27/m moving to california, working in vacaville. Where to live? (San Francisco: apartments, rental)

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, of the main suggestions here: Benicia, Vallejo, Walnut Crk, and Davis, Davis has the shortest commute, just fyi.

[hka]

Originally Posted by sav858

When I was in my mid to late 20's I put up with a long commute (45min am/60-90 min pm) to live in more a lively, fun place than where I worked. So I'd probably go with Walnut Creek or Midtown Sacramento but that's just me. Even now with a family I put up with a commute from Concord to Fairfield because I don't want to live out in that area but I have a lot of family and friends where I am too. I just prefer being closer in the Bay Area (relatively speaking) and connected by BART. But it sounds like you hate commuting so I may not be the best person to listen too. Gotta weigh what's more important to you.

The max commute I've ever had to do is 20 minutes, so I don't really know if I'd hate it. According to google maps, Sacramento midtown commute would only be 30 mins for me. Lots to consider.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by hka

The max commute I've ever had to do is 20 minutes, so I don't really know if I'd hate it. According to google maps, Sacramento midtown commute would only be 30 mins for me. Lots to consider.

That’s the commute direction though and you will hit some pretty bad traffic. I would adjust the time in google maps and look at what it’s like during rush hour, especially the evening. It could actually be up to an hour.

[PixelatedTherapy]

I recently bought in Vallejo, and it really is a mixed town. Downtown has a large artist community, and a bohemian vibe. There is some visible poverty in Downtown, though. Vallejo Heights, just a mile or so north of downtown, is really nice. It has a San Francisco-esque vibe to it. Mare Island is nice, the Bay Area building boom seems to be most evident there. A lot of McMansions are popping up on Mare Island, and a lot of SF tech workers seem to be buying them up since Mare Island also has direct ferry service to San Francisco. East Vallejo, north of Springs Road is traditional middle to upper middle class suburbia. Some parts of East Vallejo have great panoramic views of Vallejo, as well as San Pablo Bay, and Mount Tamalpais. South of Springs isn't bad, but it's lower middle class. The only streets in East Vallejo that feel sketch are Westwood street, and Miller Ave/Humboldt Street. Glen Cove is a subdivision in South Vallejo that is upper middle class with direct view of the Carquinez Bridge, the Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay. Hiddenbrook is a gated community/golf course in the northeastern edge of Vallejo, this neighborhood is quite wealthy. Another nice part of South Vallejo is the area near Sandy Beach and the Cal Maritime campus. The rest of South Vallejo is rough. The part of Vallejo that I would absolutely not recommend is North Vallejo. North Vallejo is the part of the city that is north of Highway 37 and west of I-80. The area is generally ran down, and has a ton of crime. But, if you know where to look, Vallejo is an amazing bargain.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by hka

According to google maps, Sacramento midtown commute would only be 30 mins for me. Lots to consider.

That 30 minutes is a fantasy number. If you look at the map notice there is only one way to get from Vacaville to Sacramento. The lone highway between Davis and Sacramento is frequently jammed during the afternoon commute times, especially on Fridays.

I think Davis is too far away from San Francisco and is just a small super liberal college town. There is no reason to live there unless one attends UC-Davis or has little kids in their highly ranked school system.

[2sleepy]

If you are going to work in Vacaville, live in Vacaville you can go to Sacramento or San Francisco on the weekends. There is no reason to even consider any of the places mentioned here, Benicia, Davis, Concord, Walnut Creek, Vallejo, Fairfield. Why would you commute almost half an hour to live in Vallejo? Or pay a bridge toll to live in Concord? That's nuts.

If you live in Vacaville you can probably bike to work and go home for lunch if you want. And you're close enough to all of those other areas that you can visit them any time you want.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

If you are going to work in Vacaville, live in Vacaville you can go to Sacramento or San Francisco on the weekends. There is no reason to even consider any of the places mentioned here, Benicia, Davis, Concord, Walnut Creek, Vallejo, Fairfield. Why would you commute almost half an hour to live in Vallejo? Or pay a bridge toll to live in Concord? That's nuts.

If you live in Vacaville you can probably bike to work and go home for lunch if you want. And you're close enough to all of those other areas that you can visit them any time you want.

Some people are willing to commute to live closer to the action, not really nuts at all just a personal preference. That's why you see so many people do a reverse commute from SF down to Silicon Valley.

[jrb724]

Maybe get something closer to work in the short term and save yourself some time and money on housing and transportation costs. You can then explore different areas and decide what works for you. You may find that some of the places mentioned aren't much of an upgrade from Vacaville.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by sav858

Some people are willing to commute to live closer to the action, not really nuts at all just a personal preference. That's why you see so many people do a reverse commute from SF down to Silicon Valley.

Understood, but how much action is there in Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield or Concord? I've lived in most of those places and never saw much "action" in any of them..well unless you consider shootings as 'action' in which case Vallejo would win.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Understood, but how much action is there in Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield or Concord? I've lived in most of those places and never saw much "action" in any of them..well unless you consider shootings as 'action' in which case Vallejo would win.

I was referring to Walnut Creek and Midtown Sacramento. No one suggested any of those other places for nightlife or action, just proximity. No one suggested Concord at all either.