependent there (if you want to). Personally, I can go days/weeks without my car in the car-dependent peninsula by using caltrain/buses/my bike. It's not as convenient as SF, but it's certainly possible in certain parts of the peninsula (realistically, this could probably be said about most areas, but still making a point that it's possible if you want to try).

But that all being said, the main reason I live where I do (downtown San Mateo) is because of where I work (Stanford). Because of the geographic limitations of the bay area, so much of the convenience of your day-to-day life is based on where you work. For people working in SF, the east bay is a great location...but if you have to work in Silicon Valley, convenience shifts towards the South Bay/peninsula.

If work (and money) wasn't a limitation, I would most probably choose to live in SF.