Relocating to SF bay area, any suggestions about places? (Oakland: apartment complexes, foreclosures)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by clongirl

FYI...Lafayette is a 25 minute BART ride...not 45.

It's about 25 minutes just from Rockridge. From Lafayette it's longer.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

It's about 25 minutes just from Rockridge. From Lafayette it's longer.

That's odd....I actually live here. I take BART into the City frequently...my husband works in the City also and takes BART. [Mod cut]

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by clongirl

That's odd....I actually live here. I take BART into the City frequently...my husband works in the City also and takes BART. Where exactly do you live?

Just to keep things fact-based, it's 30 minutes from Lafayette to the Embarcadero (the first SF stop).

You're both wrong, but Clongirl is certainly much closer [Mod cut]
Walnut Creek to the Embarcadero (SF) is 35 minutes.

BART schedule: http://www.bart.gov/schedules/bystation.aspx

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by clongirl

That's odd....I actually live here. I take BART into the City frequently...my husband works in the City also and takes BART. [Mod cut]

Rockridge, when I"m in the Bay Area. It's about 25 mins. from Rockridge to Powell, the station the OP may be using, if he'll be working around SoMa.

[the12ronin]

Originally Posted by EDX30

Hi,

I'm relocating to the bay area from Argentina. Will be working in SF south of Downtown, I'm moving in with my wife and my two kids (6 and 4). If you can give me ideas into neighborhoods I should be looking at, I'm open to both the city or something more suburban or rural, what I'm looking for are good public schools.
My budget is around 3 to 3.5 k a month for a 3 bed place.
So far I have heard (not sure if is affordable so please your comments are welcome) of:
Burlingame
Millbrae
San Mateo
Piedmont
Lafayette
Moraga
Orinda
Walnut Creek
Alamo
Dublin
Pleasanton



As you may see the list is way too long (and not sure if all affordable) so if you can give information/comments/personal experiences it would be very helpful.

I highly recommend burlingame/Millbrae. I lived out there for a couple of months, and it really was SO nice to have the slower pace and easier living as opposed to something closer ot the city proper.

The beauty of the area is that it's far out enough to disassociate itself from the helter-skelter of city life(not to mention the ridiculous prices on everything, it's cheap enough to live comfortably, and it DOES have the BART running to it. Yes, it is the last stop, BUT, it really is a quick ride into downtown with the limited stops. Would serve your needs perfectly. I strongly suggest looking into the area. You will get great bang for your buck re your family and the house.

Re: the living expenses, the woman I stayed with had a GORGEOUS one bed for 900/mo.

[ZorbaTheGeek]

[Mod cut: this post has been deleted]
[Mod cut: reply to post that has been deleted] Personally, I'd vote for Alameda, Lafayette or WC to the OP, school-wise, and the latter two are good semi-rural-wise. OP should visit the areas if possible, or check out vids on youtube. OP might also be up for Palo Alto, if his budget can handle it. Primo, primo place for the high-end crowd. Tree-lined streets, fine Cali mediterranean residential architecture, a rarified world. Best schools. There's def something to be said for being on the peninsula south of San Fran, vs. commuting across the Bay. You're that much closer to the ocean, too, if that's a priority. Kids dig the ocean!

If I may throw my chips into the BART debate, I personally have clocked 35 mins. from the time I sit down on the train in Lafayette to the time I arrive in downtown SF (= Powell Stn. for the record), and the schedule posted is down with that timing. Anyone saying it's only 25 mins. from Lafayette is providing misinfo., that's reality. 'Nuff said. Movin' on---

Now that we've examined and cross-examined the commute time from Lafayette, maybe some kind soul could similarly provide info on the commute from San Mateo, Burlingame and Palo Alto to SF.

[mayorhaggar]

I think the main question is where the OP's job is exactly..."south of downtown?" So is it closer to the Caltrain terminus station, or closer to the BART stations on Market?

3.5k should be fine (so long as he/she is ok with an apartment) in the East Bay or da Peninsula, but I'd pick one or the other based on the commute. If you work in southern SOMA near the ballpark, riding Caltrain is awesome, but having to get down there from BART really sucks. And if you work near Market, BART rules but Caltrain drools.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by clongirl

FYI...Lafayette is a 25 minute BART ride...not 45.

Lafayette to Powell = exactly 35 minutes according to the published Bart schedule. The trains come every 15 minutes so the wait time will average out to 7.5 minutes. Add in maybe a 2.5 minute walk from one's car to the train platform. 35 + 7.5 + 2.5 =45. I say 45 minutes is a perfectly accurate estimate of the real travel time.

[EDX30]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

I think the main question is where the OP's job is exactly..."south of downtown?" So is it closer to the Caltrain terminus station, or closer to the BART stations on Market?

3.5k should be fine (so long as he/she is ok with an apartment) in the East Bay or da Peninsula, but I'd pick one or the other based on the commute. If you work in southern SOMA near the ballpark, riding Caltrain is awesome, but having to get down there from BART really sucks. And if you work near Market, BART rules but Caltrain drools.

Thanks for your comments. To be more exact I'm very close - two blocks from the last CAL Train station - and a bit further away of Powell St. BART Station, but still within walking distance. I'm close to the Ball Park.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by EDX30

Thanks for your comments. To be more exact I'm very close - two blocks from the last CAL Train station - and a bit further away of Powell St. BART Station, but still within walking distance. I'm close to the Ball Park.

With that knowledge in mind, I would also really suggest looking at the Peninsula and the cities with major Caltrain stops. Some to look at are (from North to South): Millbrae (also has a BART stop), Burlingame (frequency of trains is limited), San Mateo, Hillsdale, Belmont/San Carlos. You listed Millbrae, Burlingame, and San Mateo on your list.

Caltrain is pretty great to ride. It's comfortable, bikes are allowed on all trains (so you can bike to/from the station), is incredibly precise in its on-time rating, and is much faster than driving into the city during commute times. This is especially true for Baby Bullet (express) trains that will get you from San Mateo to 4th and King (SF) in 21 minutes, or Millbrae to SF in 18 minutes.

I take the train from San Mateo southbound daily to Palo Alto, and I've saved so much in gas...and my commute is much more pleasant than fighting through traffic (can work on board, read a book, or just relax/unwind after the day). The only main downside to Caltrain is that there are occasional accidents because it is not completely grade-seperated from traffic/pedestrians. This rarely affects commute-time trains (I've found most of these occur late at night), but they happen. They seem to only affect my commute 1-2 times a year, but others might have a different experience. It's not incredibly common, though.

caltrain.com
Weekday Timetable

Of the towns you listed, I prefer San Mateo the most (although they're all nice). It has the best balance between commute, walkability/things to do (best downtown on the peninsula, in my opinion), affordability (compared to surrounding cities, it is more affordable), weather (it's south of the fog belt), and proximity to outdoors activities. These are the main reasons I chose to live there, after all (I live in downtown San Mateo).

Based on your budget of 3-3.5k, I think you could find something in the area. Stay on the west side of 101 as that is the nicest side of San Mateo.

Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot about the school system, but others might chime in. I know Burlingame's schools are considered better overall, but you do pay more for them. I think Millbrae is comparable to San Mateo, but I'm not certain on that. San Mateo is a pretty big town, so depending on the area will also affect the school and how good/not good it is.