Are the "Pleasant Hill/ Concord" and "Bay Point/ Pittsburg" areas good or bad? (Walnut Creek: apartment complex, high crime)

[TravelerD]

What is your opinion of the "Pleasant Hill/ Concord" area and the "Bay Point/ Pittsburg area"? How is it different from the rest of the Bay Area? I'm familiar with most of the Bay Area, but have never actually driven way out there... How is the crime out there? Is it safe? Are there many employment opportunities? What are the people like there? And what is the weather like?

I'm curious what the area is like. I'm not currently in the Bay Area, but hope to move back sometime around the end of the year... Thanks.

[sav858]

I would avoid Pittsburg/Bay Point. High crime and lack of jobs so you'll have to commute.

Pleasant Hill is pretty nice imo. Concord is more mixed. More jobs in the vicinity of Concord/PH and it's better connected with several BART stations.

It's one of the warmer parts of the Bay Area, summer temps range from 80-95 usually.

[DocGoldstein]

All of those places are okay and relatively safe. Pleasant Hill probably has the best schools.

Pittsburg is a long commute to the city, so make sure you have a job close by.

[ttocs99]

Pleasant Hill is a really nice town, beautiful area, and really safe. Concord is mixed as far as it has some great areas, and some bad areas. Pittsburgh and Bay Point are not the nicest areas in the East Bay. I would definitely take Pleasant Hill over any of the cities listed.

[ccm123]

I agree, Pleasant Hill would be my first choice, then Concord.

[llowllevellowll]

It depends what you're looking for.

There are reasons to believe that Pittsburg is a good investment being that it had such a stigma (thus prices are low), but has recently seen a dramatic revitalization of Old Town Business District, and it's on track to get another BART station as BART extends east toward Oakley and Brentwood. If you're on a budget or you're looking to get into income properties, I like Pittsburg and parts of Concord.

Concord rents out extraordinarily well, and there are good deals to be had. If you're looking for you and your family and you have a larger housing budget, Concord has some pretty gorgeous neighborhoods, especially as parts sit adjacent to Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, and Clayton. You'd have no idea you weren't still in those cities.

Pleasant Hill has the best schools and location, but you'll also pay more for it.

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by Parti Rhinocéros

It depends what you're looking for.

There are reasons to believe that Pittsburg is a good investment being that it had such a stigma (thus prices are low), but has recently seen a dramatic revitalization of Old Town Business District, and it's on track to get another BART station as BART extends east toward Oakley and Brentwood.

I also like Concord because it rents extraordinarily well, and there are good deals to be had. There are some pretty gorgeous neighborhoods, especially as parts sit adjacent to Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, and Clayton. You'd have no idea you weren't still in those cities.

Pleasant Hill has the best schools and location, but you'll also pay more for it.

Concord used to be an extremely good value (rental) about 1-2 years ago if you were lucky to buy some SFHs.

I also agree that Pittsburg has a bad reputation but isn't as bad as people say.

[irishman_irl]

I have lived in Pleasant Hill for over 3 years, its getting worse IMHO - police sirens overnight now, more home invasions, cops patrolling local trails during the day, significantly more car break-in's now (in our apartment complex) - there is a more seedy / low-life element moving into PH, especially over the last 18 months or so it has been very noticeable. I wish this was not so, but just my 0.02

[ttocs99]

Originally Posted by irishman_irl

I have lived in Pleasant Hill for over 3 years, its getting worse IMHO - police sirens overnight now, more home invasions, cops patrolling local trails during the day, significantly more car break-in's now (in our apartment complex) - there is a more seedy / low-life element moving into PH, especially over the last 18 months or so it has been very noticeable. I wish this was not so, but just my 0.02

I'm sorry to hear that, Pleasant Hill was one of my favorite areas in the East Bay (I lived in Walnut Creek).

[aslowdodge]

Since we are on the subject, what areas of Pittsburg are deemed to be okay?