best burbs within quick public transport ride to Embarcadero - Lamorinda? Walnut Creek? Dublin? Pleasanton? Almaden?

[TheseGoTo11]

Walnut Creek.

Easy BART access, good schools, and much more value for $1.2m than Larkspur/Corte Madera. Also, as a native New Englander, it looks more like a town than Dublin/Pleasanton which in parts feel more like recently built sprawl.

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by kayfam

Hi - relocating from Boston to the bay area for work. Office will be right in the Embarcadero area, so I was hoping to take the BART or any type of public transit.

I have three young children; oldest starting 4th grade. I'm looking for excellent schools and a great sense of community. Price: ideally not more than 1.2m, although, we'll likely rent at first (hoping to spend no more than 6k/month).

We've been told that Moraga, Orinda, Lafayette are good areas close to the BART and quick ride to SF. Also, Walnut Creek.

Lately, I've heard that Dublin, Pleasanton, are good - thoughts?

Also, we heard Almaden Valley is good (probably to rent, as purchasing is insane there!!). Just not sure if it's easy to get to SF via public transport.

Am I missing out an any areas? I'm (not so) secretly addicted to searching homes online

Thanks!

Orinda and Lafayette are both good - though Dublin/Pleasanton may have more options within your budget.

[DeanoSF]

Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy

Orinda and Lafayette are both good - though Dublin/Pleasanton may have more options within your budget.

I did a lot of real estate searching when I moved here recently too! Try not to get discouraged. Sadly, your price range and requirements will be tough to match.

Agreed--Dublin-Pleasanton is definitely less expensive, but that is a brutally long BART ride or drive away. I have family in Livermore (nearby there) that I rarely see because of the distance.

Walnut Creek and up to the Pleasant Hill/Concord area aren't as nice as La/Mor/inda but offer good transit connections at prices within your budget.

Peninsula towns will be even tougher to hit that budget, but offer many more options in good schools and transportation into SF via CalTrain.

What about Larkspur or the San Rafael area up in Marin? Arguably the most beautiful part of the Bay Area, great schools abound, family-oriented, a little snobbish, but in a laid-back kind of way, it too, will test your budget for a family residence (and require a lot of sweat equity to come close) but the commute to the Embarcadero is a 35-minute ferry ride every day! Or, it's 50 minutes on a park-and-ride style Golden Gate Transit bus, which is not too bad, either--express service with only two or three stops.

I ride the ferry SF to Oakland, where I work, so my info on Larkspur and Golden Gate Transit is not first hand, but I know people who say both are clean and reliable.

Farther up 101 is Novato and Petaluma. Those places can also use the Larkspur ferry landing for a reasonably pleasant half of their commute to the Embarcadero, once they've made the lengthy initial drive. Again, no firsthand experience, but I have heard this is a doable compromise.

Good luck and welcome!

[wallach1957]

I just went into contract on a house in south Novato that had plenty of square footage and was relatively new construction with significant upgrades in your price range. Smart Train is nearby with expected direct drop off at the Larkspur ferry by the end of the year (and a bus connection in San Rafael until then). Good schools, shopping and hiking trails. North Marin is the best kept secret in the bay area after my exhaustive research.
Staying in Alameda now which is really nice but you wont get nearly the house or condition.

[Fishstix3tads]

Tough to find much in the way of homes in Lamorinda for $1m, honestly. All close to BART lines, but you must get parked EARLY (like before 8) to get a spot in a lot in Lafayette and Orinda at least. Great schools -- Acalanes school district is one of the best in the state and well ranked nationally. Great suburban lifestyle -- Orinda has fewer "neighborhoods" as it is quite hilly, but lovely. Lafayette has a mix of more urban and neighborhoods, and Moraga has lots of neighborhoods, I would say. It is more secluded and a longer commute to BART from Moraga and there are really only 3 roads that go into and out of Moraga, so that can be problematic. Great community feel, but having grown up here and our kids going through the schools here, I would say that the academic pressure is pretty intense. Lots of kids do lots of sports and it is an active community; great summertime concerts in the park. Orinda has a lovely old fashioned 4th of July parade and fun run. My husband did the BART SF commute and while it is convenient, it is expensive and a GRIND, but lots of us do it to live here! If you can shift your schedule off of the 9-5, you will have a better shot of not standing all the way to and from work on BART.

[davdaven]

Originally Posted by wallach1957

Smart Train is nearby with expected direct drop off at the Larkspur ferry by the end of the year (and a bus connection in San Rafael until then).

To clarify, the SMART station in Larkspur will be somewhere between 1/3- and 1/2-mile from the ferry terminal. In any event, it's faster and cheaper to take the Golden Gate Transit commuter bus directly to SF than it is to deal with the SMART/walk/ferry/walk combo.