Can't decide on the city in East Bay Area, please help! (Concord: extended stay, apartment complex)

[sksk]

Moving to Bay Area for about 2 years on a project for the company i work for......do not plan to buy a house, will be just renting an apartment...I'll be going to work in Antioch and my wife's office would be in Dublin....We are professional asian couple.....can't decide on the city to live in between Dublin and Antioch, which is safe, diverse and economical.....please help, I have to move in less than a month! Any advice on good apartments would be greatly appreciated...Thanks!!

[gizmo980]

I don't know Antioch that well, but I have a friend who lived in Dublin... it's a pretty nice town, fairly quiet & typical of a Bay Area suburb. Walnut Creek, Pleasanton & Pleasant Hill are also nice, and in the same general region. Walnut Creek is the most expensive of those, but also the safest & most "up-scale" (I think)... if the prices are in your budget, I'd probably suggest that town over the others. It's a bit lacking in diversity, but drive to any other town in the East Bay, and you'll get every cultural experience you'd want! Finally, Concord and San Ramon are other possibilities, which are slightly less expensive but still safe enough. Good luck!

[lainie]

Walnut Creek has a significant Asian population and is more diverse than some might think. You would not feel uncomfortable living here.

[woodson]

If your wife has to commute during rush hour traffic, then Antioch could be rough. There is no easy way to Dublin during the rush hour. You either have to take highway 4 or Vasco Rd, take your pick. She will be looking at an hour commute at least. So if I were you, I would look into Concord, Pleasant Hill, or even in Dublin, due to the fact that you would be traveling reverse commute.

[sksk]

Woodson- thanks for your advice. If we pick pleasant hill or walnut creek, i think your are saying it'll be a reverse commute for my wife to Dublin. I guess, it'll be reverse commute for me to antioch as well. How long do u think it will take from pleasant hill to dublin in the rush hour? Thanks again.

Gizmo and Lainie- thanks. This forum really helps. It looked like on the internet that Pleasant hill may be a lil more affordable than Walnut Creek. I'll probably try in both cities.
Lainie- seems like you are quite familiar with Walnut creek- any suggestions on the apartment complex which has easy access to freeway?

[lainie]

sksk -

Some apartment complexes are closer to the freeways than others but most are probably a mile or two. During commute hours, the surface streets are very busy but that is common in most areas.
I have no direct experience with any of the apartment complexes in this area so I would feel uncomfortable giving you advice. When we first moved to the Bay Area, we stayed in a motel for a week while we looked for housing. Pleasant Hill has an Extended Stay motel. If you have that leeway, you might try doing a test run on the commute to find out the ideal location. Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill are midway but if you decide that one person will commute, I think that Dublin might be a better choice than Antioch. Good luck with your relocation.

Lainie

[LFults]

sksk,

I would defiantely not choose the commute from Antioch to Dublin...it would be very unpleasant. Commuting into Antioch from Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, or even Dublin is a better choice. My vote would be Walnut Creek (if you can afford it), or Pleasant Hill. You can also check Lafayette and Orinda although those are pretty pricey and the traffic on Hwy 24 can be difficult. And there is also Alamo and Danville which lie in between Walnut Creek and Dublin. They are pricey but nice. San Ramon could also be a good option. Sorry can't help you with apartments either as I've owned a home since we came to the East Bay (13 years). It really depends on your price point. Walnut Creek has some apartment complexes (some new, some old) that are walkable to downtown, which is very nice. It has a wonderful, albeit busy downtown area. Pleasant Hill is a bit more affordable, smaller downtown area, but pleasant enough. Just research carefully (this forum is great for getting info!) as distances can be deceiving out here due to the traffic patterns at rush hour. Hope that helps. Good luck to you.

[JakeDog]

Avoid Antioch at any cost- kinda rough. W.C. is the best place in the East Bay for apartments b/c there is a decent town center with good places to eat and shop. For you I'd highly recommend WC above all others. Dublin could be any suburb in america- very dull. Pleasant Hill is not as interesting as Walnut Creek, but is OK.

[jobo1]

In answer to your question, San Ramon is a nice city. It's right next door to Dublin, diverse but a bit of a stretch from Antioch. Antioch is a bit of a stretch from anywhere in the Bay Area. San Ramon has a good police department and nice views of the hills and lot of places to shop. It's a friendly city. Good luck with your move!

[Vikki Perez]

Originally Posted by sksk

Moving to Bay Area for about 2 years on a project for the company i work for......do not plan to buy a house, will be just renting an apartment...I'll be going to work in Antioch and my wife's office would be in Dublin....We are professional asian couple.....can't decide on the city to live in between Dublin and Antioch, which is safe, diverse and economical.....please help, I have to move in less than a month! Any advice on good apartments would be greatly appreciated...Thanks!!

Pleasanton is a great city right next to Dublin. Antioch is about 45 minutes from Pleasanton. Pleasanton is safe and a nice place to live.