Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I love living in Oakland. Close to everything, a good scene: restaurants and nightlife for people with varied interests and diverse friends. Definitely keep it on your list. It looks like you are a few years out from kids, 10 years from now who knows what'll happen.
Thanks for the advice. Hopefully the commute to Livermore won't be too bad. Thanks for the heads up on service cuts. As long as they keep the rush-hour trains, that's probably when we'll be using it.
Does Oakland, or anywhere nearby, have anywhere with a large percentage of Latino and/or Asian immigrants? Based on past experience, those areas would be more desirable to us. We're used to living in urban LA neighborhoods which are 80-99% Latino with lots of recent immigrants. Anywhere with some nearby Chinese markets would be a big plus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by capoeira
If you are into surfing check out the Linda Mar area of Pacifica. This area is much more sunny than the Northern part of Pacifica. It is a quick under 30 min drive to SF via Highway 1 and 280. It will soon have easy access to Half Moon Bay once the Devil's Slide tunnel is completed. There are probably some homes in the under 500K price category if you can tolerate a 1,000 sq. ft. home.
Fog doesn't bother us, in fact we prefer it cooler and wetter to save on heating/cooling costs, plus it's better for the skin and respiration. (I sound old-fashioned now, huh?) I have already checked out (online) the surf spots, and Linda Mar, Point Pedro, and the whole coastline from Sharp Park on north and around the corner to Fort Point looks decent. I know the beachbreaks there can get really heavy and the paddleout difficult in big winter NWs.
Quote:
The Broadmoor area is in a heavy fog zone but it is convenient for commuters.
This sounds like the place for us. I'm also seeing some 2-3br houses in the 300-450 range.
Quote:
San Mateo is a great option and has one of the best downtowns on the peninsula. It is easy enough to get to Half Moon Bay on the 92 however the real traffic problem is on the weekends,especially any sunny weekend, when everybody on the peninsula wants to go to the beach.
Good to know. If I can sneak out the 92 early on weekday mornings or on gray winter weekends for a session once or twice a week, I'll be happy. Living close to a fun downtown might be worth it.
Quote:
Livermore will be ideal if you like very hot summer temps and want easy access to Target,Walmart and Home Depot (all conveniently located on Las Positas Rd).
Ugh, that's not for us. It sounds like Simi Valley. Again, I'll have to check it out in person, but it really sounds like it's a far second choice to the San Mateo area.
Thanks for the advice. Hopefully the commute to Livermore won't be too bad. Thanks for the heads up on service cuts. As long as they keep the rush-hour trains, that's probably when we'll be using it.
Well sorry, to be more clear Caltrain runs on the peninsula -- San Mateo. This train has the worst hours ever. BART (east bay, SF and parts of Peninisula) run much more frequently. Worst case every 20 minutes on the weekend.
Quote:
Does Oakland, or anywhere nearby, have anywhere with a large percentage of Latino and/or Asian immigrants? Based on past experience, those areas would be more desirable to us. We're used to living in urban LA neighborhoods which are 80-99% Latino with lots of recent immigrants. Anywhere with some nearby Chinese markets would be a big plus.
Oakland has lots of immigrants. Fruitvale is the "latino" district. There is also a very busy residential chinatown. A couple of mini chinatowns all around. And there is a Koreatown as well. Near the Korea town there is a middle eastern district near a mosque with lots of middle eastern groceries and the like. There is also a good sized ethiopian population, and a large concentration of groceries and restaurants. I do not know the percentage of immigrants in Oakland, but there are lots. There is no ethnic majority in Oakland. It is something like 30% African American, 30% white, 20% latino, 20% asian. You can find whatever groceries you want here. The last stat is I saw says there are 90 or 100 languages spoken here. It is about a 45 minute drive to Half Moon Bay, and maybe 30-35 to Pacifica. From many parts of town it is a 20-25 minute transit ride to downtown SF.
