Family seeking house to rent near South San Francisco (San Jose: condo, public schools)

[Geordie]

My husband just recently accepted a position with a company in South San Francisco. We are planning on moving our family out June 1st and need a place to live. We have two children, ages 7 and 5, so a location with good public schools is a top priority. Safety is very important, also. We need a place that accepts pets; our family dog will be with us. She is very well-behaved and gentle but from our searches we have found renting seems somewhat limited for those with pets. Our budget is in the $2500 to $3000/month range. We would prefer a house with a small yard if possible but will consider an apt/condo too. Does it seem likely that we will find something meeting our requirements and budget? My husband will be in San Francisco next week and must find a place for us to live during this visit. The cities we have been considering so far are Millbrae, San Mateo, Burlingame, and a few others. We currently have just one car, so proximity to public transport is desirable though we may get a second small vehicle for commuting. Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to help us with our search are very much appreciated!

Thank you,
Geordie

[humboldtrat]

I would go with Burlingame or San Mateo. Both have good schools. Also the weather is warmer on the mid peninsula than the north peninsula. As for public transit, SamTrans is the San Mateo county bus systems and there is Caltrain caltrain.com - home which runs between San Francisco and San Jose with stops in Burlingame and San Mateo (and gas is $3.99 around here!).

Working for Genentech in S. San Francisco??

[sonarrat]

With that budget it sounds like San Mateo is the most likely option. If it's Genentech, they have coach buses shuttling employees from the Millbrae Caltrain station, so if you can plan a commute to there you'd be all set.

[twins4lynn]

Millbrae has excellent transit options - bus, caltrain and BART all located at the same location (a big transit hub), the weather is good and it's very safe. Burlingame is also very nice (great to live around Burlingame Avenue), good weather and very safe.

[Geordie]

Thank you to everyone who replied. It is good to know that we are on the right track with the cities we are considering. My husband is in the area now and is going to look at some places this evening. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he finds something that will work for us!

Thanks again everyone!
Geordie