SF suburbs vs. NYC suburbs with family (relo. Qs - cross-post) (San Jose: for sale, real estate)

[njfam]

I am very familiar with various Northern NJ suburbs of NYC (Montclair, Short Hills, Madison), etc. from the perspective of towns with very good public schools for kids, kid-oriented activites, and a commute into midtown that doesn't exceed 1hr 15min (door-to-door). I am also somewhat familiar with various areas of Westchester, NY suburbs (Larchmont, Pleasantville, etc.) and CT (e.g., Greenwich, Westport) that offer a similar family-oriented lifestyle within a commutable distance of midtown (in the case of Westchester, generally with higher property taxes).

We are now considering an optional company transfer to the SF Bay area and are trying to determine if LaMorinda in the East Bay would be the best fit for us (with a thought of commuting on the BART to Embarcadero - and if possible, a home within walking distance to the BART station, if that exists). I have also been researching Piedmont and Albany, after determining that Silicon Valley and Marin County would probably be cost-prohibitive, and we would would prefer more warm sunshine (and less chilly fog), to the extent possible. (Note: Our house budget would be $1MM or less, but we would would like to get 3-4BR/2-3 BA, 1800+ sq. ft. with that budget). We have visited SF several times (and Napa, etc.), and we definitely want to live outside of the city for the kids (public schools, hiking, lower crime, etc.), but we also appreciate having a decent walkability score, if possible (able to walk to some restaurants, shops, park, but can be car-dependent for groceries, big box stores, other restaurants, etc.)

We would be happy to leave the NYC-area winters behind us, but we want to make sure that there are enough other pluses in the equation to justify the East coast to West coast move. If anyone is familiar with having lived in a family-oriented suburb of NYC and a family-oriented suburb of SF, I would appreciate hearing your feedback on the similarities and differences (both pro's and con's) of your experiences.

(I have also posted this on the city vs. city board.)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

There really is no complete comparison. As you know, the drop off in prices with distance from Manhattan is much more steep than it is here vis a vis distance from the SF FiDi. So obviously less bang for your buck here.

In terms of schools, I would opine that our best schools in the "Inner Bay" counties (the ones actually touching salt water or at least brackish water) are probably equal to the upper middle ones in Bergen, Westchester, etc.

Putting it all together, if I were the OP it would be Lamorinda. Close but no cigar but at least better weather, as noted ("it's a dry heat ...").

[ttocs99]

Originally Posted by njfam

I am very familiar with various Northern NJ suburbs of NYC (Montclair, Short Hills, Madison), etc. from the perspective of towns with very good public schools for kids, kid-oriented activites, and a commute into midtown that doesn't exceed 1hr 15min (door-to-door). I am also somewhat familiar with various areas of Westchester, NY suburbs (Larchmont, Pleasantville, etc.) and CT (e.g., Greenwich, Westport) that offer a similar family-oriented lifestyle within a commutable distance of midtown (in the case of Westchester, generally with higher property taxes).

We are now considering an optional company transfer to the SF Bay area and are trying to determine if LaMorinda in the East Bay would be the best fit for us (with a thought of commuting on the BART to Embarcadero - and if possible, a home within walking distance to the BART station, if that exists). I have also been researching Piedmont and Albany, after determining that Silicon Valley and Marin County would probably be cost-prohibitive, and we would would prefer more warm sunshine (and less chilly fog), to the extent possible. (Note: Our house budget would be $1MM or less, but we would would like to get 3-4BR/2-3 BA, 1800+ sq. ft. with that budget). We have visited SF several times (and Napa, etc.), and we definitely want to live outside of the city for the kids (public schools, hiking, lower crime, etc.), but we also appreciate having a decent walkability score, if possible (able to walk to some restaurants, shops, park, but can be car-dependent for groceries, big box stores, other restaurants, etc.)

We would be happy to leave the NYC-area winters behind us, but we want to make sure that there are enough other pluses in the equation to justify the East coast to West coast move. If anyone is familiar with having lived in a family-oriented suburb of NYC and a family-oriented suburb of SF, I would appreciate hearing your feedback on the similarities and differences (both pro's and con's) of your experiences.

(I have also posted this on the city vs. city board.)

I think somewhere like Walnut Creek (East Bay) might be perfect for what you are describing. They have a GREAT downtown area that has almost every restauraunt or store you can think of, extremely walkable. I moved there from NYC in 1999 and lived there until 2006. I plan on moving back there to retire (maybe 10-15 years from now). I LOVED every minute of it. I worked in SF, and I lived 3 blocks from the BART, so it was a wonderful commute, I loved it (didn't even have a car for the 1st year). About 35 minutes to the Embarcadero. WC is very family oriented and has some excellent schools (so I'm told, my ex-wife and I didn't have any kids). Coming from NYC (native NYer), I found Walnut Creek to be quaint, though it is a city, with over 60,000 people, though Walnut Creek is pretty spread out.

