Help! Where to live!! (Fremont, Sunnyvale: to rent, condo, townhouse)

[Badger_in_KY]

Hi all - My wife, 6 year-old daughter and I are moving to the Bay Area, and are trying to make sure we do NOT make a bad decision on location. We have moved multiple times in my daughter's young life, and we are looking to get her settled into 1 school district so she does not have to move around anymore. Oh - and I have a job in So. SF, as will my wife probably as we are both in the biotech industry. So - here's what we are looking for:
- Great schools
- Warm, sunny weather (so I'm told So SF, San Mateo, Burlingame, and the city are out)
- Decent commute to work.
- Family, suburbia neighborhood... i.e. parks, pools, etc.
- We can drive to everything else... So - please help! I'm flying in for this weekend and will be there for 3 days, so anything you all can tell me will help. The plan right now is to go to Foster City/Redwood Shores first day, Sunnyvale/Mountain View/Cupertino 2nd day, and maybe as far out as Walnut Creek on Sunday... Or Fremont... See - I need help!!
Dante

[aklein]

If you work in South SF avoid a bridge commute if at all possible. Bart is not an option. You want to be somewhere near Cal Train. I don't know where you got your info from, but Burlingame and San Mateo have great weather. Redwood City was named the weather best by govt test and the neighborhood of Emerald Hills wth Roy Cloud elementary is great! San Carlos, Belmont have great weather as well and great schools. Go to www.greatschools.net for more school info. It all depends on your budget Palo Alto great schools along wiith Los Altos. Depends on how far you want to commute.

[mdwstrnkid]

What type of place are you looking for and what is your budget?

[Badger_in_KY]

Okay - so about the weather, I was told (by friends and by weather.com) that San Mateo and Burlingame were like 10 degrees cooler than Foster City despite their close proximity (I assume the bay has something to do with it). If that's not correct, please let me know.
As for budget - we are looking to rent (we still own in SoCal and need to rent until we sell) a condo/townhouse or single-family home for ~$3500/month.
Thanks again for all the help!
Dante

[BayAreaHillbilly]

In Summer: Foster City is much windier than either, and temperature wise I can't tell (the wind of course makes it feel colder). I suppose Burlingame is a few degrees cooler than San Mateo. Belmont and San Carlos are are warmer yet.

General rule - closer to the open Pacific or major gaps leading from it inland, is more moderated by the 57 deg F Pacific waters. Inland = hot in summer, quite cool in winter. Coast = cool in summer, a bit cooler in winter. Inland is air conditioning in the summer and tule fog with the odd instance of black ice in winter, coast is sweater weather in summer and sweater weather in winter.

[twins4lynn]

Originally Posted by Badger_in_KY

Okay - so about the weather, I was told (by friends and by weather.com) that San Mateo and Burlingame were like 10 degrees cooler than Foster City despite their close proximity (I assume the bay has something to do with it). If that's not correct, please let me know.
Dante

Burlingame and San Mateo have really nice weather, and no way is it 10 degrees cooler than Foster City. If the weather is sunny and warm in Foster City, it will be sunny and warm in San Mateo and Burlingame, just POSSIBLY a degree or two cooler.

Edited to add - the schools in Burlingame are excellent all the way through...elementary, middle and high school. And, if you don't have your own pool, they have a real nice public pool (Burlingame Aquatics). Lots of recreation programs for the kids through Park & Rec, too.

[humboldtrat]

San Carlos or Belmont. Both have good schools and good weather. Very suburban.

[Shelacious]

I would think that Redwood City-Redwood Shores, and Belmont are fairly warm. San Mateo weather-wise is hit or miss--sometimes it's great, other times its only OK. I would imagine that the schools are pretty good. I don't know much about the SSF, San Bruno areas, but weather-wise, windy and cool. I've never felt that Foster City was actually much of a city, but I haven't spent a lot of time there.

If I was working in SSF, I would not be looking in WC, Fremont, or really anything EB if I could help it, but then I hate to commute. I'd probably go as far down 101 as Palo Alto--I just can't see driving as far as Cupertino or Sunnyvale if I didn't have to.

[Badger_in_KY]

Thanks to everyone! I will be out there this weekend and will check back in next week after 3 days of hunting...
Dante

[Yeti]

Trying to stay somewhat on topic here: I know this wont work for the OP - but can anyone comment on the area for either of these 2 CraigsList post?

TIA
Something different!


http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/1267734229.html