Martinez or Clayton or Montclair?? (San Francisco, Oakland: renting, low crime, house)

[bronzecastman]

We're new to the bay area and lived quite a bit outside of chicago. My wife works in Walnut Creek and I work in downtown SF but only have to be there 3.5 days per week.

We are renting right now in Martinez (and like it here!) but aren't sure about the area and influences on our two grade school kids. Can anybody offer insight on community in the three areas mentioned above, Martinez, Clayton or Montclair (in Oakland hills) ??

We can't afford anything over 600k and the housing prices have really dropped allowing us to buy now in these areas.

[artemis78]

I can only speak to Montclair, as I don't know the other two areas--but it's a great pocket of Oakland. Doesn't feel urban at all--very small-town atmosphere with lots of families and a little village center that hosts a Sunday farmers' market, and homes tend to be on wooded lots (though sometimes hilly sloping lots, so beware of potential concerns there!) On the school side, you're covered there--all of the elementary schools there are stellar (a 9 and two 10s on the Great Schools scale, for the OUSD naysayers!), and Montera Middle School is probably the most coveted in the city. Not sure about which high school district that is, but if it's Skyline (which I think it might be) that's one of Oakland's strongest high schools, too. (That said, I do think OUSD's good elementary schools are much stronger than its middle/high schools--but many Oaklanders say that's starting to change as middle/upper income families keep their kids in the system longer. Couldn't say, but I do know that people are currently fighting over getting their kids into Montera, which I imagine means that the school's rep is on the upswing!)

The major downside could be the commute to SF--you're not especially near either I-80 or BART, though you can potentially drive down to the Rockridge BART. (If you can take the bus to the Transbay terminal, though, it's easy as there are several commute-hour options.) Either way you wind through the mountain roads to get to the freeway. On the upside I imagine the commute to SF is still infinitely better than from either Clayton or Martinez. Getting to Walnut Creek is pretty manageable, since the 13 is right there and drops you onto the 24 (but probably not quite as good as the commute from Clayton/Martinez).

Can't say how it compares to the culture/community/schools in the other areas, though.

[mburns]

Hi,

I really like Clayton and the Montclair district in Oakland. Clayton has an old town feel with a quaint main street and the community seems to be quite close, especially with school aged children. The only thing is the commute may not be too desirable.

Montclair has the best of both worlds. It's close to everything, yet your actual home can be in a very tranquil Tahoe-like setting.

There are many other nice neighborhoods in Oakland that may fit your criteria and price range, such as, Redwood Hts., or Glenview.

Good Luck!

Mary

[oaktownchris]

I think all 3 of your choices are good places to raise a family. Most people in the Bay Area never consider living in Martinez because all they see are the refineries just off the freway. Martinez has its own school district, is a small low key town, and has a very low crime rate. Martinez is the county seat for Contra Costa County so it tends to have more police and sherrif deputies around. You might also want to consider Martinez's neighbor Pleasant Hill which is in your price range.

Montclair is a more upscale village with better shopping options. You can also take an express bus from Montclair to San Francisco for your commute. The only negative for Montclair is the local high school Skyline. Many parents by then send their kids to private schools whereas in Martinez, I think you'll find the majority sticking with the public schools.

I am not as familiar with Clayton, but the commute to San Francisco would be the worst of the 3.

[tennis368fan]

Martinez has the better high school of the three areas. However, the middle school is not that great according to API scores by the state.

Taking poster N CA's advice on the schools in the Walnut Creek area, I imagine that for $600K, you can try to search around for bargains in Concord/Walnut Creek neighborhoods served by Northgate High School, or, just maybe, older parts of Walnut Creek served by Acalances Union High School District and Walnut Creek Unified, both of which are very high scoring and closer to San Francisco by BART. As you move south through Walnut Creek in the < $600K range (as of this post), you will notice that the homes get smaller, though the lots get larger, and the quality of the schools increase.

[N CA]

You should look at these three neighborhoods in Concord: Crystyl Ranch, Limeridge, and the Crossings. Limeridge attends ALL Walnut Creek schools. The Crossings attend middle and high schools in Walnut Creek, and a very good Concord elementary. Crystyl Ranch attends just the Walnut Creek high school. I probably would be reluctant to send my child to Pine Hollow, which is Crystyl Ranch's middle school.

There are gems in most cities. Crystyl Ranch costs more because it is a newer development, and they are the most restrictive regarding noise and children. I wouldn't move there, but I know lots of folks who do.

The Crossings has the most amenties: three pools, three parks, clubhouse, activities, not gated but limited access. Most streets are on courts. You can get a home for under $600K. Close to Concord BART.

[N CA]

for the Crossings, see: The Crossings in Walnut Country

[planbee]

For what it's worth, we lived in the downtown area of Martinez for two years (we had to move back to the east coast for personal reasons) and found that when the temperature cranks up in the East Bay, Martinez (at least our neck of the woods) felt much cooler than it did in nearby Walnut Creek, Danville, Concord, or even Pleasant Hill. In addition, from our house (which we have decided to hold onto ) )we were able to walk to the wonderful farmer's market, Starbucks, Safeway, and terrific hiking/biking/running trails. We were just a short car trip from Napa, and had great access to SF, either by car or one of the many nearby BART stations. Good luck! The East Bay is a beautiful area, and it seems that now is a great time to buy....

[Texasturkey]

Originally Posted by bronzecastman

We're new to the bay area and lived quite a bit outside of chicago. My wife works in Walnut Creek and I work in downtown SF but only have to be there 3.5 days per week.

We are renting right now in Martinez (and like it here!) but aren't sure about the area and influences on our two grade school kids. Can anybody offer insight on community in the three areas mentioned above, Martinez, Clayton or Montclair (in Oakland hills) ??

We can't afford anything over 600k and the housing prices have really dropped allowing us to buy now in these areas.

Montclair is located in San Bernardino County in Southern CA. I do not know why is on the San Francisco and Bay Area thread.

[Lori1961]

Montclair is a community in the Oakland Hills.

We lived on the Pleasant Hill/Martinez border for many years before moving back east. I would personally pick Martinez over the other two choices. I think Martinez may be more "child friendly" than the other two. Plus as one of the other posters stated, there are great hiking trails, nice shops and beautiful tree lined streets.