East Palo Alto... (Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Mateo: environment, for sale, hotel)

[lookingtoleaveNY]

We are now looking into a home for sale in EPA...My in-laws live there and they insist it is fine and that if you don't look for trouble, it won't find you. I am extremely concerned, however. Extremely. Also, and I think this is a legitimate concern...is it going to be too much "culture shock" for us, especially my kids, considering we are white? Seriously, the schools look like they are in deep trouble and I wonder how my kids are going to fare. Homeschool???? Do I have a chance in hell of getting them into the charter school? For the record--I am in no way rasict, it's just that we live in an area that is predominantly white. Like 98%. I have lived in multi-racial areas in the past with no problem whatsoever, but my kids have not. Any thoughts?

[gizmo980]

I lived in EPA for almost 3 years just recently, so I can offer some advice... I personally wouldn't choose to live there with kids (I'm single/childless), not because of the demographics, but rather the crime. It's improved a bit over the years, but is still the most dangerous town on the Peninsula! They also don't really have their own schools, so they'll end up either at a Charter or Palo Alto school - the latter being a MUCH better option. If they can get into Gunn, Paly, Menlo-Atherton, etc., they would be in good shape... but I used to teach kids from the charter schools (after-school tutoring), and they aren't so great.

As for the crime issue, some parts of EPA are better than others, but none are totally safe. I lived near "Whiskey Gulch," which is actually west of hwy 101, near the new Four Seasons hotel... it wasn't too bad on a daily basis, but we had 4 murders in 3 years, just in a 2-block radius (about 15-20 per year citywide). So if you want to live without that constant nervousness, consider spending a little more for a nicer town. Mountain View is just a few miles south of EPA, with fairly "affordable" prices and few crime concerns... also consider Menlo Park, Redwood City (preferably west of El Camino), and maybe farther south to Sunnyvale or Santa Clara. I loved my time in EPA, but as I said, I'm a single woman without children - I also have a dog, who's 100x more effective than any burglar alarm. If you do end up moving there, consider investing in a German Shepherd or Rottweiler!

[gizmo980]

P.S. As for your questions regarding culture-shock and race, that won't be much of an issue... I'm White as day (Jewish actually, but very fair), and never got any slack for that. If anything, I was simply bothered more by panhandlers, since they assumed I was visiting from PA and had money to burn. Most of the tenants in my complex were White or Asian, but the rest of my block was about 75% Latino, 15-20% Black, and the rest Pacific Islander or White. For the most part, they were very kind and friendly neighbors - never had any issues, aside from a few noisy crack-heads in the complex behind my unit.

[twins4lynn]

[quote=gizmo980;2100226]They also don't really have their own schools, so they'll end up either at a Charter or Palo Alto school - the latter being a MUCH better option. If they can get into Gunn, Paly, Menlo-Atherton, etc., they would be in good shape... but I used to teach kids from the charter schools (after-school tutoring), and they aren't so great. /QUOTE]

East Palo Alto is in San Mateo county and part of the Sequoia Union High School District. Schools in that district include Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Redwood, Sequoia and Woodside, and attendance depends upon home address.

Gunn and Paly are in Palo Alto, a completely different school district (and county)!

FWIW, I wouldn't move there with children. Look elsewhere!

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by twins4lynn

East Palo Alto is in San Mateo county and part of the Sequoia Union High School District. Schools in that district include Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Redwood, Sequoia and Woodside, and attendance depends upon home address.

Gunn and Paly are in Palo Alto, a completely different school district (and county)!

FWIW, I wouldn't move there with children. Look elsewhere!

Yes, you're correct... but if I remember correctly, some of my tutoring students (all EPA residents) attended those schools. Could be wrong, though, so I'll happily admit my mistake if I find out differently. I do recall hearing about vouchers, or something of the sort, which allowed them to attend Santa Clara schools - maybe that's due to overcrowding at the SM county ones? Or maybe I'm just having a brain-fart, LOL.

[twins4lynn]

In California, you can attend a school in a different school district through an interdistrict transfer. Your home school and the receiving school both have to agree (and you may need to meet certain criteria...sufficient room at the receiving school, good grades and attendance record, no behavior problems, or requesting a special program unavailable at the home district schools, etc). There is also the Allen Bill (in for elementary school age kids) where children can attend school in the district that their parents work.

But I wouldn't move to an area hoping to get my kid into another school through an interdistrict transfer.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by twins4lynn

In California, you can attend a school in a different school district through an interdistrict transfer. Your home school and the receiving school both have to agree (and you may need to meet certain criteria...sufficient room at the receiving school, good grades and attendance record, no behavior problems, or requesting a special program unavailable at the home district schools, etc). There is also the Allen Bill (in for elementary school age kids) where children can attend school in the district that their parents work.

But I wouldn't move to an area hoping to get my kid into another school through an interdistrict transfer.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up - thought I was going crazy for a minute! My elementary students probably got in through the Allen Bill, since I'm sure many of their parents work in Santa Clara county... but yeah, that's not something they should count on.

[Alexus]

The only people who live in EPA are people who have no choice. If you have kids and can avoid it, do that. It's not a great environment for kids because of the ever-present distractions associated with the bad element there. You certainly can live in a small patch that appears OK, but you're as close to the war zone as anyone can be.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by RomanInSF

The only people who live in EPA are people who have no choice. If you have kids and can avoid it, do that. It's not a great environment for kids because of the ever-present distractions associated with the bad element there. You certainly can live in a small patch that appears OK, but you're as close to the war zone as anyone can be.

I had a choice, and chose to live in EPA! But like I've said before, I have weird taste in cities - LOL. And for a family, I would certainly agree with the recommendations to live elsewhere.

[skatealoneskatetogether]

EPA is a giant slum. It's where the mexican day laborers live at night, in the morning they wake up and wash dishes, perpare food, clean, etc for the affluent people in Palo Alto and Mountain View. Its just a tiny hell hole where they stick the working people on the penninsula, or those who havent chosen to move to gilroy.