Walnut Creek...Friendly Place to Live? (Oakland, Orange: health insurance, high school, organic)

[zachm35]

My wife and I are considering a move to Walnut Creek, and would like to know what the local "vibe" is, and whether it's considered by residents as a friendly place to live. We're currently in an area that is decidedly unfriendly and cold...I mean these people are downright rude and insensitive.

We need to be in an area where people aren't afraid to talk to each other. We also need top-notch medical, with doctors who actually give a hoot about their patients.

Thanks for your input!

[jade408]

I always found people in Dublin to be pretty friendly. I might try there.

I definitely think it is a lot harder to make friends in the "burbs."

Alameda is very friendly as well.

[Ruth4Truth]

Where do you live now, that it's unfriendly and the docs are indifferent? Are you talking about someplace in the Bay Area, or are you out of state? "Indifferent" describes nearly every doctor I've ever worked with, in 3 states! It's simply the nature of the insurance-based medical system in the US. To get doctors who are knowledgeable and who care, you have to go outside of the insurance system. Though I hear Kaiser's pretty good.

My experience is that Berkeley is friendly. Walnut Creek--not so much.
But your mileage may vary.

[EclecticEars]

Oakland, Alameda, and much of the inner East Bay is friendlier and more down to Earth than pretty much anywhere else in the Bay Area. (However, Berkeley, not always so friendly.) You might also like Morgan Hill/Gilroy, Sonoma County and Solano County.

However, I've personally never found the Walnut Creek, Danville and San Ramon areas of the outer East Bay to be friendly at all. In fact, quite snooty and "tense."

Interestingly, I got back from L.A. and Orange County just yesterday; I didn't find the snobbery in Newport Beach (as snobby as it can be, and I've been there enough times) to be any worse than much of what I've encountered in the Bay Area.

[Ruth4Truth]

If the OP is looking for "friendly" and good medical, what about some parts of Marin County? What about Fairfax (relatively affordable, on a Marin scale), Novato, and around there?

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

If the OP is looking for "friendly" and good medical, what about some parts of Marin County? What about Fairfax (relatively affordable, on a Marin scale), Novato, and around there?

I would think that North Marin, which you're pointing out, would be very similar to Sonoma. So, yeah, he can look there, too.

[sav858]

As someone who actually grew up in Walnut Creek and still lives in the area (just moved to Pleasant Hill from WC a few months ago) I found it to be a friendly place overall with great sense of community, I never felt it was less friendly than other parts that's for sure. Plus you don't have that thug element like you do with the inner East Bay.

If most of one's experience with Walnut Creek is its downtown shopping, dining, and entertainment scene I can see how one might think it's snooty, well because it kind of is. But realize most of the most people patronizing businesses in DT WC are from the surrounding, wealthier towns like Danville, Alamo, Lamorinda, etc.. WC isn't big or wealthy enough to support all those businesses.

So for actually LIVING in WC, I found families and people overall friendly and they form long term friendships. Most people I knew in High school or earlier or still friends with each other, the parents are friends, etc.. My mom and step dad are raising my three younger siblings there and are all friendly with the neighbors and other parents. I feel it's a pretty socially active and friendly community overall.

Walnut Creek has everything you're looking for so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for you.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by zachm35

My wife and I are considering a move to Walnut Creek, and would like to know what the local "vibe" is, and whether it's considered by residents as a friendly place to live. We're currently in an area that is decidedly unfriendly and cold...I mean these people are downright rude and insensitive.

We need to be in an area where people aren't afraid to talk to each other. We also need top-notch medical, with doctors who actually give a hoot about their patients.

Thanks for your input!

I haven't lived in WC, but I've been there numerous times. I found people to be friendly and the city is very quaint and well kept. It would be my first choice to live in the East Bay. The weather is mild during the winter and warm/hot in the summer. There is plenty of sunshine, restaurants and stops. I don't know about the medical situation, but I'd be shocked if it was worse than average. You should definitely check it out.

[zachm35]

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies.

We currently live in Orange County, CA (Newport Beach, specifically), and find that over the last 15 years we've been here, things have gone downhill, as far as personal interaction, attitudes, and the medical situation. There are people here who have a very "entitlement" attitude, and we don't want to replicate that when we move. We need a more genuine experience.

What we like about the idea of Walnut Creek is that it's a decent commute to SF, and has a reputation for safety, culture, etc. So, I appreciate the comments from sav858, who grew up in the area. But I wonder what it might be like for a over-40's couple (no kids) moving in from Southern California, with no connections. Would there be a similar struggle to make connections, like there is down here?

Also important, we've noticed that WC is known for organic restaurants...is there an environmental sensibility there? Here in Orange County, they indiscriminently spray pesticides everywhere...we call it "the perfection connection"...without regard to human (or animal) safety. Every park, every mall, every Homeonwner's Association...you name it, they spray it. We've simply got to get to a town where there is some understanding of the environmental impact we have on the earth.

Thanks again everyone - great answers...keep 'em coming!

[rkwalton]

Originally Posted by zachm35

My wife and I are considering a move to Walnut Creek, and would like to know what the local "vibe" is, and whether it's considered by residents as a friendly place to live. We're currently in an area that is decidedly unfriendly and cold...I mean these people are downright rude and insensitive.

We need to be in an area where people aren't afraid to talk to each other. We also need top-notch medical, with doctors who actually give a hoot about their patients.

Thanks for your input!

For that be ready talk to locals, look at reviews and forums. Be ready to commute if that awesome doctor is in Lafayette and you're not. It's as simple as that.

I'm lucky that although I work for myself and I have health insurance. It's not cheap but I'm an insulin dependent diabetic, so access to health care for me is essential because managing type 1 is so expensive. With that said, when I lived in Berkeley I found a GREAT ob/gyn. It was a 10 minute walk, max from where i lived in Berkeley. Now that I'm back in the city, I'm keeping her in spite of the distance. I'm sure there are some great ones in the city itself but I'd have to go through the trouble of finding them. My current one and her team are responsive and caring (except for that one rude receptionist...I think every office has one. )

Even within medical systems your mileage may vary. I sometimes meet with a group of type 1 diabetics and we talk about our health issues and just life in general. One person in Kaiser will love their doctor and another will have another doctor that she hates, but is stuck with for whatever reason. (I'm not a Kaiser patient, BTW, just using it as an example.) One person will have a great endo and another is shopping around for one.

If one or both of you have a specific condition, try to find online groups that focus on them, and ask the people there. They'll be able to give you the best advice.

Good luck.

I like downtown Walnut Creek for the shopping and the food that much is for sure.