Moving to CA - from Denmark with a newborn baby. Please advise!! (San Jose: to rent)

[cute71usa]

Hello everyone,

We are moving from Europe (Denmark) this summer with our newborn.
We know we want to be in California due to it's beauty and climate but there is a lot that we need advise in. So far, we are not exactly sure where (city) we will end up, so please advise on the following requirements:

** SAFE CITY
** CHILDREN FRIENDLY
** NO CRIME / LOW RATE
** ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
** WITH SOME EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (would be good)
** CLOSE TO BEACH / OCEAN & MOUNTAINS
** WHERE IT DOESN'T GET TOO HOT DURING THE SUMMER (extremely high
temperatures are a turn off)
** WITH GOOD POSSIBILITIES TO RENT FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS
BEFORE PURCHASING A PROPERTY (rent to buy would be a good choice)
** GOOD JOB PROSPECTS FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS & HOSPITALITY
BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

I hope we are not asking for too much....

Is there such city / Town in CA??

We are also not interested in living in LA or a big city but more in a town, smaller community where we have a chance perhaps to commute if necessary. We want to be away from big crowds.

Many thanks for all your help.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by cute71usa

Hello everyone,

We are moving from Europe (Denmark) this summer with our newborn.
We know we want to be in California due to it's beauty and climate but there is a lot that we need advise in. So far, we are not exactly sure where (city) we will end up, so please advise on the following requirements:

** SAFE CITY
** CHILDREN FRIENDLY
** NO CRIME / LOW RATE
** ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
** WITH SOME EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (would be good)
** CLOSE TO BEACH / OCEAN & MOUNTAINS
** WHERE IT DOESN'T GET TOO HOT DURING THE SUMMER (extremely high
temperatures are a turn off)
** WITH GOOD POSSIBILITIES TO RENT FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS
BEFORE PURCHASING A PROPERTY (rent to buy would be a good choice)
** GOOD JOB PROSPECTS FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS & HOSPITALITY
BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

I hope we are not asking for too much....

Is there such city / Town in CA??

We are also not interested in living in LA or a big city but more in a town, smaller community where we have a chance perhaps to commute if necessary. We want to be away from big crowds.

Many thanks for all your help.

What is your residency, legal status to work in California?

Step 1. Find jobs.
Step 2. Re-post with approximate housing budget and location of jobs.
Step 3. There is no step 3.

[cute71usa]

Hi and thanks for replying...

my point is that we are very open minded to where to move as far as our requirements (above) are met or close to at least.
We mostly concerned with safety and friendly place where we will be raising our child.... that's the important point.
Yes, find a job is important but we need to know WHERE first and the advise was more about location, location, location.
I have no idea about housing budget... it would all depend on how nice the place is? and again location.... something between 1500-2000 USD month max ??? I dont know....
We are legal residents.... so we can live and work anywhere.

Thanks for the advise!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by cute71usa

Yes, find a job is important but we need to know WHERE first and the advise was more about location, location, location.

This is only true if you have more than one job offer and you have to decide between two places. Otherwise, you can find any type of community you want regardless of where the job offer is if you spend enough money or are willing to commute or if you lower your standards.

It's 69 times easier to find a nice place to live after you have a job than it is to find a job after you find a place to live.

[larachris]

I can make a few suggestions for you in Northern California, the San Francisco bay area to be exact. IMHO, it would be a great choice. Many folks say San Francisco, has a 'european' feel (yes, people who are from SF, and non natives as well. I've even heard it from Europeans). There are several neighborhoods in San Francisco that would be great, but it's not cheap to live there. The Marina (near the Golden Gate Bridge) and the Richmond District are both nice, relatively safe (for a big city) neighborhoods, but in SF, you will get a lot of fog no matter what neighborhood you live in. Having kids, I would not suggest SF, unless you plan on private schools.

Around the Bay Area to the south, I suggest Los Gatos, Saratoga, Palo Alto (if you can afford it) Mountain View or Cupertino (all in Silicon Valley with lots of job opportunities nearby). All safe cities, with good public schools, family friendly neighborhoods, lots of parks, museums, close to San Jose and close enough to San Francisco for a trip to 'the city' once in a while. I have met many Europeans, mostly Eastern Europeans in Silicon Valley. San Jose is doable as well, but the neighborhoods and schools are hit or miss. I would suggest the surrounding, smaller cities that I listed, and just being close to San Jose.

In the East Bay, there are many options. But, if you are going to work in San Francisco or San Jose, be prepared for the commute. There are many options for mass transit and carpooling in the Bay Area, so it's totally doable, just be prepared. I suggest Castro Valley, Walnut Creek, Danville (A+ public schools....check each city's public schools on greatschools.net, trust me the data is spot on!), Benicia (super cute 'european feel' city with lots of community events and involvement), Concord, Pleasanton and San Ramon. You will be close to Oakland, and just a bridge cross away from downtown San Francisco. Oakland has a lot of cultural events, festivals, outdoor farmers markets. Great stuff for kids but, I personally would not recommend living there as the schools are not that great.

You can also venture North, to San Rafael, Mill Valley or Novato. But, be prepared to shell out lots of cash for a nice place there. These are the cities where SF celebrities, Danielle Steele, Carlos Santana, all live. A little too 'exclusive' for my taste, but worth checking out if you want proximity to 'less cold' beaches.

I would say the East Bay is your best bet for a nice community, diversity, open to 'newcomers', good schools, affordable housing and proximity to all that San Francisco has to offer. But, choose wisely because it could be hit or miss. There are a few very bad cities, with lots of crime that I, as a native San Franciscan, wouldn't drive through in the day time. Benicia, for example is a lovely city, but it's next door to Vallejo, just named one of the most miserable cities to live in. Antioch, Richmond, East Palo Alto (just a freeway overpass away from lovely Palo Alto) and a few others make my list of cities that I would never live in, especially with kids.

Check out the city-data site with stats on crimes, etc for each city. As far as Europeans, there are many in the south bay, but you will pretty much run into people from all over the world all over the Bay Area (one of the many reasons it's such a great place to live). Another thing to consider is the proximity to Lake Tahoe (beautiful all year round, and especially in the Winter for skiing), Reno, many parks and lakes for weekend camping getaways, and yes, even Disneyland!

Good luck!

[X_travelbug_X]

Originally Posted by cute71usa

Hello everyone,

** GOOD JOB PROSPECTS FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS & HOSPITALITY
BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

I love Monterey and Pebble Beach Resort is hiring. Not sure what in "Hospitality" you are looking for but check it out:
Current Employment Opportunities: Jobs at Pebble Beach Resorts

I do not know how much of an European community Monterey has.

You could always live in Monterey and visit the Danish community of Slovang!
<title>Solvang CA Danish town in United States

I've actually never been to Slovang, but hey "authentic Danish costumes and smorgaasbord restaurants"! Need I say more?

Seriously, I think Pacific Grove has almost everything you are looking for. http://pacificgrove.org/

[Snort]

To each his or her own, but Santa Barbara is a place you should investigate. Rachel's gone, so it's safe nowadays.

[SportyandMisty]

Solvang. Solvang, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia