Empty nesters want to retire to a safe part of SF

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

Add Fremont and Alameda to your list.

Alameda, yes, but Fremont doesn't have a downtown, doesn't really have tree-lined streets, and doesn't have what I call "traditional architecture", or "Old World Charm", as the realtors call it. I don't think it's what the OP is looking for. Though it does have some nice parks.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Alameda, yes, but Fremont doesn't have a downtown, doesn't really have tree-lined streets, and doesn't have what I call "traditional architecture", or "Old World Charm", as the realtors call it. I don't think it's what the OP is looking for. Though it does have some nice parks.

Originally Posted by Rita2015

We are an Indian, empty nester couple in our 50s wanting to move to the bay area for retirement. Looking for suggestions on where to move to in SF. So far we are considering:

Walnut Creek (downtown is a bit contemporary fo me)
Lafayette (on the small side)
Pleasanton (love it but it seems more suitable for young families)
Los Gatos (love it)
Saratoga (seems a bit small).

Our parameters are (in no particular order):

1 A safe, quiet, tree lined suburb
2 Walkability (shops/ restaurants/ nature hikes)
3 A traditional downtown with a main street and community feel
4 Sunny weather (preferably temps around 70s) and as little fog as possible
5 Mountain views while living on flat ground or views of the bay
6.Entertainment/recreation (theatre, museums, movies, shopping mall)
7 Cultural diversity, with at least some Indians
8 A condo or small bungalow with traditional architechture
9 Transport system to airport/ downtown SF
10 Educated, middle class people

Looking at the list again, I think the best option is Berkeley.

But, Fremont is a town to consider. Fremont has changed a lot over the years. It's safe and a very desirable area, and on the BART line.

There is no perfect place that fits all of the OP's desires. They can move to Berkeley, and it would have most everything, but may not be safe, etc., etc., etc. Personally, I'd choose Berkeley. But, it may not be quiet enough or safe enough for the OP. It would depend on the neighborhood.

Plus, you can get a house on a hill with a view of the bay in Fremont. And Fremont has a very large Indian community. All of which, in my opinion, means that Fremont should be on the OP's list.

It doesn't have the perfect downtown, but they're working on that. If you look at the city page, they've started demolition downtown to revitalize that area. I think it would be a good time to buy there.

Plus, in the Bay Area, you don't get classic old architecture - in the suburbs. The suburbs weren't built until the 50's or 60's or later. If you want classic architecture, you need to live in the old cities - SF, Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda...

Like I said, I think Berkeley is perfect, but it may not be quiet enough or safe enough. After Berkeley, I'd choose Alameda. But, if I was Indian and wanted a thriving Indian community in a safe suburb, I'd choose Fremont.

Or that's my thinking, anyway.

Also, what about Mountain View? You'd have most of everything on the list. There's an Indian community center in Cupertino, too, as well as in Sunnyvale, I think. Just throwing out some more options.

But, OP, if you're looking for older architecture, you need to be in the old urban areas. Any of the suburbs will be newer buildings.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

Looking at the list again, I think the best option is Berkeley.

But, Fremont is a town to consider. Fremont has changed a lot over the years. It's safe and a very desirable area, and on the BART line.

There is no perfect place that fits all of the OP's desires. They can move to Berkeley, and it would have most everything, but may not be safe, etc., etc., etc. Personally, I'd choose Berkeley. But, it may not be quiet enough or safe enough for the OP. It would depend on the neighborhood.

Plus, you can get a house on a hill with a view of the bay in Fremont. And Fremont has a very large Indian community. All of which, in my opinion, means that Fremont should be on the OP's list.

It doesn't have the perfect downtown, but they're working on that. If you look at the city page, they've started demolition downtown to revitalize that area. I think it would be a good time to buy there.

Plus, in the Bay Area, you don't get classic old architecture - in the suburbs. The suburbs weren't built until the 50's or 60's or later. If you want classic architecture, you need to live in the old cities - SF, Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda...

Like I said, I think Berkeley is perfect, but it may not be quiet enough or safe enough. After Berkeley, I'd choose Alameda. But, if I was Indian and wanted a thriving Indian community in a safe suburb, I'd choose Fremont.

Or that's my thinking, anyway.

