"Best" Schools in Greater Bay Area (San Jose, San Francisco: real estate, houses)
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We are considering relocating from Portland, OR (I love it here, my husband hates the weather and he basically commutes to SF where his office is). We have little ones so schools are a big issue. We're also looking for a community that might have a smaller town feel (not just a suburb with no little town), and has respectable access/public transit to the city and SFO. I hate traffic, especially with kids. We obviously know the area generally is very expensive, but any hidden gems with good schools? Marin freaks me out a bit b/c of the drive. I am also really into seasons and hate the thought of the same weather all year, variety (but sun for my husband) is key. We're basically looking to replicate the Portland experience (progressive, outdoorsy, educated, super family friendly) without the gray and better public schools. Any thoughts? Is there a site that "rates" areas for school in the bay area? any place to start?
Well, my family recently purchased a house in "Lamorinda"- basically three smallish towns all surrounding each other (Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga). There's a BART station here (I think a twenty-five minute commute to the City) and the weather for me is perfect. It's rural (deer and wild turkey in our backyard) yet not a sprawling suburb community. They have generally nice downtowns in these three cities and do have a bit of an upscale feel to them, however. The public schools are supposedly excellent and there are really some idyllic natural parks within the city boundaries for walking the dog, taking the kids on a bike ride etc. The main shopping hub is Walnut Creek and is only a short distance away (you might look into that area as well). The downside to this area (we lucked out) is that the cost of housing is still pretty steep- but definitely coming down in price. Have you already checked out Greatschools.net? That's where I get the info on all the schools. We're in the process is moving so I don't actually live there quite yet so I'm hoping that I will love it as much as I think I will!
Albany(directly north of Berkeley) is progressive, a BART trip to the City, has a vibrant little downtown, older bungalow-style homes and is sunny with a cool breeze in the summer.
Alas, I don't think there are any "hidden gems" or bargains in the Bay Area
Of the top-rated local school districts, Lamorinda is the most affordable, but it's still very expensive. We have friends who live there and describe it as feeling like a small town but to me it feels pretty suburban. It has great access to SF via BART and is also close to Oakland and Berkeley (zoo, restaurants, U, etc.)
Palo Alto has nationally ranked schools, Cal Train to SF, and two real and thriving downtown areas, as well as a lot of cultural & sports stuff courtesy of Stanford, excellent medical facilities, etc. It's older than Orinda so lots of Palo Alto is beautiful (big old houses, old trees.) Lots of restaurants, bookstores, nature preserves, close to San Jose, and a short drive into the mountains. However, it's obscenely expensive, it's 45 mins to SF vs. 30, CAL Train is less convenient than BART, and the schools are known as pressure cookers.
Both of these towns will have hotter summers and less fog than SF. A lot of people move to the Peninsula (Palo Alto, Menlo Park) specifically for the weather - hot, dry summers with cool nights and chilly, rainy winters that usually warm up to about 60.
Everybody wants everything. And good schools, small-town feel, and a short commute - that is everything to many buyers. Buyers fall all over themselves offering on houses in areas that meet all those criteria.
i totally realize...no bargains, no hidden gems, it's an "efficient" market, etc. i guess my school question is do you really find the "best" (yes, i know that's a loaded term but you have to start somewhere) schools just by looking at the areas with the highest median home prices? are there any areas that have great schools that would surprise me and vice versa?
couple more questions for anyone kind enough to reply:
does anyone have an opinion whether palo alto/menlo park is more expensive than lamorinda? it's hard to compare not looking apples to apples.
also, since my husband hates gloom (or i think we'd stay in portland forever) -- which parts of the bay area would you avoid, other than SF? are there any in particular (other than those already mentioned) where you might get a lot of sun but also have seasons (to the extent you can in CA).
Alas, I don't think there are any "hidden gems" or bargains in the Bay Area
Of the top-rated local school districts, Lamorinda is the most affordable, but it's still very expensive. We have friends who live there and describe it as feeling like a small town but to me it feels pretty suburban. It has great access to SF via BART and is also close to Oakland and Berkeley (zoo, restaurants, U, etc.)
Palo Alto has nationally ranked schools, Cal Train to SF, and two real and thriving downtown areas, as well as a lot of cultural & sports stuff courtesy of Stanford, excellent medical facilities, etc. It's older than Orinda so lots of Palo Alto is beautiful (big old houses, old trees.) Lots of restaurants, bookstores, nature preserves, close to San Jose, and a short drive into the mountains. However, it's obscenely expensive, it's 45 mins to SF vs. 30, CAL Train is less convenient than BART, and the schools are known as pressure cookers.
Both of these towns will have hotter summers and less fog than SF. A lot of people move to the Peninsula (Palo Alto, Menlo Park) specifically for the weather - hot, dry summers with cool nights and chilly, rainy winters that usually warm up to about 60.
Thanks for the really helpful replies. What's the gloom factor like in Palo Alto? given the cool/rainy winters I haven't been in a few years, I think of it as all techie companies and law firms and Stanford -- has it fundamentally changed ? I have always sensed that you might feel like an outsider if you don't fall into one of those groups...
Thanks for the really helpful replies. What's the gloom factor like in Palo Alto? given the cool/rainy winters I haven't been in a few years, I think of it as all techie companies and law firms and Stanford -- has it fundamentally changed ? I have always sensed that you might feel like an outsider if you don't fall into one of those groups...
Palo Alto has fantastic, sunny weather, highly rated schools, and is within a stone's throw to Silicon Valley. That's why it's far and away more expensive than almost anywhere else in the Bay Area. The "Lamorinda" area is not that extreme.
There's also the Almaden Valley in San Jose, ZIP code 95120. It has most of the perks that Palo Alto enjoys while staying within the realm of reason, though it may be too far from San Francisco for you.
Palo Alto is definitely more expensive than Lamorinda. It's the epicenter of Silicon Valley and has its own localized economy and a lot going on, whereas Lamorinda is really more of a traditional suburban area/bedroom community of SF. PA has changed enormously, and many long-time residents would say not for the better although I'm sure they appreciate how real estate values have skyrocketed! We have young kids and we rarely go into SF at this point (used to live there) - we have good restaurants, hiking, great bookstores, wine bars, etc right here. We are not involved in any of the fields you mentioned and although the tech industry, academia and medicine definitely dominate, I know people in many other fields. There are a lot of grad students and artsy types here as well. I don't think you'd feel like an outsider if you weren't in one of those fields, but the population here is definitely well-educated and affluent and there can be snobbism on that front - I had one person tell me she wanted to move but couldn't because "all the smart people live here." Winters are rainy but there is usually at least some point during the day when we can get out and hit the playground.
I am not a big fan of the suburbs in general but if I had a gazillion dollars I'd definitely buy a house here rather than Lamorinda.
Very helpful, thank you. Is the pre-school scene in Palo Alto (and Lamorinda if anyone knows) like it is in SF -- crazy competitive to get into, $25K/yr, etc. I'm very stressed about the possibility of moving and having my 3 year old stuck. It took us long enough to get into a great pre-school here.
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"Best" Schools in Greater Bay Area
