San Mateo, Belmont, Foster City or somewhere else? Office in Foster City (San Jose: cul-de-sac)

[manjkav]

Hi,

I am moving to SF next week. Work place is in Foster City, and this is first time I need to stay alone! My husband will come most weekends, still there will be some weekends when I need to be alone. Also, I now live in a city where the traffic is absolutely none! So it will be kind of difficult for me to adjust to metro-traffic. So just seeing on maps, I have short-listed these places where I can rent an apartment - San Mateo, Belmont, Foster City. But when I checked on apartments in these areas on apartmentratings, not a single one has majority good reviews.

I desperately need some help and some apartment names so I can go and look at the places. Budget is 1500 (that's what's the max I can afford with the salary I'm gettin!). I need a safe, decent place, with reasonably less noise. Since I dont have kids, I am not bothered about school district or parks. But I need basics like shopping -atleast groceries, restaurants, bank, hospital or clinic, bus/train access nearby.

Please help and give me some decent apartment names and some pointers! Thanks a lot!

[humboldtrat]

The neighborhood around Ralston and Alameda de las Pulgas in Belmont has lots of nice 2 and 3 story apartment buildings in a semi-wooded area that's quiet and safe. Within walking distance is a small shopping center with an upscale supermarket (Lunardi's), a bank and other stores - also a public library and a Catholic church. This is about 5 - 6 miles from Foster City .

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by humboldtrat

The neighborhood around Ralston and Alameda de las Pulgas in Belmont has lots of nice 2 and 3 story apartment buildings in a semi-wooded area that's quiet and safe. Within walking distance is a small shopping center with an upscale supermarket (Lunardi's), a bank and other stores - also a public library and a Catholic church. This is about 5 - 6 miles from Foster City .

Yep! I lived RIGHT there - behind the library on Garden Ct., which is off Alameda & about 1 block north of Ralston Ave. (across from that Lunardi's, which is awesome but SUPER expensive). I had a fairly small 1-bedroom "Garden Apartment," which meant that it had a nice fenced yard... it also had a swimming pool, which we shared with the cul-de-sac, and a full laundry room & parking. I paid $1050 about 4 years ago, so it's probably renting for around $1200 these days.

I really liked that neighborhood, since it was very centrally located - right between SF and San Jose, close to all Peninsula towns, 3 freeways, etc. It also has plenty of shopping & restaurants, which I'd be happy to specify/recommend if you're really planning to move there... you can also drive to San Carlos in a few minutes, where they have a nice shopping street (Laurel) with some terrific restaurants & a weekly farmer's market. Weather is also fabulous, as it is on most of the mid-Peninsula. The only reason I moved was because I felt it was overpriced, and they started a 2-year construction project on the library, which was literally in my backyard... ironic that a librarian would be driven away by a new library, LOLOL. Anyway, I'd highly recommend that neighborhood!

P.S. If you don't want to spend the money at Lunardi's, there's also a Safeway on the other side of Ralston, and an even bigger Safeway down at El Camino & Ralston. And OMG, Village Host Pizza (also at that corner) has the yummmmmmiest pizza around! You won't go hungry in Belmont, LOL.

[gizmo980]

Btw, if I remember correctly, my apartment complex was called "Garden Terrace," and it was at 6 Garden Ct. The landlords were a nice old Jewish couple, who actually knew my Dad from the JCC (Jewish Community Center), and were always very amenable & non-nosy. I'll let you know if I find their contact info, since you could always see if they're renting... but honestly, you're better off just driving around, since most of those complexes advertise with big "FOR RENT" signs.

And finally, you should also consider the town of San Carlos, which is just down the road... very similar to Belmont, but a tiny bit more "upscale" in most parts. San Mateo is nice too, but has some iffy neighborhoods, and Foster City is a little boring & family-oriented for my personal taste - but quite nice as well.

[manjkav]

Thanks Gizmo and Humboldtrat for your inputs. So I should be keeping to Belmont and San Carlos areas!! Good start! I am not able to find out any listing or any contact info for the Garden Terrace apts. Found a Laurel Theater apartments in Belmont. Can you please give me some apartment names that I could check out? Since I will not be out roaming much (I like to sit down with a book whenever I'm free!!) Library is a must for me, Park preferable, otherwise "boring" areas are also ok for me - if by boring u mean not many clubs/bars or any other happening place!! Is there any other reason u say No to Foster city?? Thanks again!

[sonarrat]

Foster City is super nice, actually, but $1500? You'll be one of dozens applying for anything in that range. If I could live there, though, I would. It's a very pretty planned city on the bayfront - there are lots of manmade waterways and gardens, and other than 92 and 101, traffic is never a problem.

[cardinal2007]

I live in that area in Belmont, your budget should get you up to fairly nice accommodations there, there is nothing wrong with Foster City, it is just more of a high rent place, and 1500 is probably around median for a 1 bedroom. You can get a studio easily in some areas in Foster City I suppose. Foster City is a bit newer and traffic will be easier to deal with if you live there, there is also more shopping there. Rents also seem to be increasing a lot faster there than in Belmont.

I've seen rents go up $50 - $100 here since my last search, but they have gone up a lot more in Foster City, my some of my co-workers are saying they might move. Foster City is sunnier than Belmont because of two things, less trees, and lower elevation. The fog is worse the higher you get for some reason. San Carlos has more of a downtown than Belmont, Foster City is more new suburban than either of those, so more strip malls and spread out areas, some people like it, some don't.

[jimj]

Try the Continentals apts in Belmont. It's at Ralson and Continentals way. Sits on the way up the hill to 280. We used to live there and the apts were pretty nice and spacious, they have a pool and most apts have a balcony. We enjoyed it because of the views of the bay area.

[jimj]

I forgot to give you the address. It's 1000 continentals way, belmont. You can also look at 551 Walnut Ave, san carlos, we've lived there (as well as some SF giants baseball players) and it wasn't bad at all.

[humboldtrat]

Go to Carlmont Woods Apartments in Belmont, CA - Belmont, California Apartment Rentals | Essex Property Trust. It's the only website I could find for apartments in the Ralston/Alameda area of Belmont. Nearby is Water Dog Lake Park. The road is baricaded so no cars can go to the lake. It's a nice place to walk/jog. The Belmont library in this neighborhood is also surrounded by a park.

The Laurel Theater Apts. you mentioned is a nice newer building in a quiet and safe area (there was once a theater on this site) and there is a Trader Joes and Walgreens one block away. There is more shopping further down Laurel St.