Comparind San Fran and suburbs to Denever and Boston (living, cost, state)

[mintchip]

My husband and i are considering a move from Boston because we desire a different quality of life. We are hoping to find a vibrant culture with people who are more open and friendly than in Boston. Both of us are quite liberal.

We visited Denver and loved the people, sunshine and milder winters, but it felt much smaller than Boston. The cost of real estate there is a big plus. Also, the overall vibe there is very relaxing.

We're also considering San Francisco, but cost of living is a concern. Are there ANY real estate bargains in safe areas (we've been wondering about North Berkley)? Also, in your experience is it easy to make friends in San Fran?

Any thoughts you can offer about the comparable merits of these three cities (or even other options we might not have considered) would be appreciated.

[Carlite]

What do you consider to be a bargain? Are you willing to live in a two bedroom bungalow, a very common housing type in Berkeley? North Berkeley is certainly cheaper than San Francisco, but not by national standards. I don't know how it compares to Boston prices.

[Natural510]

Berkeley's still pretty expensive, especially North Berkeley, but the schools are good (and progressive). It is rather difficult to make friends in the Bay Area, especially SF proper.

[18Montclair]

North Berkeley is not cheap considering what you get for the money.

The median home price is about $700,000 and that buys you this:
1711 Virginia Street, Berkeley CA - Trulia