Work in Newark, CA - places to live? (Fremont, Santa Clara: apartments, neighborhood)

[AngusHsu]

Originally Posted by mahabali1

Thank you guys, you all are awesome! Here are some questions for you :-)

So East Palo Alto is out of question. How about Menlo Park or Palo Alto itself? Someone at my office (I joined today itself) told me its about 20 minutes from Menlo Park and 35 minutes from Mountain View. How are these places, namely, Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Mountain View?

Again, living in Newark and Fremont is something I want to avoid mainly because the suburban culture here. And, being an Indian myself - so it should not be racist :-), I see too many of Indians around this area - the day I came to my hotel I saw a traditional wedding parade passing by right in front of hotel - which is something I have never seen anywhere else in the USA.

I want to meet people from different cultures and nationalities.

You may easily break your 1500 budget in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, or Mountain View. I doubt there are any bad areas in those suburbs. Palo Alto is still very white. Menlo Park and Mountain View are more diverse but still chock full of engineers.

You're not working in a very culturally interesting area (Newark/Fremont) with lots of fun things to do on weekends. And if you go too far for more vibrant locales, then your commute will be a nightmare.

[mstnghu2]

If you're not looking to be in a predominantly Indian area, Fremont is not the place for you. It has a very large Indian population. Fremont is not diverse if that's what you're looking for. The population is predominantly Indian and Chinese.
Somebody recommended downtown San Jose and I agree that may be a good location based on what you're looking for.

As far as Palo Alto, Mountain View and Menlo Park go, they are all nice cities (overall, Palo Alto being the nicest), but they are all very expensive rental markets.

[MichaelinWA]

There is a large concentration of Filipinos, also, although not a many as in Union City.

Originally Posted by mstnghu2

Fremont is not diverse if that's what you're looking for. The population is predominantly Indian and Chinese.

[ccm123]

Yep, Downtown San Jose is pretty diverse and very underrated, in my opinion.

[Shadow Dude]

I'm surprised it took until post #13 for someone to mention Union City. Since you don't want to live in Newark or Fremont that is the third city in the 'Tri-City' area. Although the peninsula is a nice area to live you will have to pay $5 to use the bridge unless you take 237 around the bottom of the bay but that is just a huge waste of time. The 880 commute going South is worse during the morning than going North. But the afternoon commute sucks South and North in the evening. But heed the advice of others and stay out of East Palo Alto. Downtown San Jose is on the cusp of your travel time and any amount of traffic will cut into it even further. I would say look at Union City, Downtown San Jose, Milpitas, or Newark itself, I know you want to avoid it but it is much more culturally diverse than Fremont despite being an enclave of Fremont.

[mahabali1]

So I visited a few apartments in Menlo Park (around Coleman Av), I was really disappointed by the apartments over there given the price they were asking. The apartments themselves looked like ghettos, on top of it the price they were asking ranged from $11650-$1800. The very first feeling I got as soon as I stepped in these apartments was that they are unsafe neighbourhoods. The flats (units), though decent sized had no dishwasher in them, and at such high price I was expecting washer-dryer in the unit. Contrast it to the apartments I saw in Union City which were spacious, well-ventilated, had washer-dryers/microwave/dishwasher in the unit and were literally across the street from BART station.
What is so much price difference? How much should I expect to pay in Menlo Park for a decent apartment complex which are safe, I don't expect the units to have washer-dryer etc but at least not ghettos.

[ccm123]

Most rents on the Penninsula (with some exceptions) will be higher than on the east side of the bay (Union City).

Originally Posted by mahabali1

So I visited a few apartments in Menlo Park (around Coleman Av), I was really disappointed by the apartments over there given the price they were asking. The apartments themselves looked like ghettos, on top of it the price they were asking ranged from $11650-$1800. The very first feeling I got as soon as I stepped in these apartments was that they are unsafe neighbourhoods. The flats (units), though decent sized had no dishwasher in them, and at such high price I was expecting washer-dryer in the unit. Contrast it to the apartments I saw in Union City which were spacious, well-ventilated, had washer-dryers/microwave/dishwasher in the unit and were literally across the street from BART station.
What is so much price difference? How much should I expect to pay in Menlo Park for a decent apartment complex which are safe, I don't expect the units to have washer-dryer etc but at least not ghettos.

[mayorhaggar]

Originally Posted by mahabali1

So I visited a few apartments in Menlo Park (around Coleman Av), I was really disappointed by the apartments over there given the price they were asking. The apartments themselves looked like ghettos, on top of it the price they were asking ranged from $11650-$1800. The very first feeling I got as soon as I stepped in these apartments was that they are unsafe neighbourhoods. The flats (units), though decent sized had no dishwasher in them, and at such high price I was expecting washer-dryer in the unit. Contrast it to the apartments I saw in Union City which were spacious, well-ventilated, had washer-dryers/microwave/dishwasher in the unit and were literally across the street from BART station.
What is so much price difference? How much should I expect to pay in Menlo Park for a decent apartment complex which are safe, I don't expect the units to have washer-dryer etc but at least not ghettos.

Menlo Park is one of the most expensive cities to live in in one of the most expensive parts of the US. I'm surprised you're finding places for less than $2000 there, and not surprised they're dumpy. Most apartments in the Bay Area are small and old and dumpy, and rarely have modern stuff like in-unit washer/dryers or dishwashers. Lots of middle class and even upper middle class people live in buildings where they have to use a coin-op washer/dryer in the basement. Newer buildings will be more likely to have that stuff, but it will drive up the price a lot.

That said, your money will definitely go further in the East Bay, and put newer buildings more in your reach. If a newer unit with a dishwasher and washer/dryer are priorities for you, definitely look at the East Bay. San Mateo County and Santa Clara County are both very expensive by comparison, there's a higher concentration of tech workers and tech companies in those counties which means higher rents.

[mahabali1]

Thank you guys for all you help! I have signed up the lease at Avalon in Union City, primarily because of its proximity to BART, shopping, grocery stores and shuttle service to my office. It is a bit expensive and there were reports of car vandalism some time back, but hopefully things are fine now.
I would like to invite you guys for house party once I get settled in my new apartment

[Radical347]

I was going to third/fourth Union City too, but you beat me to it. I wouldn't have recommended Menlo Park/Palo Alto because they're way more expensive, unnecessarily add commute time, and IMO not really more thrilling than Fremont/Newark/Union City.