Suburban living + good schools, commute to Embarcadero, $2.5M budget (Oakland: apartment, buyers)

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by evening sun

Burlingame on the peninsula has good weather, but you might have to drive to work.

Burlingame is a much better suggestion! From Burlingame one could drive to the Millbrae Bart station. It is a 32 minute ride from Millbrae to Embarcadero. It is also a 31 minute ride from Lafayette to Embarcadero. The difference is the train from Millbrae will not be as crowded. Parking would also be easier at the Millbrae station. The east bay Bart trains at rush hour are very uncomfortable overcrowded cattle cars. I would definitely avoid all East Bay locations if I had to commute to SF by Bart.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by vrr106

Thanks everyone for the responses, that gives me a lot to research. I clearly need to learn a lot about the area, I almost asked "where is Lamorinda?"

Lamorinda is a nickname given to the 3 adjacent towns of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda.

[davdaven]

I second (dozen) the Lamorinda area (Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga). However, keep in mind that these communities are very car oriented, so you will have to drive to almost everything. Of the three, Lafayette has more of a proper town feel with a commercial center. Orinda's downtown is pretty small, and Moraga's commercial district is tiny.

If you want a more urban experience, consider Piedmont or Albany. Both have good AC Transit Transbay bus connections to SF, and both have good schools.

Piedmont is surrounded by Oakland, so you will have to do your shopping in Oakland. Places like Trader Joe's are a sh!tshow in this area, with huge crowds, congested parking, and "charming" Oakland street people. It's the color of life, I suppose, but you may tire of it quickly. A friend of mine grew up in Piedmont, and his family chose to drive to Montclair for shopping because the Grand Lake area was such a headache. At least the Safeway at Broadway & 51st was recently rebuilt and expanded, so now there's a decent option nearby.

I'm surprised Albany hasn't gotten a mention yet. Its schools are great. It is very walkable. Urban amenities in places like Berkeley are a short drive, bus ride, or bike ride away. And unlike Piedmont, you won't have to put up with the crowded, gritty shopping surrounding Piedmont. The only catch is that Albany is cooler than Piedmont and Lamorinda, as the fog likes that area more. Still not as bad as SF, though.

Also in the East Bay, consider Alameda's Bay Farm Island if you want a nice, big house near the shoreline. Decent schools, central location, and there is bus and ferry service direct to downtown SF.

Burlingame is nice, but you will be subjected to Caltrain (which only goes to Townsend & 4th, not all the way to downtown) for your commute. Proximity to Silicon Valley means less bang for the buck. Also, it's pretty darned suburban.

Speaking of suburban, if you want that vibe in a sleepy little town, consider Mill Valley. Popular with lawyers and stockbrokers, so there is excellent bus service to/from downtown SF. Schools are good, but local residents tend to suffer from affluenza.

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by capoeira

Burlingame is a much better suggestion! From Burlingame one could drive to the Millbrae Bart station. It is a 32 minute ride from Millbrae to Embarcadero. It is also a 31 minute ride from Lafayette to Embarcadero. The difference is the train from Millbrae will not be as crowded. Parking would also be easier at the Millbrae station. The east bay Bart trains at rush hour are very uncomfortable overcrowded cattle cars. I would definitely avoid all East Bay locations if I had to commute to SF by Bart.

yeah but the $2.5 mn budget goes MUCH further in Lamorinda than Burlingame

[18Montclair]

davdeen is right about Albany---it's a very nice town with excellent schools, and is a pretty vibrant area with lots of character. It all depends on the sort of area youre looking for.

[TR95]

Originally Posted by davdaven

I'm surprised Albany hasn't gotten a mention yet. Its schools are great. It is very walkable. Urban amenities in places like Berkeley are a short drive, bus ride, or bike ride away. And unlike Piedmont, you won't have to put up with the crowded, gritty shopping surrounding Piedmont. The only catch is that Albany is cooler than Piedmont and Lamorinda, as the fog likes that area more. Still not as bad as SF, though.

That's why I didn't suggest Albany. It's too cold for me coming from SoCal, so I could only imagine from So Florida it would be a huge adjustment. But, you can get a nice house if there is even one for $2.5M, some are getting close to $2M though. Couldn't recommend it more for the very nice people, a very small community and great schools.

There's also Transbay busses that you can catch no matter where you live in Albany that beats the hell out of the loser Bart system. Only take Bart when I definitely have to.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by 23windows

Piedmont Piedmont Piedmont

Very safe and all of the nightlife of Oakland and Berkeley right there. Great schools, easy commute to the city. It is out of my budget, but you can buy a nice house with 2.5M...

The Piedmont housing market is super seasonal. Everyone puts their house up in the spring. I have seen times in the winter with not a single house for sale in the whole city.

Piedmont isn't really suburban suburban. It is surrounded by denser parts of Oakland and then other fancy residential. You don't really have nearby strip malls and shopping centers. The rest of the lifestyle is a bit more urban - may not be what the OP wants.

OP, Piedmont is a lovely area, with killer homes, many of them older (think 1920s). You can find nice views, large lots, nice yards etc. But it is not like culdesacs and stuff. You are going to drive to bustling Oakland grocery stores. Have to parallel park on Grand or Lakeshore or Piedmont Ave - the nearby neighborhoods with shopping and restaurants. These are nice urban walkable commercial districts. Maybe not exactly what you were thinking.

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by TR95

That's why I didn't suggest Albany. It's too cold for me coming from SoCal, so I could only imagine from So Florida it would be a huge adjustment. But, you can get a nice house if there is even one for $2.5M, some are getting close to $2M though. Couldn't recommend it more for the very nice people, a very small community and great schools.

There's also Transbay busses that you can catch no matter where you live in Albany that beats the hell out of the loser Bart system. Only take Bart when I definitely have to.

No way a bus is better than Bart??? How are they so good? Aren't you still pretty stuck in traffic other than the bus lane that's immediately before the bridge?

[sav858]

If they use over-the-road coaches, MCI's for example, commuter buses can be quit comfy and nice imo with cloth, reclining seats.

[twins4lynn]

Originally Posted by davdaven

Burlingame is nice, but you will be subjected to Caltrain (which only goes to Townsend & 4th, not all the way to downtown) for your commute. Proximity to Silicon Valley means less bang for the buck. Also, it's pretty darned suburban.

Burlingame is not limited to Caltrain. From Burlingame you can drive to the Millbrae Bart station (which is located in Millbrae just two blocks from the Burlingame city line). Burlingame is completely suburban.