Moving to the Bay area, urgently need help with housing options! (Fremont: hardwood floors, 2015)
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Hi folks, My husband and I are moving to the Bay area in the coming week, and I would really appreciate if anybody could provide us information on housing options around the bay area suburbs.
My husband's office will be in Foster city and I will be looking for a job too once we settle down.
About where we want to live and what we are looking for:
1. A 2 bedroom apartment in a safe locality (looking for something within $3000)
2. Would prefer a new apartment/condo with parking space included
3. Should be in reasonable proximity to public transportation such BART or Caltrain
4. Indian Community will be a nice-to-have
5. Not huge fans of super quiet neighbourhoods, would prefer a little bit of buzz around, with easy access to restaurants, shopping complex, etc.
6. Lower commute time from work
So far, Sunnyvale and Fremont look like prominent Indian neighbourhoods. Sunnyvale offers the benefit of being in the peninsula but how heavy is the traffic driving to/from Foster City? Places closer to Foster City are quite expensive, hence Sunnyvale looks viable despite the distance. Any other suggestions? We are in two minds about the east bay due to rush hour traffic on the San Mateo bridge.
Also, please suggest any specific apartment communities in the peninsula (between Sunnyvale and San Bruno) that are worth checking out, around $3000/month.
if you want to only be around other Indians then move to India. This is America we are supposed to be a melting pot if you come here and are self segregate that is racism. If white people said they only wanted to live around other whites everyone would agree that was racist. But yes Fremont and Sunnyvale are full of Indians that think the way you do.
if you want to only be around other Indians then move to India. This is America we are supposed to be a melting pot if you come here and are self segregate that is racism. If white people said they only wanted to live around other whites everyone would agree that was racist. But yes Fremont and Sunnyvale are full of Indians that think the way you do.
Chill out psycho dbag. All she said was "an indian community would be nice to have." Thats it, little boy, now go read your breitbart.
Hi folks, My husband and I are moving to the Bay area in the coming week, and I would really appreciate if anybody could provide us information on housing options around the bay area suburbs.
My husband's office will be in Foster city and I will be looking for a job too once we settle down.
About where we want to live and what we are looking for:
1. A 2 bedroom apartment in a safe locality (looking for something within $3000)
2. Would prefer a new apartment/condo with parking space included
3. Should be in reasonable proximity to public transportation such BART or Caltrain
4. Indian Community will be a nice-to-have
5. Not huge fans of super quiet neighbourhoods, would prefer a little bit of buzz around, with easy access to restaurants, shopping complex, etc.
6. Lower commute time from work
So far, Sunnyvale and Fremont look like prominent Indian neighbourhoods. Sunnyvale offers the benefit of being in the peninsula but how heavy is the traffic driving to/from Foster City? Places closer to Foster City are quite expensive, hence Sunnyvale looks viable despite the distance. Any other suggestions? We are in two minds about the east bay due to rush hour traffic on the San Mateo bridge.
Also, please suggest any specific apartment communities in the peninsula (between Sunnyvale and San Bruno) that are worth checking out, around $3000/month.
Thanks.
also sunnyvale to foster would be a hellish commute, literally one of the worst in the bay area.
@justinbro2002 - I am going to ignore your comment for the plain reason that you overreacted and were rude in your response. I would like to get back to my original question, as I was seeking advice on this forum, and was not looking for an unnecessary diversion. Let others genuinely help me out!
I understand commute from Sunnyvale to Foster city will be a painful one, but from what I gather it will be even worse from Fremont to Foster. Also, the reason I named these two areas earlier - Sunnyvale and Fremont, was because those are the areas where I could find a 2bhk/2bath apartment for under $3000 on zillow.com. We will actually prefer to stay around the Foster city area, if we can find something that suits our budget.
So, please suggest if you know of any neighbourhood areas/apartment communities where we can find accommodation that fits our budget.
Lastly, wanted to know if anybody can provide feedback on the Pacifica area? If its a safe neighbourhood?
Any other relevant advice regarding moving to the Bay area, please call out. Thanks.
@justinbro2002 - I am going to ignore your comment for the plain reason that you overreacted and were rude in your response. I would like to get back to my original question, as I was seeking advice on this forum, and was not looking for an unnecessary diversion. Let others genuinely help me out!
