Where to move? Office in Newark, CA (San Jose, San Francisco: upper-class, real estate)

[amohame6]

Hello friends,

I'm relocating to the Bay Area for the second time for a new job. First time around I lived in Alameda for 3 years and that was ok. I felt Alameda was so family oriented, felt isolated and cliquish. However, it also was safe, beautiful, middle upper-class and provided great running trails.

Here are some info to guide the discussion:

1. I'm a single (recently divorced) female in my mid-40's
2. Would like to buy but I do understand the bay area real estate challenges. I'm considering renting as well.
3. Looking for a 2 BR and 2 BA. My budget is $3000-$450, would like to stay in that range.
4. Looking for an area that provides some sort of a social life, walkable, dinning (once we are over Covid-19) and safe for outdoor running.
5. A diverse upper middle class neighbourhood. I don't want to live in a place where 1 or 2 races make up for most of the population.

I appreciate your thoughts and guidance.

AM

[Ruth4Truth]

I don't know, OP. The main concern would be the commute, once Covid is over. Usually, we recommend paople locate in Fremont, if their job is in Newark. There are running/biking trails there, and a Bayside regional park, and a decent restaurant scene. Your budget should work fine in the rental market there. You'd have a minimal commute. Heck you could bike to work, easily.

But there are parts of Oakland you'd enjoy, that have more diversity than Fremont, if you want that, and that you could commute to Newark from by BART and bus connection. But the Oakland upper-middle class nabes I'm thinking of aren't very diverse. So...IDK if what you're looking for exists. I'll be interested to see what others say.

RE: Fremont-- Basically 2, well, 3 I guess, races: South Asian, East Asian, and Anglo/White. Could it be called "upper middle class"? Well, that's very relative in the Bay Area, where it takes solid $$ to be able to buy anywhere. The areas in the hills are more "upper" than the flats.

Good luck with your search. You sound well-financed, that's the main thing.

[ccm123]

Some areas to consider: Pleasanton, Walnut Creek (commute may be long) or also Fremont, as mentioned. If you want to live out on the Peninsula, San Mateo may be an option.

[BayAreaResiding]

If your office is in Newark, what about just living in Newark?

Bay Area traffic is pretty bad outside of COVID-19. Why deal with the headache of traffic at all and also wasting gas. Both Newark and Fremont are great suburban , safe, family oriented cities, with a lot of stores, restaurants and parks. Fremont has Lake Elizabeth, which is very popular and great for outdoor running.

Yes , Newark and Fremont don't provide much of a nightlife because they are family oriented suburbs, but overall they are very safe and peaceful.

Since you mentioned diversity, Fremont and Newark are pretty much Asian and Caucasian. Since Fremont and Newark have a big Asian population, there are a lot of Chinese, Indian and middle eastern restaurants to eat at, if you like Chinese and Indian food.


You can always look at Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore. They are upper middle class. They are nice , clean and quiet suburbs with a lot of chain stores, malls, restaurants and such. It's just that your commute would be a lot longer.

I wouldn't recommend looking at Oakland, there is a lot of crime , even in good areas. It has gotten worse with COVID-19. San Jose is a good option if you want nightlife.

[davdaven]

If you didn't like Alameda, you'll hate Newark. And Fremont. And Union City. And Palo Alto. And pretty much any suburb in the Bay Area. Is your budget $3000 monthly rent or $450 (as in $450K) to buy? If you are open to a long reverse commute, you might like someplace like San Mateo. Upper middle class vibe and has not 2 but 3 major ethnic groups (white, Asian, Latino). Much beyond that would be Utopia. Let us know if you find it so we can move there too! If you are willing to compromise a bit, then you'll have many more options.

[amohame6]

Originally Posted by amohame6

Hello friends,

I'm relocating to the Bay Area for the second time for a new job. First time around I lived in Alameda for 3 years and that was ok. I felt Alameda was so family oriented, felt isolated and cliquish. However, it also was safe, beautiful, middle upper-class and provided great running trails.

Here are some info to guide the discussion:

1. I'm a single (recently divorced) female in my mid-40's
2. Would like to buy but I do understand the bay area real estate challenges. I'm considering renting as well.
3. Looking for a 2 BR and 2 BA. My budget is $3000-$450, would like to stay in that range.
4. Looking for an area that provides some sort of a social life, walkable, dinning (once we are over Covid-19) and safe for outdoor running.
5. A diverse upper middle class neighbourhood. I don't want to live in a place where 1 or 2 races make up for most of the population.

I appreciate your thoughts and guidance.

AM

Hello,

I meant rent can be somewhere from $3000 - $4500. I prefer not to live in a suburb or what would feel like. Just personal preference since I'm single and have no chilcren.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by amohame6

Hello,

I meant rent can be somewhere from $3000 - $4500. I prefer not to live in a suburb or what would feel like. Just personal preference since I'm single and have no chilcren.

If you think Alameda is too suburban, I really think your only more urban options would be SF, Oakland or Berkeley. Lots of other towns in the Bay Area have nice, walkable downtowns, but are generally also suburban.

SF would be a long drive but mostly a reverse commute. Good luck!

[Ruth4Truth]

OK, so if you want a location with more of a singles scene, try Rockridge in north Oakland and adjacent Elmwood/Claremont in Berkeley. They share the same BART station. Upper-middle class? There's Montclair in Oakland, and Piedmont Avenue (it's a neighborhood). Maybe Lake Merritt, Oakland, around Uptown or Adams Point? Where are our Oakland cognoscenti? Jade408 hasn't posted here in ages.

Those locations have the amenities you're looking for. Some are more diverse than others. You can look at Craistlist to get an idea of the range of rents. Once Covid is over, though, you wouldn't want to drive to Fremont/Newark. Pick locations with easy transit connections.

[BayAreaResiding]

Palo Alto, Redwood City, Mountain View and San Jose, are nice cities with downtowns and a "nightlife". San Jose has a downtown and Santana Row. These cities are definitely upper middle class, they are more expensive than the East Bay.

However, they are a lot more expensive to live in, compared to Newark and Fremont.

Furthermore, you will probably have to pay for FastTrack to drive over the Dumbarton bridge, to get to work.

If those cities still feel too suburban , then your only option would be to just live in San Francisco, but then again, that commute will get pretty long.

[ippi76]

I grew up in Fremont. Fremont/Newark/Union City/Milpitas are all going to be fairly family-oriented suburbanish. It's a bit tough but maybe I would do Fremont, specifically near Lake Elizabeth for outdoor running, and there's a couple places like Jack's Brewing and Mojo Lounge and restaurants like The Counter and a Philz Coffee.

Commuting in the Bay Area is awful- it just to me wouldn't be worth it to come from San Jose or Oakland. Also Fremont you can live near BART and at least be able to easily access Oakland/SF.