Commute to SF from Petaluma or Novato? (San Francisco, Oakland: house, schools)

[onup]

Our family may be relocating to the bay area in the near future. We have been looking at the Walnut Creek area as it suits the needs of our family (decent schools, good sized house with a yard in our price range, boarding and trails nearby for our horses, public transportation) while still being a tolerable commute to the finacial district in San Francisco.

Mu husband is also attracted to Marin county because he thinks the area is beautiful. However, our budget would push us into a few places in San Rafael and further north to places like Novato and Petaluma in Sonoma county. I am guessing those northern areas would be pushing the idea of a tolerable commute, but I figure it's worth asking what it is like. I am also wondering what public transportation would be like in those areas. I am guessing that it is not as good as the transportation in the Walnut Creek area.

Thanks for your help!

[RandalR]

Originally Posted by onup

Our family may be relocating to the bay area in the near future. We have been looking at the Walnut Creek area as it suits the needs of our family (decent schools, good sized house with a yard in our price range, boarding and trails nearby for our horses, public transportation) while still being a tolerable commute to the finacial district in San Francisco.

Mu husband is also attracted to Marin county because he thinks the area is beautiful. However, our budget would push us into a few places in San Rafael and further north to places like Novato and Petaluma in Sonoma county. I am guessing those northern areas would be pushing the idea of a tolerable commute, but I figure it's worth asking what it is like. I am also wondering what public transportation would be like in those areas. I am guessing that it is not as good as the transportation in the Walnut Creek area.

Thanks for your help!

I lived in San Rafael for 31 years and Walnut Creek for 3 1/2 years, so I guess I can answer that.

Walnut Creek offers a faster commute because of BART, even though it is a few miles further away. BART takes 35 minutes from the Walnut Creek to downtown - Golden Gate Transit buses take about an hour from San Rafael, 1 1/4 hours from Novato, and 1 1/2 hours from Petaluma. If driving from either location the difference is more like 25 minutes for Walnut Creek vs. 30/45/60 for San Rafael/Novato/Petaluma. The key is to start and leave work early as possible - ideally you would want to be in the City before 7:00 am, maybe well before...

Novato isn't all that Marin-like - it gets very hot in the summer and doesn't differ much from the climate in Walnut Creek. I think Walnut Creek has better and newer housing options and more things to do in the immediate area than Novato or Petaluma offer. I worked in Novato for seven years, and found the city itself lacking character and any real sense of community in a lot of ways. There isn't one thing I can think of where Walnut Creek isn't superior to Novato and Petaluma.

But in Novato's favor, it's close to the coast and the redwoods, and a short drive from the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Also a good place for horse owners (as is Walnut Creek, of course).

[onup]

Thank you for answering! The information is very helpful.

[DowNout]

Originally Posted by RandalR

There isn't one thing I can think of where Walnut Creek isn't superior to Novato and Petaluma.

How can you even compare Novato to Petaluma? Petaluma has history, a downtown, nightlife, far superior restaurants, and more locally grown produce & vineyards. Novato has...big box store shopping? There is a reason that "American Graffiti" was filmed in Petaluma! Novato is just a gas stop between Petaluma and San Rafael. I can't say much about Walnut Creek as I have never lived there, but I have friends that do and they love it. BART is definately a bonus for commuting.

However, both Novato and Petaluma offer great locations for horses. Great pasture land, and closer to the coast for those short trips out to the Golden Gate National Park/West County trails. I would think in Walnut Creek you would be locked into a more dry and arid landscape, as compared to having the close option to ride along the ocean, in redwoods, under oaks and among the fresh coastal breeze.

Good luck on your house hunting!

[rcwolf]

I couldn't disagree more. Novato has beautiful hills covered by trees whereas Petaluma and San Rafael are much more bare. Downtown Novato has just been redone and has restored the charming and quaint nature. There are many horse properties in Novato. The east side of Novato does have some big box stores that people from all over Marin drive to and do their shopping. What's so bad about Costco, anyway? Novato night life is a little nonexistent, but it's a great place to raise children and has fantastic schools and involved parents. Novato also has a lot of hiking trails if you enjoy hiking.