Here's an example of a nice home kinda in your budget.

5bd 3ba Home for Sale in Walnut Creek

Here's another one

LAFAYETTE SCHOOLS - OPEN TODAY 2-4

Most houses are not near the Downtown area, there are a lot of Condos and Apartments near the Downtown area.

Best of luck in your search, you're going to LOVE the Bay Area.

[California Vagabond]

I'll add only that you may find Redfin to be a good source for checking out Bay Area properties:

Real Estate, Homes for Sale, MLS Listings, Agents | Redfin

I don't think they cover New York.

[jade408]

You can also look at Dublin and Pleasanton. Not so walkable but in budget and have BART access.

I really like Albany and Alameda for walkable and family friendly.

[dmode]

With a $1MM budget, why not stick to Peninsula ? I think you may find some options in Foster City, Milbrae, Burlingame, Redwood City (closer to 280 freeway). Albeit, these will be older homes with less sq ft., but you have the advantage of living closer to the valley job centers and easy commute to Palo Alto, SF, San Jose etc.

[415native]

I live in Lamorinda, having moved here several years ago from the city (SF). I did research on all East Bay and North Bay suburbs, with schools being the top criterion, as well as a walkable downtown, among other things, that sound similar to what you're looking for. Side note is that I lived in Manhattan in my 20s and have family on LI, in NJ, and Westchester, so I have somewhat of a sense of all of those places (although I haven't ever lived in any of them), but can't make any solid, direct comparisons. I also just found this site b/c we may have to move to the NYC suburbs at some point in the distant future, so I'm doing the same search in reverse!

Lamorinda has great schools and parents that contribute $1,250+ per kid/year to the local educational foundations (Lafayette Education Foundation, Moraga Education Foundation, Educational Foundation of Orinda) to cover many of the school programs that the state budget can't cover. The commitment to public education here is very strong, both financially and through giving time (volunteering in schools). A small percentage choose to go private, but I've found that most kids go to the local public schools, increasing the sense of community.

Commute is easy - 25 minutes on BART from Orinda station or 30 min from Lafayette. There are definitely places to live where you can walk to BART in Lafayette or Orinda. Moraga doesn't have its own BART station and residents end up taking BART from Orinda or Lafayette (a 10-12 minute drive depending on where you live in Moraga and what station you're going to). Casual Carpool is also a commuting option. If you end up having to drive to a BART station, the wait for a parking pass can be YEARS, thus dictating when you have to arrive (w/o a pass, Orinda and Lafayette's non-permit parking fills up by 7:30am). We recently got a permit and it changed our lives!

Lafayette has the best downtown of the three towns. Orinda's is bifurcated by Hwy 24 and isn't as charming, IMO. Moraga doesn't have a downtown, but two shopping centers that could be reached on foot depending where you live.

Moraga has sidewalks! Orinda doesn't. I was told by a realtor that it's actually written in the Orinda city code that sidewalks are not permitted to maintain its rural feel. Lafayette does closer to downtown.

Weather is more "extreme" through the tunnel in Lamorinda/Walnut Creek than the Bay side (Berkeley, Piedmont/Oakland, Alameda). This means that we actually have a summer (new to me, a SF native), where the kids go swimming every day(!), and in winter we may wake up some mornings with a layer of ice on our windshield. Even on those days, it warms up to the low 50s. Probably sounds like heaven to an east coaster

Downside - it isn't very diverse. Racially, it is primarily White with Asian being the largest minority group. Economically, Lafayette and Moraga have the most diversified housing stock, with townhouses and condos mixed in with the majority of single-family homes, providing some economic diversity. We ended up sacrificing diversity for good schools and sometimes I question that choice. That aside, it is a pretty wonderful place to live. Good luck with your search!

[Pietro25]

Albany has great schools (thanks a decades-old arrangement with Golden Gate Fields, which has to contribute to Albany schools). It's the closest thing the Bay Area has to Ozzie and Harriet's neighborhood. Very kid oriented. Doesn't have a BART station, though.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Pietro25

Albany has great schools (thanks a decades-old arrangement with Golden Gate Fields, which has to contribute to Albany schools). It's the closest thing the Bay Area has to Ozzie and Harriet's neighborhood. Very kid oriented. Doesn't have a BART station, though.

Albany is pretty small so North Berkely or El Cerrito BART stations are not far, and there is also a commuter bus to SF with wifi! It is pretty speedy, I bet the ride from Albany is roughly 35 minutes.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by dmode

With a $1MM budget, why not stick to Peninsula ? I think you may find some options in Foster City, Milbrae, Burlingame, Redwood City (closer to 280 freeway). Albeit, these will be older homes with less sq ft., but you have the advantage of living closer to the valley job centers and easy commute to Palo Alto, SF, San Jose etc.

Their budget is too small for the home size they want most likely.