Pacifica or San Bruno? Young with Kids. (San Francisco, San Mateo: rentals, houses)

[sonarrat]

I always laughed at those Archstone apartments. Not only does the SFO air traffic go RIGHT over them, they're also right next to a busy freeway interchange, with a state highway on the other side. I lived a few blocks away on Alida Way in SSF at the time. The planes are really really loud! If you think it will bother you, you'll definitely prefer the place in Pacifica.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by havestar

Thanks everyone! If Walnut Creek is that hot, I'm definitely staying out of there. LOL We're coming from Texas and I absolutely HATE the heat!

It is definitely not hot in the same way as Texas. You can go outside when it is 90. Dry heat makes a difference. Warm, but tolerable.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Walnut Creek is 45 minutes to 24th and Mission on BART and costs $4.90 each way. San Bruno to 24th and Mission is about 20 minutes and costs $3.65 each way. I think the trains running through Walnut Creek are more frequent than the trains that run south of Colma but I could be wrong.

Walnut Creek should be pretty affordable depending on your budget, it gets HOT there though in the summer, like 90's and 100's. Lafayette and Orinda are a bit cooler and closer to SF on BART and I'm not sure they'd be any cheaper to rent in than the San Bruno area.

Alameda is closer but you'd have to figure out a way to get to Fruitvale BART station then it's a pretty quick ride into SF, about 25 minutes and it costs $3.75 per trip.

Check the BART site for transit times and fare info:

BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit

From Alameda, you can also take transit to the BART. The 51 bus goes to Fruitvale and 12th St BART, and depending on what side of the island you live in either can be a fast trip. (This bus follows the route you would like drive to the BART). Alameda is one of my favorite Bay Area cities for families. It is really walkable/bike-able. Lots of parks and in recent years the restaurant scene is good too. Oh, great weather too. Add about 3 degrees to the Oakland temperatures.

[Jasmine658]

Fairmont also features better architecture - the Henry Doelger Homes, better floor plans than Linda Mar ranchers, and can have gorgeous views of ocean, that are hard to get in Linda Mar neighborhood. It's just that some people are not fog tolerant. The fog in Pacifica is nothing like the ground fog in Texas where you must pull over since can't see a thing. It's ocean fog, and if wear high def glass (yellow-tint), you can drive in it fine every time it rolls in without a problem.

[zitsky]

I'll echo what everyone else has said. You'd really like Pacifica. San Bruno is nothing special. In Pacifica, you would be right on top of the beach and could go there every day if you wanted to. Your kids would probably love surfing at Linda Mar Beach.

[LisainCalifornia]

Walnut Creek weather averages in the summer are actually very mild. Here is the weather for summer in Walnut Creek:

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

It is nothing like Texas heat! And certainly no humidity to speak of.

I don't live there, but work very near there in Lafayette. Walnut Creek/Lafayette/Orinda/Moraga are very known for their great schools--so the areas can be pricey to live in. Especially Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda--it costs MUCH more to live there than Pacifica or San Bruno. Beautiful areas though--with great green space and trails. We own a home in Moraga, and it is a great place to live.

Pacifica is different--it is foggy there a lot, and the schools are not very good. We have had several friends who bought in Pacifica and later moved due to the school situation. I personally don't mind fog and I love rain (I lived in S.F. for 15 years--and we bought our first home there)--but Pacifica is even a little too dreary for me, and that is saying something. I house sat there for one month for a freind, and that was enough for me.

San Bruno has the issue with Plane noise that is pretty dramatic.

There are other areas in the south bay that you may look into. Start another thread about informtion about the So. San Francisco or the South Bay.

Lisa

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by LisainCalifornia

Pacifica is different--it is foggy there a lot, and the schools are not very good. We have had several friends who bought in Pacifica and later moved due to the school situation.

Pacifica schools range from 7 to 9 in API scores. Since when does this equal not very good? 5 or under could be not very good. A school ranked 7,8 or 9 can be an excellent choice for many students instead of a high pressure "10" ranked school.

Originally Posted by LisainCalifornia

I personally don't mind fog and I love rain (I lived in S.F. for 15 years--and we bought our first home there)--but Pacifica is even a little too dreary for me, and that is saying something. I house sat there for one month for a freind, and that was enough for me.

They should have followed this excellent advice:

Originally Posted by Jasmine658

Park Pacifica & Linda Mar Valley near San Pedro Park have best weather, near perfect.

In Pacifica the perfect weather begins where the freeway ends.

[LisainCalifornia]

Originally Posted by capoeira

Pacifica schools range from 7 to 9 in API scores. Since when does this equal not very good? 5 or under could be not very good. A school ranked 7,8 or 9 can be an excellent choice for many students instead of a high pressure "10" ranked school.



They should have followed this excellent advice:



In Pacifica the perfect weather begins where the freeway ends.

My friends actually did live in Linda Mar. It is really pretty there when the sun does shine, but there are some other issues with land movement and mold and mildew (just due to the moist conditions) that was frustrating to them. Since it is an area so close to San Francisco, it would seem to be prime real estate, but that isn't so for a variety of reasons.

The schools at the elementary and middle school level are pretty good--it is the high school where my friend started to have problems. I realize that the numbers don't mean everything, and that really wasn't what I was referring to.

I know some people love Pacifica--but it does have some unusual challenges going on that many of us that live in the Bay Area know about. It is a working class town with some unique, rocky landscape along the coast--but there are some issues with the town. I hope I did not offend with my opinion.

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

I always laughed at those Archstone apartments. Not only does the SFO air traffic go RIGHT over them, they're also right next to a busy freeway interchange, with a state highway on the other side. I lived a few blocks away on Alida Way in SSF at the time. The planes are really really loud! If you think it will bother you, you'll definitely prefer the place in Pacifica.

Isn't that the complex right by I-380 and Tanforan Shopping Center? If that's the one, yeah, it's got great transport access but very busy.

[Jasmine658]

If you love fresh air, hiking, the ocean, wildlife (we see deer every day & always have hummingbirds at our feeder!), the beach, friendly people, all good schools that are fully rebuilt & not decrepit like in most surrounding school districts, then choose Pacifica. If like being near airport, Caltrain, lots of restaurants, gas line problems in the area where the nice homes & fog are, then San Bruno is the one to pick.

We love Pacifica & the drive into and out of SF is very easy, and we never hit traffic since we don't feed into Hwy 101, only using 280. We do burn a bit more gas, as we are driving over mountains all the time. But the view - wow, the mountains, the sea, etc...gorgeous.