Late 20's female transferring to San Ramon from Arizona (San Francisco: apartment, condo)

[Sanfran77]

I've recently received an offer in San Ramon and was wondering on places to live. I'm single and in my 20's. I would rather stay on the east side of the bay for commuting purposes but don't necessarily want to live in San Ramon. Is there a nice safe area that's not too terribly far that I could live that has a bay view? Ever since wanting to move to San Francisco I have always wanted a view of the bay or live near a park by the bridge. I have never been there and any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[NorCalLover]

Hi Sanfran77, it will help to have an idea of your monthly budget to give you suggestions.

[Sanfran77]

I would like to be no higher than $1800 a month

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Start out by living in San Ramon. It's safe and nice. Commuting is horrendous in the SF Bay Area. Believe all the posts you've read about it.

Then, once you're here, you can look for a job closer to areas that have views of the Bay.

You can check out Oakland and other areas with views. Figure out where you'd love to live, and look for a job close to that area.

But, really, commuting to/from anywhere with a view of the bay from San Ramon would be brutal.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

Start out by living in San Ramon. It's safe and nice. Commuting is horrendous in the SF Bay Area. Believe all the posts you've read about it.

Then, once you're here, you can look for a job closer to areas that have views of the Bay.

You can check out Oakland and other areas with views. Figure out where you'd love to live, and look for a job close to that area.

But, really, commuting to/from anywhere with a view of the bay from San Ramon would be brutal.

No it isn't bad. It is a reverse commute. One of my friends has spent almost her whole career commuting from Oakland/Berkeley to various points on the 680 cooridor. It takes around 30 minutes. 580 east is quiet during the commute other than the last mile or 2 in Dublin.

[NorCalLover]

You could look in Montclair and the area around Mills College in Oakland and the Berkeley Hills maybe as well (you'd probably be more likely to find something in Oakland). As Jade said it's about a 30 min drive to San Ramon.

Example apartment: Luxury Condo Style 1 bd *at top of hill w/view*

[Sanfran77]

Thank you all for the responses! I've only heard horror stories about Oakland but I have also heard that there are nice areas as well. Can you be more specific as to which parts of Oakland are nice to live in?

[ccm123]

Rockridge, Grandlake in Oakland are nice. Pretty much, most of the areas in the hills will be fine. West Oakland and East Oakland would be the areas to stay away from.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Sanfran77

Thank you all for the responses! I've only heard horror stories about Oakland but I have also heard that there are nice areas as well. Can you be more specific as to which parts of Oakland are nice to live in?

Way overstated. You'll want to be a bit closer to 580 or 13 for an easy commute. Grand Lake, Piedmont Ave and Adams Point are perfect for someone your age.

These areas are safe. I feel fine walking around at night, walking home from the bus etc. I will say there are some streets that are a little quiet not well lit, so use some urban common sense. But there isn't a lot to worry about. Don't leave your iPad on your car seat.

Rockridge is out of budget and a little too family for your age group. Same with Montclair. Dimond is also out in my book. These are all nice areas but skew a bit older or single family homes.

Mills College area is more hit or miss. I wouldn't live over there because it feels both far and isn't all that safe. You need to drive everywhere over there.

If you don't care much about transit, you can usually find good deals around Park St/Glenview. Below the freeway is less safe than above generally but all within a few blocks of the freeway is pretty decent to awesome. It is a quick drive to the nightlife.

[NorCalLover]

I suggested Montclair, Mills College, and Berkeley Hills because they're areas with hills and beautiful views. The Oakland Hills and the town Piedmont, nestled inside Oakland, also has great views if you can find an in-law unit in your budget. It's true that these areas tend to skew older than you and have limited public transportation.

The neighborhoods suggested by the previous posters are great for young single 20-somethings. They are flat areas and won't have the same views. Other areas to look into that fit this vein would be the Gourmet Ghetto and downtown areas in Berkeley (lots of Cal students and other young people). Maybe also downtown Walnut Creek, which would be the fastest commute to work and be a high-end feeling area with more families than somewhere like Grand Lake in Oakland.