I understand commute from Sunnyvale to Foster city will be a painful one, but from what I gather it will be even worse from Fremont to Foster. Also, the reason I named these two areas earlier - Sunnyvale and Fremont, was because those are the areas where I could find a 2bhk/2bath apartment for under $3000 on zillow.com. We will actually prefer to stay around the Foster city area, if we can find something that suits our budget.
So, please suggest if you know of any neighbourhood areas/apartment communities where we can find accommodation that fits our budget.
Lastly, wanted to know if anybody can provide feedback on the Pacifica area? If its a safe neighbourhood?
Any other relevant advice regarding moving to the Bay area, please call out. Thanks.
It's a nice town, but you won't like the commute to/from Pacifica. Also very foggy. Not sure about diversity there.
@justinbro2002 - I am going to ignore your comment for the plain reason that you overreacted and were rude in your response. I would like to get back to my original question, as I was seeking advice on this forum, and was not looking for an unnecessary diversion. Let others genuinely help me out!
I understand commute from Sunnyvale to Foster city will be a painful one, but from what I gather it will be even worse from Fremont to Foster. Also, the reason I named these two areas earlier - Sunnyvale and Fremont, was because those are the areas where I could find a 2bhk/2bath apartment for under $3000 on zillow.com. We will actually prefer to stay around the Foster city area, if we can find something that suits our budget.
So, please suggest if you know of any neighbourhood areas/apartment communities where we can find accommodation that fits our budget.
Lastly, wanted to know if anybody can provide feedback on the Pacifica area? If its a safe neighbourhood?
Any other relevant advice regarding moving to the Bay area, please call out. Thanks.
Rule number one is to live close to where you work. It will really make your life a lot easier regarding the commute.
Have you checked out Foster City itself? Lots of apartment and condo complexes in the area as well as SFHs. Near the bay so it's cooler. Good parks, library, community center too.
Nearby San Mateo would also be a good option as well. Belmont, San Carlos, too.
Hi folks, My husband and I are moving to the Bay area in the coming week, and I would really appreciate if anybody could provide us information on housing options around the bay area suburbs.
My husband's office will be in Foster city and I will be looking for a job too once we settle down.
About where we want to live and what we are looking for:
1. A 2 bedroom apartment in a safe locality (looking for something within $3000)
2. Would prefer a new apartment/condo with parking space included
3. Should be in reasonable proximity to public transportation such BART or Caltrain
4. Indian Community will be a nice-to-have
5. Not huge fans of super quiet neighbourhoods, would prefer a little bit of buzz around, with easy access to restaurants, shopping complex, etc.
6. Lower commute time from work
So far, Sunnyvale and Fremont look like prominent Indian neighbourhoods. Sunnyvale offers the benefit of being in the peninsula but how heavy is the traffic driving to/from Foster City? Places closer to Foster City are quite expensive, hence Sunnyvale looks viable despite the distance. Any other suggestions? We are in two minds about the east bay due to rush hour traffic on the San Mateo bridge.
Also, please suggest any specific apartment communities in the peninsula (between Sunnyvale and San Bruno) that are worth checking out, around $3000/month.
Thanks.
Good to see you made your own thread. It wasn't bad to post in the other one, but if you want directed advice that isn't mixing with the advice to the OP in the other one, it's always more useful to make your own thread.
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I'm not sure looking at Sunnyvale is worth it. It is very far during commute times as there isn't a great way to go, even if you take 280 vs. 101 (280 is much less traveled/more pleasant to drive than 101). You're going to be fighting a lot of people that are heading to their jobs in the peninsula/silicon valley region. If you look at anything south of say San Carlos/Redwood City, you're going to be (unnecessarily) paying for access to Silicon Valley jobs - and when you don't need that access, it's kind of a waste of money.
Google maps shows a Sunnyvale <-> Foster City commute being at the very least ~30 minutes. If you look at "typical traffic" you'll see that this corridor can get quite crowded. It's worse heading in the other direction (south from the SM bridge), but there's still a good amount of traffic, and the evening commute is usually much worse. I wouldn't be surprised to if it turned into a 45-1 hour commute. I guess you'd have to decide if this kind of commute is worth the benefits you find in Sunnyvale, but I personally don't see it (just my preference - I don't like long car commutes).
Sunnyvale also isn't really any more affordable compared to other mid-peninsula towns, such as San Mateo or Foster City: Sunnyvale average rents vs. San Mateo
average rents vs. Foster City average rents - they're pretty much the same. So, you may as well just live near work at that point!
