Safest areas near Walnut Creek - Advice Please :-) (San Francisco: for sale, 2014)

[chillami]

My husband and I are in our 50s (no kids at home YAY!) and we are looking to relocate from Sacramento to the Walnut Creek area. My husband is tired of the commute and I am tired of the crime.

DH wants to live in San Ramon. We are leaving the state within a few years and we won't be buying a house. I can't justify the rent in San Ramon although it looks like a really nice place to live. He wants to stay within 15 minutes of his offices in SR and WC.

Where we live now, there are murders every couple of months. Our home was robbed 6 months after we moved here (while we were home). I want to live somewhere that I can feel safe again We are moving back to Utah within 5 years and we are saving for a home there so I don't want to spend anymore than I have to on rent. In Sacramento, we are paying 1,500 a month for a 1500 SF 4 bedroom house. I am positive we are looking at 1000 more a month (MIN) for 2 bedrooms in the WC area.

Where can we get the most safety and the biggest bang for our dollar and still be within 15-20 minutes from WC? I was hoping to find a little guest house on someone's estate but that's not working ;-)

Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

[mstnghu2]

In all honesty, pretty much any city along the I-680 corridor is a nice place to live...but more expensive than Sacramento. But then again, you'll be saving money on gas from not commuting so far. Concord is probably the cheapest city in the area and is a pretty easy commute to WC. I don't have any personal experience with Pleasant Hill, but from what I understand it's a nice place to live that's not as expensive as WC.

You may want to consider living in a safe part of Oakland as well. Your husband would have a reverse commute to San Ramon and Walnut Creek. Consider neighborhoods that are east of I-580.

[chillami]

Thanks for your advice. I thought about Oakland but I have no experience with it at all and have only heard the bad things on the TV. But, it's a plus because we use that airport a lot. I am hoping someone who lives in Concord or nearby will respond as well :-)

[Ruth4Truth]

There's no such thing as an unsafe area in WC. We had someone here who moved to Concord to the area around the BART station there, and she said it's a decent neighborhood, and she felt perfectly safe there. She loved the affordability--she bought a 2 br. place there.

BTW, this belongs in the SF/Oakland forum. You'll get more Bay Area people responding there. You can ask a mod to move the thread.

[kikigz]

I currently live in Walnut Creek and absolutely love it! I've lived here for almost 10 years and everything has been great! Theres ALWAYS something to do, great places to shop and safety is excellent. If you're looking to live around WC for around $2000-$2500 for a 2-bedroom, I'll be honest- you really won't find anything IN Walnut Creek for that price, but Pleasant Hill and Concord (except Monument and Detroit) are great! Even if you want to stay in San Ramon, it's a great area, but you'll most likely find yourself out this way anyway. Hope that helps!

[beb0p]

Best bang for the buck is probably Pleasant Hill and the Walnut Creek area close to Pleasant Hill; and Castro Valley. You can take a small rural road (Crow Canyon) from CV to SR, not sure how traffic will be in rush hour on that road though.

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[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I vote for Concord, too. My family grew up there (cousins), and my daughter looked at buying there but kept getting outbid. Concord is basically part of Walnut Creek. They just blend into each other.

Concord is basically a blue collar town, compared to WC being upscale and maybe kinda snobby. But, really, Concord will do you fine, is safe, and is way cheaper than WC, even though it's just another street over. You can live in Concord and save a bunch of money, yet spend your time in WC easily.

[NorCal Dude]

1000 a month for 2 bedrooms is going to put you in the mini ghetto of Concord. The Slumpartments off Monument/Detroit.

1500 will get you a decent 1 bedroom in Concord, but nothing fancy.

You should check out Brentwood. That is probably more fitting for *your budget*, and fairly safe.

[ttocs99]

I love Walnut Creek, lived there for 7 years and loved every minute of it. Look at Craig's List, you may find something affordable. This one isn't such a bad deal.

Great Location! Great Price!

[Abraxas]

The Chronicle just reported that Clayton, which is very close to Walnut Creek, is the second safest city in the Bay Area:

San Francisco Chronicle: What are the Bay Area’s 10 Safest Areas

Exceptional home values can be found in the part of Concord that borders Clayton (around Pine Hollow Road/Michigan Road). Called "Claycord" by locals, this safe and charming neighborhood is walking distance to excellent public schools from elementary through high school.

The neighborhood seems to be relatively undiscovered. At the moment, original homes are selling in the high 400s, and remodeled homes are selling in the mid-500s. Here is a nice example currently for sale:

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Concord/54...1/home/1809322