Towns on the Peninsula (and Pacifica) are typically less diverse, but there are good numbers of Asian people in areas like Daly City and South SF.
Hm, thanks for the link. Livermore really doesn't sound appealing, but I guess we ought to visit before making any final decisions. We're not into the suburban wine culture at all.
Livermore is a wonderful place, but in the summer it can be somewhat insufferable, and pretty dull if you're single. Livermore doesn't sound like a good fit for you.
Oakland is pretty great and definitely pretty diverse. I think you'd feel comfortable there if you lived in a nice part of it like Rockridge or the nice parts of the Temescal or some other areas. Fruitvale definitely has a lot of Hispanic immigrants but some parts of it are kind of ghetto though still nicer than a lot of parts of Oakland. It reminds me of the Mission in SF but a bit cleaner and with wider streets--lots of Hispanic grocery stores and taquerias. The area around Fruitvale BART has some neat condos nearby, then there's the city of Alameda next to it which has more of a small town feel than Oakland, you could check it out as well. Chinatown next to downtown Oakland has a lot of Asian folks, I'm not sure what other areas of Oakland have a lot of Asians. There's a lot of Korean restaurants on Telegraph in the Temescal though. You can find Asian and Mexican restaurants all over the Bay Area though.
You might want to check out the Dimond District which is north of the Fruitvale area, centered around MacArthur and Fruivale. It has nice housing which is supposedly cheap by Bay Area standards, is less ghetto and dirty than Fruitvale, it seems really middle class to me, and it's very diverse in terms of the people you see shopping there and walking around on the street. Otherwise Oakland can be a little segregated in terms of residential areas.
But as jade says the middle and especially high schools in Oakland are pretty bad so a lot of parents put their kids into private school or move to a suburb with better schools like Walnut Creek or whatever. Albany, Piedmont and Alameda are near Oakland and have better schools and similar weather, or you can go over the hills to Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda/Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill and get good schools and warmer summer weather.
San Mateo County would be the best bet for surfing, but I don't think you would want to bike over the steep hills between the city of San Mateo and the beach. Those hills keep away the fog and cold wind that buffets the coast and keeps the eastern part of San Mateo County sunny and warm when places like Pacifica are chilly and foggy.
Livermore will be ideal if you like very hot summer temps and want easy access to Target,Walmart and Home Depot (all conveniently located on Las Positas Rd).
That's only half truth about Livermore. And yes there are box stores just like any other town in the bay area, but there's also a lovely downtown, lots of trails and beautiful nature all around, including incredible views of the mountains and vineyards. Yes summer are hot, exactly the way summers are supposed to be. I don't know many people that actually "want" a cold summer. Summer time in Livermore is the perfect time to go for a boat ride (or swim) at Del Valle lake or swimming at Shadow Cliffs. And if you have kids, go to the most awesome pool around located at the Livermore community center (Livermore Area Recreation & Park Disctrict)
Livermore might not be a good fit for the OP but it is a great place to raise a family. And since the OP is planning on having a family (believe me it WILL change your life) and a job IN Livermore I thought it would be nice to give enough accurate information about Livermore so the OP can actually make a good decision. Livermore is also within the OP's budget not an easy thing to find in the bay area! However, there are many other wonderful cities in the bay are and I hope the OP finds one that's a good fit. GL!
Hey Sponger - a lot of So Cal folks think they want to be near the beach but when they get here they are disappointed. Our waterfront communities are nothing like yours, in part because - for all but the most stalwart - the water is too dang cold to play in! Also, as Sonarrat pointed out, the weather is cold and foggy year round (SF's nick name is Fog City!). Inland in So Cal isn't as nice, not so here - most of the corporate execs live inland. You can afford a nicer house in Livermore in your budget, not so in the San Mateo area. Livermore isn't on there but you can get a feel for the area near Livermore. Livermore has good schools, a neat downtown and a lot of activities, vineyards, open space and recreation. It would be a nice place to raise a family.
