Which is the best school district in the Bay area? (San Francisco: low crime, home)

[florencenewcomer]

Wow as faith would have it there are two asthmatics in our household... I like where this conversation is going and i am paying close attention.

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by fizbin

RE: Contra Costa air pollution. I have no idea how that website compiles data, but generally speaking East Bay air quality, including Contra Costa, is normally excellent. Contra Costa does have some oil refineries at the northern tip of the county that may be bringing down scores, but the Lamorinda area is pretty much as far away from the refineries as it is possible to get and still be in the same county.

Is there visable smog? So many times I have seen posts stating that the air quality is excellent in a certain city and yet I know for a fact that there is visable smog.

[fizbin]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

Is there visable smog? So many times I have seen posts stating that the air quality is excellent in a certain city and yet I know for a fact that there is visable smog.

The greater SF Bay Area is home to close to 7 million people. To say that you can cram that many people into a fairly small area and never see any smog ever would be ludicrous. That said, my experience is that visible smog is something that is noticeable maybe once every couple of months, during some weather-related air inversion, and lasts a day or two.

And overall the air quality is tons better than it was 30-40 years ago. I went to San Jose State back in the '70s and it was a rare day that you could see the hills on both sides of the valley. Every time I go there now it is like night and day, with the hills standing out so sharply it almost takes my breath away because I remember how bad it was.

The Bay Area, being on the coast with a predominantly eastern air flow, has the advantage of ocean air blowing most of the junk east to the central valley and beyond most of the time.

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by fizbin

I went to San Jose State back in the '70s and it was a rare day that you could see the hills on both sides of the valley. Every time I go there now it is like night and day, with the hills standing out so sharply it almost takes my breath away because I remember how bad it was.

The Bay Area, being on the coast with a predominantly eastern air flow, has the advantage of ocean air blowing most of the junk east to the central valley and beyond most of the time.

Blowing the smog east to the Lamorinda area? Or are you talking about further east?

I think that the air quality in San Jose is terrible (so does the data). Every time I go over there (which is at least every few weeks), I see smog covering the entire area. Granted it isn't as thick as Los Angeles, but I think it is right in line with San Diego.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

Is there visable smog? So many times I have seen posts stating that the air quality is excellent in a certain city and yet I know for a fact that there is visable smog.

The air quality along the immediate coast and along the Bay shore for the most part is indeed excellent.

The strong ocean breezes and fog push smog and dirt away. Data for Alameda County is dragged down by the interior areas of the county(where the smog is blown to) but Richmond to Hayward has pretty clean air.

The problem arises when the winds die down and fog subsides for a three or more days.

The first day is usually perfect. I mean crisp and views to forever.

The second day is when the haze begins to build-at this point just becoming noticeable.

The third day and on without fog and wind, the bay looks like a soup of smoke. Its disgusting and I hate it.

We look like LA.

But because this is the Bay Area, fog and wind are never too far away.

So we get this natural cleansing that rolls in to push away the smog and haze.

Otherwise, we are reminded that we still live in a region with 5 Million automobiles.

That's what happens when millions of people live together.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

Blowing the smog east to the Lamorinda area? Or are you talking about further east?

To the Central Valley. Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto etc all have worse air quality then the Bay Area partly because our smog is blown there from the ocean breeze.

I dont think you need to be too hypersensitive over air quality in Lamorinda. The air quality there is not as bad as the numbers suggest.

I think that the air quality in San Jose is terrible (so does the data). Every time I go over there (which is at least every few weeks), I see smog covering the entire area. Granted it isn't as thick as Los Angeles, but I think it is right in line with San Diego.

Well, its a valley and that's what happens in highly populated valleys.

But when the winds reach there, the smog is blown away as well.

Its really unfair to the Central Valley but its not our fault. Its mother nature's fault.

[20five]

I was born and raised in the bay area...I spent the first 15 years or so living in Pleasant Hill and then we moved to Martinez, and lived there for 4 years or so. I can honestly say I never noticed bad air quality living there...certainly nothing like L.A. in the early 80's (which would burn your throat.) Keep in mind also that these air quality measures are based on ozone usually. High levels of ozone are very harmful long-term, but ozone is not smoke, so don't expect to see it. The east bay may be higher in ozone on average than it should be (hence the rating)...but living there I don't think you would notice bad air. I have since moved to Sacramento and beyond and I will tell you the air quality is way worse in Sac. Another place that "seems" to have clean air despite high levels of ozone is Nevada City (a beautiful little town that regularly gets F ratings for air quality.)

[pnigam]

Los Altos school system is one of the best.

[sunnysunshine]

The air quality in Lamorinda is excellent. Travel east and you might start to notice that gray look in the sky. Travel to LA and you'll be disgusted with the gray muck in the air. I would hardly rule out Lamorinda b/c of "bad air quality." I must say.... that is a first! Never heard of that before.

[WCmomMD]

Don't foget to also consider Walnut Creek. Good schools. Offers more diversity than Orinda or Lafayette schools. BART station gets you to downtown SF in 40 min. Renovated Walnut Creek downtown and outdoor shopping center has every chain store you could possibly need. Very family friendly town. You will be able to get more house for your $$ in Walnut Creek compared to the Peninsula, Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda, or Piedmont. Where we live in Walnut Creek, we are walking distance to a park, the public library, a swim & tennis club, a bicycle trail, and to K-12 schools.

Other communities in this area worth considering that others have not mentioned are in the Crystal Ranch and Lime Ridge neighborhoods in Concord and the town of Clayton. The schools in these areas are high-scoring also. I agree with the previous poster that these locations in the East Bay are probably ideal if you work in the East Bay or in San Francisco, otherwise the commute would suck up too much time.

Even in the nicer areas of Oakland, there is high crime rate. A few months ago, someone was shot in Upper Rockridge, a more affluent area of Oakland.

Hope this helps you.