Petaluma vs Benecia Schools & Neighborhhood (San Francisco, Fairfield: realty, weekend getaway, work)

[vancouver canada]

Previous Posts suggest Petaluma or Benecia as great familty oriented cities with good schools, and affordable housing and good sized lots around $800-1 mill. Lots of trees, not too congested but having a nice downtown.

Any other viewpoints on these towns? Does the downtown have a cosmopolitain feel, or is it a more suburban (boring?). Also wondering how far to drive into San Fran on a Friday/Saturday night? We would work from home, so no need to drive in traffic. Thanks,

[tennis368fan]

In terms of schools, Benicia's schools generally score better on state testing, especially its middle schools and high schools.

I have heard that Benicia has a considerable amount of history and character. However, there are oil refineries in the city's west side. Other forum threads have mentioned that the smell and presence is not noticible in the rest of the city. Citing the thread, leaks and accidents still exist as possibilities. You can read about it here: Possibly prchasing in Benicia???

Benicia and Petaluma are approximately one hour away from San Francisco during off-peak driving in traffic. However, in Benicia, you can take the Capital Corridor train at Martinez Station to Emeryville Station, then take a bus to San Francisco. This makes Benicia a good choice if you decide not to drive to avoid the pressures of inner-city traffic.

Here is a home in Benicia that you may be interested in. The property has a large lot, though most of it is an upslope. There may be views, but there are few or no trees on the property itself; the neighboring properties have plenty of trees. Here's the link: Single Family Home - 558 Gardenia Ct, Benicia, CA, 94510 - Realtor.com



You may also want to consider other cities such as neighborhoods of Vacaville and Fairfield under Travis Unified School District. That school district performs exceptionally well, very close to Benicia schools, that is when excluding Cambridge Elementary. Homes there are much less expensive and lots are more level, so more of your property can be utilized. The only drawback is the proximity that certain homes have in regards to the Travis Air Force Base. Fortunately, the ends of the runway do not point at the Travis School District residential areas. Neighboring cities have small marinas where boats can be parked and a system of rivers allow access to the bay.

Here is a example of a home in the Travis area: Single Family Home - Vacaville, CA, 95687 - Realtor.com




Mountain House, also located approximately one hour away from San Francisco, is another option. You can drive to Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station and take BART to San Francisco for a weekend getaway to the city. The K-8 schools are good, and there is much to do in neighboring Livermore and Tracy, which each have a downtown, and in Dublin and Pleasanton as well, where Stoneridge Mall and the Asian-oriented Ulferts Center are situated. It is near Bethany Reservoir and Clifton Forebay, which connects to the Delta and the San Francisco Bay, perfect for boats. The community is master-planned, with schools being the focal point in the center of each "village", with promenades that shortcut through clusters of homes leading to the schools for pedestrian safety. You may go to the community run website to receive more details and pictures of the community: Mountain House Villages Here is an example of a Mountain House home:
Single Family Home - 66 Brett Ave, Mountain House, CA, 95391 - Realtor.com





All the homes ABOVE are UNDER $600,000 US.




You may also consider Alameda, located twenty minutes from San Francisco by car. You can find excellent schools on the East End and on Bay Farm Island. Homes are of older stock, with many Victorian-Era homes. Newer homes are on Bay Farm. It also has many marinas where you can park boats and other watercraft. Some homes even have private docks. There are two historic business districts and a mall, with a 1920's movie theater being restored and expanded near the Park Street Business District. I would say that Alameda's downtown has a cosmopolitan air, but you have to judge it yourself in person. Alameda High School has been rated among America's top 500 high schools by Newsweek Magazine: http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?sort=Rank&count=1351&Search=&start=400&limit=100& year=2007&. Here is an example of an Alameda home:
Single Family Home - 1420 FOUNTAIN ST, ALAMEDA, CA, 94501 - Realtor.com