Danville? (Orange, Concord, Walnut Creek: fit in, refinance, houses)

[2KidsforMe]

Hi everyone. I'm a native Californian (Orange County) living in the Boston area with my family. A move back may be in the works next year, but to the Bay Area. My brother-in-law & his wife/kids live in Concord. Danville seems like a nice place to live, good schools, close enough to family etc. Walnut Creek is nice, but we prefer something a littel more bedroom-y. I have heard that there is a snob factor in Danville, is that true? My fear is that we wouldn't be able to keep up, so to speak, and that my kids would suffer from that in school. We would be bottom feeders, (crazy that a 900k to million dollar home is bottom feeder). We just want somewhere that is safe, quiet, with good public schools, community involvement, friendly, and some natural beauty. Basically what everyone else wants. Would Danville work, if we could manange it, or are there any other places we are missing? Thanks in advance.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

My fear is that we wouldn't be able to keep up

Why do you want to keep up with the Joneses? Do your own thing and not worry about the neighbors and their flash...you can be rest assured they are probably refinanced out the @ss to impress you.

Regardless, Danville is really nice. My wife is from there, not snobby at all (bossy maybe ). The schools are good. There's nice downtown. The Iron Horse Trail goes through which is a big plus.

[2KidsforMe]

No, we don't want to keep up with the Jonses, not at all! We want to be in a nice neighborhood, but we always strive to live within our means. My concern would be with my kids. I know how hard it can be to be a kid, and I just want to make sure that they would fit in okay. I only asked because I had heard some negative things about a snob factor in some bay area cities. We've never lived there before, so we are kinda in the dark. Thanks for the info. It makes me feel better.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

I only asked because I had heard some negative things about a snob factor in some bay area cities.

You're probably thinking of BlackHawk, a gated community with bazillion dollar homes around a golf course. I think this is still part of Danville, but it's not like the rest of Danville.

[2KidsforMe]

Yes, now that you mention it, it was BlackHawk. Don't think it will be an issue then? I'm glad to hear it. I do know that wealthy does not necessarily equal "snob". Depends on the person. And of course, we won't be in a bazillion dollar home any time soon. How is the town geographically speaking? Are there lots of trees and open space? How is the housing density and traffic? Nice parks? Any info would be appreciated.I've heard that the vibe in Northern CA is very different than Orange County. Is that true? We have been in MA for so long, I feel like I don't know much about my home state anymore.

[achtungpv]

That's funny Blackhawk was mentioned. My wife said that anyone that was snotty in Danville either lived in Blackhawk or pretended to.

[aslowdodge]

You might want to try pleasanton. Just 10 minutes south of Danville and very family oriented with good schools. Houses run about 10 percent cheaper too. Most of the area is pretty nice.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by aslowdodge

You might want to try pleasanton. Just 10 minutes south of Danville and very family oriented with good schools. Houses run about 10 percent cheaper too. Most of the area is pretty nice.

You might also want to check out nearby Dublin and San Ramon as well as Pleasanton. All these places are comparable to Danville - nice middle to upper middle class towns.

[2KidsforMe]

Would Pleasanton, Dublin or San Ramon be too far from our family in Concord & Walnut Creek? We all have small kids and will probably be at each other's homes several times a week.

[humboldtrat]

Then why not move to Concord or Walnut Creek. Walnut Creek is a little more upscale than Corcord. North of Danville (getting closer to Concord) is the town of Alamo. Check that place out. Don't know much about it other than it's a nice middle to upper middle class town.