Moving to East Bay - San Francisco! (Oakland, Berkeley: real estate, apartments)

[westcoastbound1]

Hi, apologies in advance however a recent post by another poster was so close to my requirement, I have copied parts of it!!

I have a really good Job opportunity in SF. While I have visited a number of times and really like the city, I have no idea where I would live and I am looking for some advice. Here is some info about me and the job.

Work -
Easy Bay Area.

Me
-Late 20's , married, looking to start a family in the next 1 - 2 years
-Like the outdoors
-Not too into the bar scene but we do enjoy restaurants, cafes, and having a drink from time to time.
-Love golf and heading to the beach / exploring areas

What we are looking for in a neighborhood
-Looking for 2 bedroom - around 1600-1700$. Initially 3 month lease before I get an idea about the area.
-Wont have a car straight up so close to BART
-Research suggests Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill as possible areas.
-Safe area (see just about to start a family)
-Wife won't be working at least initially so close to shops etc would be ideal.
-Access to public transportation

Salary range
-Six figure.

Let me know. Thanks in advance.

[Fezwah]

I live in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, and if you can afford it, it's great! We pay $1775 for our 2 bedroom apartment, just to give you an idea. Shops, cafes, restaurants, Trader Joe's, BART/bus, etc. We love living here, but we know we can't afford it in the long run (salary is not six figure yet). I am a brand new stay-at-home-mom, and I'm grateful to be living right around the corner from social interaction, grocery shopping, public library, and anything else I need. I go many days without my car, which is nice.

I think it might be tough to live in Walnut Creek or Pleasant Hill without a car. I may be wrong, but it seems that the farther out into the suburbs you get, the more you'll need one.

[MzZactuary]

six figure is a vague number. $100K household income doesn't go far in SF

Originally Posted by westcoastbound1

Hi, apologies in advance however a recent post by another poster was so close to my requirement, I have copied parts of it!!

I have a really good Job opportunity in SF. While I have visited a number of times and really like the city, I have no idea where I would live and I am looking for some advice. Here is some info about me and the job.

Work -
Easy Bay Area.

Me
-Late 20's , married, looking to start a family in the next 1 - 2 years
-Like the outdoors
-Not too into the bar scene but we do enjoy restaurants, cafes, and having a drink from time to time.
-Love golf and heading to the beach / exploring areas

What we are looking for in a neighborhood
-Looking for 2 bedroom - around 1600-1700$. Initially 3 month lease before I get an idea about the area.
-Wont have a car straight up so close to BART
-Research suggests Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill as possible areas.
-Safe area (see just about to start a family)
-Wife won't be working at least initially so close to shops etc would be ideal.
-Access to public transportation

Salary range
-Six figure.

Let me know. Thanks in advance.

[westcoastbound1]

Originally Posted by MzZactuary

six figure is a vague number. $100K household income doesn't go far in SF

Well, no disrespect but I could pi$$ away 200k and it won't be enough. I get your point but I have my own research and my details are above (expectations / likes )...

Any advice appreciated.

[tanglenet]

Since I don't know where you are moving from, I will ditto Fezwah for Rockridge and add North Berkeley (near Walnut Square area). I would also look at South Beach in SF just to give you a feel for the City before you start on your family. After your addition, I would recommend Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette etc...of course, I'm assuming that when you say you are working in the East Bay, you mean the Bay side and not out by Dublin or Pleasanton. If that's the case, I would recommend closer to where you will be working.

[westcoastbound1]

Hi, thanks. Yes working around WC/Pleasant Hill actually.
How is Lafayette - safe area?

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by westcoastbound1

Hi, thanks. Yes working around WC/Pleasant Hill actually.
How is Lafayette - safe area?

Lafayette is a great town. There's a BART station and some of the best schools in the state. It's very safe and great for families. There's hiking trails, bike trails everywhere and definitely has that community feel. It's pretty liberal and you get a lot of ex San Franciscans/Oaklanders here.

It's very close to San Francisco/Berkeley and a few minutes away from Walnut Creek. There's a bus system throughout the county so depending on where you are (closer to downtown), you might not need a car.

Rockridge, as mentioned is also a great area, but the schools might not be as supported through the high school years. It's definitely more "hip" and urban feeling than Lafayette/Orinda/Moraga. Definitely more walkable. Hope this helps a bit.

[LisainCalifornia]

Yes, Lafayette is probably the safest of all the areas you mentioned. Many people like to live in the nicer parts of Oakland or the City (we moved from many years in S.F.) before they have kids, and then often move to Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga or Walnut Creek for the schools and safety after they have kids. All of those suburbs have very good (as in top) schools.

Pleasant Hill is nice, but the schools aren't as good if you are thinking ahead. It is more of a mixed area of lower to middle to upper class. Lafayette (or Orinda or Moraga) are much nicer.

I have lived in the East Bay (Moraga) for 11 years, and before that we owned our first home in San Francisco. I briefly lived in Oakland and Berkeley while in college as well, so I know the areas pretty well if you have further questions.

Good luck with your move.

[mayorhaggar]

$100,000+ is way more than enough to live comfortably in the East Bay and you should find plenty of apartments in your price range.

[tanglenet]

Instead of doing this over the Internet, which can be difficult and time consuming, I recommend contacting someone who specializes in insurance and someone who specializes in real estate. Let them do the leg work for you on location and pricing. If you would like some recommendations, PM me.