Rural Area with commuting distance to Menlo Park (Palo Alto, Santa Cruz: apartment, rentals)

[Jess1209]

Hi All - I was recruited by FB for the Menlo Park office and I’m considering relocating. Here’s my problem - I have a horse so I need a rural area within an hours distance from Menlo Park. I’m hoping to find a single family house to rent for around $2500. I’m single with 2 dogs but super private and not a fan of apartment living. Any suggestions? Am I looking for a unicorn?

[jdhpa]

There are stables in / around Menlo Park. I don't know what they cost, I'm sure it's extremely expensive. Anything on / near the peninsula will be extremely expensive. This is a great area to own a horse if money is no object.

A single family home near Menlo for $2500 either doesn't exist, or isn't anyplace you'd want to live. Rents for old, run down single family homes on postage stamp lots start around $5500 / month, don't be surprised if you end up paying $6500. You could probably find two FB employees to split a 3 bedroom house with. You don't want anything in East Palo Alto (a different town than Palo Alto), or Menlo Park east of 101 (where FB is).

[Jane M]

Originally Posted by Jess1209

Am I looking for a unicorn?

In a word, yes.

To the west of Menlo Park is Woodside and Portola Valley which are very beautiful areas and as rural as you can get in bay area proper. I am sure there will be places to board your horse, (although not cheap) and there could be small cabin rentals/mother-in-law suites out that way.

However, your rent (even for a 400 sq ft cabin) will not 2,500$. More like $3,500 and up. You could try to look for places in a more rural/cheaper area like Scotts Valley, but you are then looking at a hellish commute.

You need to do some more investigating about what you can reasonably afford in an area that will accommodate your horse. Or resign to boarding your horse away from where you live and get use to apartment living or roommates. Good Luck!

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Jane M

To the west of Menlo Park is Woodside and Portola Valley which are very beautiful areas and as rural as you can get in bay area proper. I am sure there will be places to board your horse, (although not cheap) and there could be small cabin rentals/mother-in-law suites out that way.

La Honda might be another option, but I'm not sure if they're zoned for horses... road is pretty tight & windy too, which is the trade-off for "rural living."

You could try to look for places in a more rural/cheaper area like Scotts Valley, but you are then looking at a hellish commute.

Meh, it depends on their work hours. I commute from Scotts Valley to the Peninsula (not far from Menlo Park), and it only takes 30 minutes since I work odd hours. I rent a place there which is an in-law on one acre, feels secluded even though it's right near the highway, and I'm paying $1750/mo. So if you're not opposed to sharing the property, maybe look for something similar... a lot of folks out here rent in-laws or "granny cottages" to offset the mortgage costs, and also because there's more space to do so in Scotts Valley.

[gizmo980]

*Re-reading the OP now, and I see you describe yourself as being "super private." So maybe an in-law or granny unit isn't ideal, but if it's any consolation, I hardly ever see or hear the other folks (a family of four). But that's the luck of the draw, as we work/keep completely opposite schedules.

Honestly, though, you'll have to adjust your expectations if you move here. Living alone in a SFH, especially somewhere with land for horses, just isn't going to happen with a $2500 budget. Were you hoping to actually have the horse ON your property? If not, is the cost of boarding factored separately from your rental budget? These details could make a big difference.

[damba]

My relatives used to live and own horses in Boulder Creek. I used to see SFH listings nearby for about $3K. Commute to areas by Menlo was a bit of a bear though, from what I recall. When I tagged along we were always around an hour or more.

[ZeApelido]

Santa Cruz Mountains from 35/92 juncture all the way to 35/9 juncture areas would work for commute, and remote. Even along the coast (with remote areas) between Granada and Pescadero would work for commute. I don't know about what places allow horses. If there is a tiny house for rent, you might get it near $3000, but availability of those are probably scarce.

[Nell Plotts]

Your work hours at FB will likely preclude using your horse weekdays. Board your horse about a 2-hour drive away.