Foster City and surrounding cities still have a strong Indian community. It might not be the biggest in the Bay Area (I think Fremont/Cupertino/other south Bay towns win there), but it's still good. My mid-rise building in downtown San Mateo has multiple Indian families in it, for instance, and they're constantly throwing parties together. I go for frequent bike rides/runs along the Bay Trail in Foster City, and I see a lot of Indian families out and about (I often see a running group that is mostly Indian on Sat mornings).
The South Bay definitely has the biggest Indian communities, but Foster City isn't far behind: Indian population diversifying Bay Area's Asian population (see table at the bottom of the page with a ranking of Indian % in Bay Area cities)
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The East Bay is a good option if you want to save more money on rent as you'll definitely get more for your money there. Do keep in mind, though, that once you start getting into the southern parts of the East Bay (such as the Fremont/Newark areas), you're going to be paying the "Silicon Valley tax" due to their proximity to Silicon Valley jobs. It'll still be cheaper than the peninsula (Fremont average rents, Newark average rents), but these places will be more expensive than other places in the inner East Bay, such as Hayward (Fremont is much nicer than Hayward, though, just FYI).
The commute from Fremont/Newark will be pretty rough, though (you have to fight traffic either up/down 101 or up/down 880, neither of which are fun...and then you also have to deal with a bridge crossing, which is obviously never fun). You're saving money, but you're also wasting a lot of time in traffic...and spending money on a toll and wear/tear on your car. I could see how you'd be very justified in spending more to live closer to work on the other side of the Bay as the QOL benefits can be quite large.
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I wouldn't rely on Zwillow.com for looking for rentals. Most landlords/apartment buildings don't list there. Craigslist is the main repository of rentals in the region. And there are quite a few 2BR units under your 3K max price near your huband's job: SF bay area apartments / housing rentals - craigslist (go to map view and look at Foster City and surrounding cities).
Here are a few that look pretty nice and are in your price range:
If you're more interested in large apartment complexes, some still do post on Craigslist. Some also post on other sites - rent.com, hotpads.com are a couple I've used in the past. I suggest Yelp, also, because that'll give you a sense of how bad/good the management is (I often find a lot of the bigger corporate-run places are poorly run).
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Lastly, Pacifica isn't a bad town. It gets a bit foggy in the summer (that said, the fall-early/mid spring is totally wonderful!) - if you don't mind cooler weather, it's pretty great. If you like more warm-hot weather with constant sun like you get in the South Bay, you might not enjoy Pacifica much.
Pacifica is somewhat cheaper than other peninsula cities, but it's not super convenient to get in/out of if you're heading south. There aren't great public transit options in the city (you need to drive to Daly City to get to the nearest BART station, for instance), and I hear it can feel a bit isolated at times. I don't know if it would be worth it for you since you wouldn't be saving a ton of money on rent, and it might feel inconvinient for your life (work and play). I also don't think there is a big Indian community there.
If you want to be near the coast, though, it's not a bad place to be at all.
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I'd recommend a visit before you make this move. The 100% best way to get a good sense of an area is to visit it first. Take a day or two and check out all of the towns you've found to be interesting in your search. Check out a few apartments, too, if you can.
The other factor that I didn't really get into is where you might work...if you find work in the South Bay/Silicon Valley, it might be worth it to find a place "in the middle" (that would largely depend on where your job is). Hard to make any recommendations there, though, since jobs are very spread out in the region from SF to SJ mostly.
Last edited by HockeyMac18; 08-24-2016 at 01:34 PM..
@HockeyMac18 - Thanks so much once again! I cant express how much I appreciate your incredibly detailed response, it surely can't get more generous than this! You answered all my questions/concerns point-by-point, how thoughtful and thorough of you, much appreciated!
Your advice makes complete sense, it doesn't sound sensible to expect my husband to go through a painful commute every day to work. I will go visit the neighbourhoods near Foster city as soon I get there, and check out the apartments you shared links for. I do hope I get a nice, comfortable apartment to stay in the Bay Area and have a good time meeting new people, making new friends!
Thanks again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HockeyMac18
Good to see you made your own thread. It wasn't bad to post in the other one, but if you want directed advice that isn't mixing with the advice to the OP in the other one, it's always more useful to make your own thread.
###################
I'm not sure looking at Sunnyvale is worth it. It is very far during commute times as there isn't a great way to go, even if you take 280 vs. 101 (280 is much less traveled/pleasant to drive than 101). You're going to be fighting a lot of people that are heading to their jobs in the peninsula/silicon valley region. If you look at anything south of say San Carlos/Redwood City, you're going to be (unnecessarily) paying for access to Silicon Valley jobs - and when you don't need that access, it's kind of a waste of money.
