Where's best to live in south SF area? (San Jose, San Francisco: apartments, townhomes)

[Meepmeepmeep]

As a lifelong desert dweller the thought of moving anywhere near fog still creeps me out a bit, but at the end of the month I'll need to be near enough to Cupertino to get to work every day. I'm not familiar with the area at all so I don't even know how far away is too far for a morning commute. It would be nice to find a place that's dog friendly, warm once in a while and still close enough to get to the city now and then. If anyone knows the area I'd be appreciative of any info you're willing to share.

[humboldtrat]

Check out Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara or some parts of San Jose. Skip Palo Alto as it's expensive. Fog is usually no problem in the south bay (Santa Clara valley) and it's warm in the summer (80's and sometimes higher). This area is mostly suburbia with lots of apartments to choose from. Caltrain, a commuter line goes from San Francisco to all the above towns (but not Cupertino). The beach (Santa Cruz) is about a 45 minute drive away.

[Jonotastic]

It depends on your budget, but why not live and work in Cupertino?

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

It depends on your budget, but why not live and work in Cupertino?

I agree and should have added that in my last post. Cupertino is a nice town with warm weather and little fog and a great commute if you live near your job.

[Meepmeepmeep]

thanks for the good suggestions. We're trying to stay under 2500/month but would prefer something more near 2k. More interested in houses/townhomes than apartments so we can have space for a few cars and dogs. I had heard there wasn't much going on entertainment wise in Cupertino, so I had planned something closer to SF to at least have that option, and being close to caltrain/bart might be nice. Is Cupertino a nice town with at least a little bit of weekend/night life?

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by Meepmeepmeep

As a lifelong desert dweller the thought of moving anywhere near fog still creeps me out a bit, but at the end of the month I'll need to be near enough to Cupertino to get to work every day. I'm not familiar with the area at all so I don't even know how far away is too far for a morning commute. It would be nice to find a place that's dog friendly, warm once in a while and still close enough to get to the city now and then. If anyone knows the area I'd be appreciative of any info you're willing to share.

As long as you're south of Redwood City or so, and not up in the mountains, you will very seldom see fog.

If you want a bit more nightlife/entertainment than Cupertino (which as far as I know has almost none; it's sprawling suburbia with no discernible center), then have a look at Mountain View, which is 15-20 minutes away via the 85 freeway, against the primary flow of traffic. It has its own downtown with restaurants and bars and a livelier street scene at night than most of the other nearby towns. The Caltrain station is also right there if you want to head to San Francisco.