Young Professional looking for place to live near Hayward. (San Jose: low crime, movie theater)

[chelstermp]

Hi,

I may have a job opportunity in Hayward and having only lived in SoCal the last few years, I don't know much about the Bay area (other than some brief visits to Berkeley, SF, and San Jose). I'm single, 30 years old, professional, loves nature and outdoor activities, but also likes being close to the "action" and excitement of nearby cities.

I am looking for possible areas to live in (rent) that are within a 30 minute commute to and from work, affordable, safe, and more on the suburban side or urban and close to beautiful parks where I can run with my dog. I don't know what the traffic pattern would be to Hayward coming/going from any direction, so any advice would be helpful.

My checklist for a great area to live in:
-within 15 minutes of a large body of water
-lots of grassy areas...too much concrete, no good for me or my dog ;-)
-parks & hiking trails that aren't overcrowded regularly
-views of water, mountains, hills are always nice
-within 15 minutes of a movie theater, grocery stores, restaurants, bars, downtown, nightlife
-clean, safe, low crime
-mixture of young professionals and families; don't want to live in an area that is all families or I will feel displaced
-an area that isn't traffic ridden...quiet but close enough to civilization and action is good.

Thanks for your help in advance!

[mayorhaggar]

Originally Posted by chelstermp

Hi,


My checklist for a great area to live in:
-within 15 minutes of a large body of water
-lots of grassy areas...too much concrete, no good for me or my dog ;-)
-parks & hiking trails that aren't overcrowded regularly
-views of water, mountains, hills are always nice
-within 15 minutes of a movie theater, grocery stores, restaurants, bars, downtown, nightlife
-clean, safe, low crime
-mixture of young professionals and families; don't want to live in an area that is all families or I will feel displaced
-an area that isn't traffic ridden...quiet but close enough to civilization and action is good.

Thanks for your help in advance!

This just screams Alameda to me. It has a beach on the west side, good for strolling with a dog.