just outside San Jose (San Francisco, Pleasanton: 2009, apartment, renting)

[sirjune]

i will be moving to San Jose by end of June 2009 and we (my family) is looking for a nearby town/city place to live. we don't want to live in San Jose proper. We'll just be renting an apartment. I also got 2 kids both in elementary.

factors affecting our decision are: elementary school rating, apartment rent, and traffic.

My wife and I are considering Pleasanton. What do you think about the traffic between San Jose and Pleasanton?

our second choice is Palo Alto. I see good number of schools with great ratings.

3rd choice is : Cupertino area

4th choice is San Francisco Area

your input and comments are highly appreciated.

thanks,
sir june

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by sirjune

i will be moving to San Jose by end of June 2009 and we (my family) is looking for a nearby town/city place to live. we don't want to live in San Jose proper. We'll just be renting an apartment. I also got 2 kids both in elementary.

factors affecting our decision are: elementary school rating, apartment rent, and traffic.

My wife and I are considering Pleasanton. What do you think about the traffic between San Jose and Pleasanton?

our second choice is Palo Alto. I see good number of schools with great ratings.

3rd choice is : Cupertino area

4th choice is San Francisco Area

your input and comments are highly appreciated.

thanks,
sir june

Pleasanton wouldn't qualify as 'just outside' San Jose. Rents here are high, especially for the areas you are talking about.

[sonarrat]

The traffic between Pleasanton and San Jose is awful, even in this down economy which is taking a lot of cars off the roads. If there's an accident it can take well over an hour. It isn't any cheaper than the close-in suburbs, either. It is a better commute than coming from San Francisco (easily an hour and a half). Palo Alto to San Jose is about 35-40 minutes these days, depending on how deep into the cities you need to go. Cupertino to San Jose, about 20 minutes.

[bluebeard]

Where in SJ are you working?
What is wrong with SJ proper? West San Jose bleeds into Cupertino, so is essentially the same. Since I grew up on the border of Cupertino and SJ, I would say that it could also take 30 seconds to go from one to the other.
As for schools, honesly, anywhere in the West SJ or much of the peninsula has good schools.
More info: where are you working, what's an acceptable commute time, does it have to be one the best school in the country, or just a really good one, cost, etc...