The commute right now is not great. The widening project on the freeway should be done soon and then it should be much better, perhaps about 50 mins. into the city during rush hour. Right now it's taking me about 1 hr. 10 mins. Walnut Creek does have better transportation, but you have to be careful which areas you end up in because there are some not-so-nice parts.

I grew up in San Rafael and have lived in Novato since adulthood. San Rafael is actually hotter than Novato in the summer, probably because of the lack of trees, especially in the northern part. I would say they are pretty similar though. There are only a few days in the summer that it gets especially uncomfortable. The nice thing as opposed to Southern Marin is that it gets a lot more sunshine whereas southern Marin can be a lot more foggy and cool, not to mention harder to meet people and make friends.

Good luck

[humboldtrat]

The commute is usually awful. Traffic (whether you drive or take a bus) crawls going southbound on Hwy 101 in the morning (and northbound in the evening) until you get to the Golden Gate bridge. From the bridge to downtown SF, it's all city streets - there is no cross town freeway.

You can always take a ferry from Larkspur to SF, but it's expensive.

[SonomaCo]

I love Petaluma and did the Petaluma to SF commute for 20+ years. It did take about 1 hour, leaving early in the morning, and about 1 hr. 20 min. on the way home. If you do a vanpool, as we did, or ride the Golden Gate Transit, it isn't so bad. I would never consider driving alone, because the traffic is always stopped. Petaluma has a lot to offer. It has a great historical downtown, and a park (Helen Putnam) with trails in the city. It has a great sense of community, and is a good place to raise kids. It is an easy drive to Point Reyes National Seashore and to the Wine County. I'd rather be in Petaluma than in Novato. I find San Rafael much too congested.

[G Grasshopper]

I live in San Rafael. I have nothing against Petaluma. But adding that distance to your commute is really a terrible idea - one you will eventually regret. Even when they finish the road improvements, it will be bad, and as developers continue to build north, the commute will get worse again. Northern San Rafael (Terra Linda, Mont Marin, Marinwood) is a great family area. Our experience with Dixie SD was really good, too.

[cupcakesandpearls]

Thought I'd ask about the commute from SF to Petaluma since it seems the reverse is so common.

How long could one expect to drive (or take the golden gate transit) for going from SF to petaluma in the morning and back in the evening? Any suggestions of a place in SF to live to make that commute a little easier?

[grapico]

Hrrm... I've recently clocked it myself... it isn't fun.... and have ruled this out as even an option (I am between Sebatospol and Bodega Bay for the next year)... the Petaluma commute 1h+ in rush hour, and definitely the Sebastopol SF commute... pushing 1h30m.

Petaluma is a cool little city though... Novato feels like you are in the office space movie.

These are just my experiences though as a recent resident, so possibly some different perspective, and are from the last 2 weeks which I have been exploring the north bay and SF like crazy (550 miles on the odometer), and 3 months in the last year being out here.

There is an area on the road... which narrows for a bit and looks like a huge traffic backup... but the traffic is bad everywhere... coming south in the morning, and coming north in the evening... but always traffic.

I was thinking of doing this before coming out here (on a map it looks like it might be doable)... no way I would do this now after experiencing it first hand before having a job. I have completely ruled out Oakland/SF as a job location.

This is just me... but I'd need to be in San Rafael vicinity to consider a commute into SF or Oakland ... but hey, if you don't mind spending time on the road back and forth everyday...u can do it...

Randal R has accurate times from what I have personally clocked in the last few weeks... I'd add 10-15 minutes on the way back though. I drive right at, or about 5mph over the speed limit.


I can't comment much on public trans but... from what I hear, it is same as Randal R posts...i.e. too much time for me.