Also, what about Mountain View? You'd have most of everything on the list. There's an Indian community center in Cupertino, too, as well as in Sunnyvale, I think. Just throwing out some more options.

But, OP, if you're looking for older architecture, you need to be in the old urban areas. Any of the suburbs will be newer buildings.

Not entirely true about suburbs not having older architecture, however. Campbell, Los Gatos, Pleasanton, Palo Alto, Burlingame, San Mateo, Martinez/Crocket, Vallejo, Livermore, Menlo Park, Clayton, Napa, even Fairfield and Vacaville...many, many suburbs have historical downtowns (although most have been upgraded for seismic issues over the years). Many of these towns are usually surrounded by old Victorian/Craftsman/Gothic/Tudor historical houses and such. Most of the communities you mentioned were actually built in the mid to late 1800's rather than the 50's.

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

People may disagree, but I'd say that for down-to-earth people, Berkeley/Oakland would be your best bet. Those these days, with so many people moving in for the tech industry, it's much more of a mixed bag than it used to be. Still, the university crowds, the artists and writers, cluster in Berkeley and north Oakland. Possibly Albany, because it's less expensive, may have more of that down-to-earth quality, as well.

Or you can try the down to earth people of Marin county, who say they are very down to earth, but refused to allow BART, so that the riff raff couldn't interfere with their down-to-earthness.

Seriously, though, a lot of Bohemian types live in Marin County and there are a ton of tree-lined, beautiful streets.

[Rita2015]

Rather than "bedroom community" I should have said I am concerned because some friends have told me that the Palo Alto and San Jose areas are full of people who live to work, working as long as 12 hour days, and that this makes it more difficult to make friends there. Since we are looking to retire to California, we would want to be in a culture where people have time to do social things.

I want to also add that although we are Indian, we don't need a huge Indian population around us, just more than we currently have which is about 7% Asians. I don't know what percentage of that would be Indians.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by Rita2015

Rather than "bedroom community" I should have said I am concerned because many people I know have said that the Palo Alto and San Jose areas are full of people who live to work , with as long as 12 hour days,and that is is more difficult to make friends there and have a good social life. Since we are looking to retire to California, we would want to be in a culture where people do have time to do social things. That is why we are looking for a more mid-sized town with a community feel.

Anywhere that's a big tech hub (and often younger people) will have this. It's expensive to live here. It's not always a choice for most people to relax and not try to make more $. That's just how the entire Bay Area is. To get ahead, people need to work their tails off/prove themselves/be ambitious, hoping that someday they'll be able to relax and not work as hard (not really true in these parts!) and at least, own a home.

Perhaps you need to be somewhere where there's more settled folk (dare I say, older?) Perhaps where there are more retirees? The good social life part won't necessarily be where the Indian community is. They often need to work 24/7 --particularly in the engineers. My husband is very good friends with MANY people originally from India. They are just as busy as any other 30-40 yr old in the industry. Many of the wives are unable to work over the visa stipulations but they are often raising the children and although highly educated, aren't able to go to work here.

As a suggestion, you may want to look into age demographics rather than cultural ones. Younger Indians, from my experience don't socialize so much with other Indians...just other tech folk (often from work). It'd be the same for anyone of that demographic.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by Rita2015

Thanks for all your responses. I forgot to add that I am also looking for a place that has down to earth people. I am more of a spiritual than a materialistic person and don't like to focus on the type of house I live in, car I drive or the type of clothes I wear. I also worry about moving to a bedroom community when we retire. I have heard Palo Alto and San Jose are bedroom communites. Also we are not from the tech industry and wonder how we would fit in to the silicon valley.

Palo Alto is the Heart of Silicon Valley. 3 jobs to every 1 resident. It is no bedroom community

San Jose is the Capital of Silicon Valley, a city of a million souls, and the largest city (in land size as well as population) west of Phoenix and north of LA. It is no bedroom community.

In fact, bedroom communities (all residential/retails and very little non-retail-related jobs) are very rare in the inner Bay Area. There are some south of San Jose, and there's a few in Alameda County, and the western half of Contra Costa County.

From San Jose going north to San Francisco is just a giant urban conglomeration, with each city having practically just as much jobs as they do housing (with San Jose slightly biased towards housing, and SF biased towards more jobs, with Palo Alto taking the crown in being the most job-biased city).