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 02-18-2011 at 04:37 PM..
Reason: TOS violation
Hey Sponger - a lot of So Cal folks think they want to be near the beach but when they get here they are disappointed. Our waterfront communities are nothing like yours, in part because - for all but the most stalwart - the water is too dang cold to play in! Also, as Sonarrat pointed out, the weather is cold and foggy year round (SF's nick name is Fog City!). Inland in So Cal isn't as nice, not so here - most of the corporate execs live inland. You can afford a nicer house in Livermore in your budget, not so in the San Mateo area. Livermore isn't on there but you can get a feel for the area near Livermore. Livermore has good schools, a neat downtown and a lot of activities, vineyards, open space and recreation. It would be a nice place to raise a family.
Anywhere with some nearby Chinese markets would be a big plus.
There are 99 Ranch markets all over the Bay area. There is a big 99 Ranch near the Broadmoor area at Westmoor and Highway 1. They also have a 24 hour Dim Sum place and Porridge King compares with the best places in Monterey Park for Chinese BBQ. There are also two other big Filipino oriented markets in this area(Pacific Supermarket and Manila Oriental Market) and Kukje is a large Korean market.
Millbrae has the most big authentic Dim Sum/Cantonese seafood restaurants on the peninsula. San Mateo has Marina Food for Chinese groceries and a couple Japanese markets. There is also another 99 Ranch in Foster City.
Hey Sponger - a lot of So Cal folks think they want to be near the beach but when they get here they are disappointed. Our waterfront communities are nothing like yours, in part because - for all but the most stalwart - the water is too dang cold to play in! Also, as Sonarrat pointed out, the weather is cold and foggy year round (SF's nick name is Fog City!).
We're the stalwarts, actually. We have a closet full of wetsuits, hoods, and booties. The only matter about the weather is if it's onshore, offshore, or glassy. We count it a good day at the beach if it's 35 degrees and raining because that cuts down on the crowds. Of course, there'll be much less of that with a child, and our family beach-going will probably be limited to sunny summer days. Of course, a great day at the beach would be 90 degrees, glassy, and no crowds, like in, say, the Maldives, but good luck finding that in California.
Livermore certainly sounds like it has positives and negatives, but the most commonly-cited positives aren't really for us. Vineyards and wine culture are really not appealing to us, nor are hot summers like in the San Fernando or Simi Valley or wide open spaces. A walkable community would be great, but Livermore sounds like it's less mixed-use and more residential suburbs separated commercial areas, which implies a lot of driving, or long-range bike rides. It does look like Livermore has some bike lanes and paths. How is the cycling environment? Bus system?
One of us was raised in the very rural countryside and the other in the heart of the city so moving to suburbia to raise our kids in a place who's culture we don't understand or fit doesn't make sense to us. We won't write it off without a visit, though. Thanks for all the helpful comments! Going to the lake sounds fun, and we'll be sure to check out the community pools.
Oakland sounds pretty good, as well as being close to SF and Livermore via metro rail. We'll be sure to check out Fruitvale, the Diamond District, and find Chinatown.
Ha! I haven't been to a 99Ranch in a few years, but that brings back memories of driving all the way to Azusa to go to one!
Again, thanks to everyone who's replied. I read and consider everyone's opinion, and it's really helping get a sense of the area before we visit.
What kind of place do you want to live in: house or apartment or trendy loft? Neighborhood type? Density? There are a bunch of choices, and many recent threads covering some neighborhoods in Oakland. There are a few place that are good for walking: Rockridge, Piedmont Ave, Laskeshore, Temescal, Grand-Lake. Downtown is also pretty walkable (Chinatown is in downtown and near the Lake). Parts of the Dimond and Laurel can be walkable.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
not an easy thing to find in the bay area! However, there are many other wonderful cities in the bay are and I hope the OP finds one that's a good fit. GL!
