can anybody tell me anything about east bay?? (Los Angeles, Bakersfield: best school, university)

[mscbrown]

sorry if this topic is already posted but I do not come on here often. I want to do an exchange to California state university east bay. from the pix on google the sky line looks beautiful but how a city looks cant be my only reason to move there. please give me any info you have. by the way i'm african american if that makes a difference and im from wisconsin so totally diff. climate and im not used to earthquakes

[Ceece]

Hayward is not a "beautiful city" but you are right, the way the city looks can't be your only reason for moving there. What IS your reason for wanting to move there?
I don't know what info you want but Val's is a great place to grab a burger.

[Gentoo]

You might have gotten more responses if you posted this in the SF forum. Also, it helps to know what exactly you might be looking for. I'll give it a shot.

Well don't worry about your race, few others will. Where do you want to live? Near campus? I lived in Hayward once briefly when I was about 10 or so. All I remember is at the end of my street was a horse ranch, there was a creek and both were full of frogs. Our swimming pool was full of frogs. This was in the 80's. Don't know how it is now but I don't see people on C-D speak to highly of it. Can't say whether they're right or wrong. There are many other cities to consider as well. Will you require public transportation?

Need a little more info.

[mscbrown]

sorry i just figured out that its in the san francisco area. my school has an exchange program and i want to move to cali. these are the schools i can choose from

California Polytechnic State
University, San Luis Obispo
California State University,
Bakersfield
California State University, Chico
California State University, East Bay
California State University,
Los Angeles
California State University,
Monterey Bay
California State University,
Northridge
California State University,
San Bernardino
Humboldt State University
Sonoma State University

[jade408]

The college experience at all of the schools is likely to be pretty similar. Most are commuter schools, with smaller on campus populations. They are in wildly differnt parts of the state. What sort of town/campus are you looking for:
Urban, suburban, rural
How many amenities do you need in walking distance? Do you want access to the broader metro area via transit or car?

Can you clarify?

P.S. Earthquakes are very random. You can prepare for them, but there is no predicting when they will happen. The last serious quake in the Bay area was over 20 years ago. Minor quakes feel like a large train went by.

[mayorhaggar]

I'm pretty sure Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo would be the best school on that list but I guess it depends on what courses you want to take. SLO is kind of in the middle of nowhere on the coast, I've never been there but it sounds like kind of a neat little town.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

California State University, Chico - Parrrrrrrrrrrrty!

(Conspicuously absent from the list, SDSU ... )

[Phil306]

Interesting to note: Most people are slamming Hayward without giving you reasons as to why.

Hayward isn't the greatest city to live in the East Bay, because of crime, living conditions, and overall quality of life. However, the city itself is trying (and failing) to try and improve things.

At the sometime, there are worse cities in the East Bay. Would I let my kids go to college there? Nope.

[18Montclair]

Hayward is fine. People are being snobby.

Its not a walkable, urbane, sidewalk cafe kinda place, but that's because its suburban city where everything is auto oriented.

The campus is generally dead after school lets out and there is no 'college town' atmosphere whatsoever.

This is the case for nearly all CSUs in my experience. CSU is a system that caters mainly to students who live off campus and spend their time away from campus.

[Ceece]

Hayward, or Cal State East Bay, is an OK school. My son may end up there once he get his AA from a community college. It's a commuter school and that's exactly what he will do.

OP, if you truly don't have a plan and just want to live in CA and don't care where I'd suggest Chico or Sonoma from that list. Gotta consider living expenses and Chico especially is a neat little college town.

But have a plan and a specific degree in mind. It's really an expensive way to just get a chance of scenery.