Google maps shows a Sunnyvale <-> Foster City commute being at the very least ~30 minutes. If you look at "typical traffic" you'll see that this corridor can get quite crowded. It's worse heading in the other direction (south from the SM bridge), but there's still a good amount of traffic, and the evening commute is usually much worse. I wouldn't be surprised to if it turned into a 45-1 hour commute. I guess you'd have to decide if this kind of commute is worth the benefits you find in Sunnyvale, but I personally don't see it (just my preference - I don't like long car commutes).
Sunnyvale also isn't really any more affordable compared to other mid-peninsula towns, such as San Mateo or Foster City: Sunnyvale average rents vs. San Mateo
average rents vs. Foster City average rents - they're pretty much the same. So, you may as well just live near work at that point!
Foster City and surrounding cities still have a strong Indian community. It might not be the biggest in the Bay Area (I think Fremont/Cupertino/other south Bay towns win there), but it's still good. My mid-rise building in downtown San Mateo has multiple Indian families in it, for instance, and they're constantly throwing parties together. I go for frequent bike rides/runs along the Bay Trail in Foster City, and I see a lot of Indian families out and about (I often see a running group that is mostly Indian on Sat mornings).
The South Bay definitely has the biggest Indian communities, but Foster City isn't far behind: Indian population diversifying Bay Area's Asian population (see table at the bottom of the page with a ranking of Indian % in Bay Area cities)
###################
The East Bay is a good option if you want to save more money on rent as you'll definitely get more for your money there. Do keep in mind, though, that once you start getting into the southern parts of the East Bay (such as the Fremont/Newark areas), you're going to be paying the "Silicon Valley tax" due to their proximity to Silicon Valley jobs. It'll still be cheaper than the peninsula (Fremont average rents, Newark average rents), but these places will be more expensive than other places in the inner East Bay, such as Hayward (Fremont is much nicer than Hayward, though, just FYI).
The commute from Fremont/Newark will be pretty rough, though (you have to fight traffic either up/down 101 or up/down 880, neither of which are fun...and then you also have to deal with a bridge crossing, which is obviously never fun). You're saving money, but you're also wasting a lot of time in traffic...and spending money on a toll and wear/tear on your car. I could see how you'd be very justified in spending more to live closer to work on the other side of the Bay as the QOL benefits can be quite large.
###################
I wouldn't rely on Zwillow.com for looking for rentals. Most landlords/apartment buildings don't list there. Craigslist is the main repository of rentals in the region. And there are quite a few 2BR units under your 3K max price near your huband's job: SF bay area apartments / housing rentals - craigslist (go to map view and look at Foster City and surrounding cities).
Here are a few that look pretty nice and are in your price range:
If you're more interested in large apartment complexes, some still do post on Craigslist. Some also post on other sites - rent.com, hotpads.com are a couple I've used in the past. I suggest Yelp, also, because that'll give you a sense of how bad/good the management is (I often find a lot of the bigger corporate-run places are poorly run).
###################
Lastly, Pacifica isn't a bad town. It gets a bit foggy in the summer (that said, the fall-early/mid spring is totally wonderful!) - if you don't mind cooler weather, it's pretty great. If you like more warm-hot weather with constant sun like you get in the South Bay, you might not enjoy Pacifica much.
Pacifica is somewhat cheaper than other peninsula cities, but it's not super convenient to get in/out of if you're heading south. There aren't great public transit options in the city (you need to drive to Daly City to get to the nearest BART station, for instance), and I hear it can feel a bit isolated at times. I don't know if it would be worth it for you since you wouldn't be saving a ton of money on rent, and it might feel inconvinient for your life (work and play). I also don't think there is a big Indian community there.
If you want to be near the coast, though, it's not a bad place to be at all.
###################
I'd recommend a visit before you make this move. The 100% best way to get a good sense of an area is to visit it first. Take a day or two and check out all of the towns you've found to be interesting in your search. Check out a few apartments, too, if you can.
The other factor that I didn't really get into is where you might work...if you find work in the South Bay/Silicon Valley, it might be worth it to find a place "in the middle" (that would largely depend on where your job is). Hard to make any recommendations there, though, since jobs are very spread out in the region from SF to SJ mostly.
Last edited by andyborg; 08-24-2016 at 01:38 PM..
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