Danville vs Los Altos/Los Altos Hills (school district, median income)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I work in Palo Alto at a venture capital firm and always go to colleagues homes in those places for work and/or leisure, and definitely their most upscale areas win, but overall the Danville area doesnt have flat areas that are noticeably less affluent.

San Ramon, Danville, Blackhawk, Camino Tassajara, Diablo, Alamo, Norris Canyon, Lafayette, Moraga & Orinda encompass an area that feels way larger and more spread out and dont even come into contact with places considered undesirable-like you should hear my coworkers rants about EPA and Redwood City, I roll my eyes.

The only sliver along 680 from Fremont to Walnut Creek that locals consider lesser is this part of Dublin that isnt even bad, just less upscale.

Otherwise, the 680/24 corridor is the most idyllic suburban setting in NorCal imo. It's interesting that their high schools almost all have 900+ API whereas the Peninsula has only a few, both in Palo Alto.

So there I was living in a rental near El Camino (e.g. MV border) in Los Altos. This was over 20 years ago, back during the peak of the gang action of yore. It was a mere few blocks to the Showers Drive hood. I would actually hear an AR or AK going off now and again. Clearly a place like Los Altos (Los Altos, not Los Altos Hills) is a more urban "close in" type setting than the true burb type setting of "The Big C." That is the allure. You can walk to CalTrain, you can grab a bus, you can find a late night resto easily, etc.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

Also, Los Altos isn't really close to the coast. You're at least 45 min from either Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, which is marginally closer to the coast than Danville is from Stinson Beach.

Once you get to that point on the Peninsula, going West is just as easy as going South. I believe HMB is closer to Los Altos than Santa Cruz.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by sav858

This is such BS, I don't know what hippy, dippy community you grew up in the Bay Area but it's pretty common for residents of better off communities to look down upon or at least look at not as highly at the more more "low-brow"/working class areas. I've seen people in the Penninsula/SF/Marin look down upon the entire East Bay in general. Many residents of Danville/WC look down upon places like Concord, Antioch, Pittsburg, etc..or at the very least not equal to where they live. I highly doubt the Penninsula and South Bay is any different, you find this attitude EVERYWHERE. Just because some friends come have dinner at your place doesn't mean they don't consider you community below theirs in exclusivity or niceness or whatever. If anything newer transplants are probably less aware of the differences than natives or long time residents.

Some people in Danville/Blackhawks/Alamo call Dublin ghetto. Happened when my sister was in high school when the Monte Vista kids came over. That does tell you a lot about the surrounding area if Dublin is gritty.


I am on my phone, please forgive the typos.

[wave9x]

I don't feel proximity to "grit" has anything to do with desirability, it just means you are situated in more urban setting. For example, Beverly Hills and Pacific Heights are close to "grit" but are among the most desirable of areas. Having nothing urban around generally means you are someplace remote, which to me is a negative rather than a positive.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by jade408

Some people in Danville/Blackhawks/Alamo call Dublin ghetto. Happened when my sister was in high school when the Monte Vista kids came over. That does tell you a lot about the surrounding area if Dublin is gritty.

This is my experience as well with people I know.

[HDL]

To me they are both great areas with plenty of positives. If you can afford a decent home in either area, you can't go wrong. I believe you'll get more bang for the buck in Danville though. Los Altos/LAH is more of an 'old money' town vs from what I've seen, Danville is mainly 'new money'. That's just my opinion though and I have no concrete stats to back that statement up.

I'm currently in LAH which gives us some gorgeous views of the bay (in some areas of the city). You can't get that kind of view in Danville. Now I can't speak to the issue of schools, but to me folks should live close to where they work and play. I'm a hop, skip and a jump from some of the best high tech firms in the world and next store to Stanford University. You won't find that same closeness to as many high tech firms or prestigious colleges in Danville. As far as hiking and biking trails, both areas have some pretty nice parks and trails, so this would be more of a toss up as to which area is better.

I find Los Altos to be more 'urbanized', LAH rather country, and Danville is more 'suburban' (like Stepford wifes or Desparate Housewifes )! All are somewhat different, but each has plenty of charm and positives once you get around the exorbitant housing costs.

But what's right for me, may be totally wrong for you ! I could live in either place and be happy as long as I found good housing I could afford. Each person's MMV .

Originally Posted by traveller123

which has a better downtown/town square?
which has better schools?
Better weather (as far is I know the bay area has microclimates so that's why I was wondering this)
Proximity to SF
Proximity to Recreational Activities

Which is a better town overall?

Thanks! Hope you all can help!

[Redwoodmama]

Coming late into this discussion...

I have lived both in Los Altos and Danville. IMHO, they both have their pros and cons. The Blackhawk area of Danville is the most like Los Altos.

Both have expensive areas, but I haven't seen a house under $1million dollars in Los Altos. The $1million dollar houses are usually tiny and on smaller lots. Danville has houses in the $700K to over $1million range. Danville has a lot of HOAs, so that may or may not be your thing.

I don't know that Danville is any friendlier than Los Altos. In both places, people tend to cluster together - in LA it's which country club you belong to, in DV it's which HOA you belong to. Both have their social clubs - swim club, sports clubs, country clubs, religious clubs, etc. There are good and bad places in both towns. Downtown Los Altos is bigger than downtown Danville, but downtown Danville is undergoing renovation.

Danville is definitely hotter than Los Altos!! No doubt about it, but still not as hot as Livermore.

Los Altos is more culturally diverse than Danville, but that also can vary depending on what part of Danville you are in.

Schools vary depending on which school your children attend. There is a lot more pressure in Los Altos on the kids. It's Silicon Valley, so there are a lot of high-strung parents. Ironically, the school in DV that my children attended was more technically advanced than in LA. Danville seems to focus a lot on sports.

Shopping-wise...they aren't too different from each other. In Los Altos, you head to Palo Alto or Mtn. View for most of the shopping. For Danville, you head to Walnut Creek or Dublin.

Activity wise - Los Altos tends to be more technology minded. There is Rancho San Antonio for hiking, or anywhere along the peninsula. Danville has Mt Diablo and several nearby reservoirs. A quick shot up to WC gets you to BART to get to SF.

If you can afford Los Altos Hills, that would be my first choice. Otherwise, it's just a matter of preference.


Note: the above is my observation and opinion of having lived in both places. I'm not saying that I'm right or wrong, just my musings.

[Justme909]

Danville is much friendlier.

Danville is a much better place to raise kind, intelligent, thoughtful children who care about others and not just about themselves.

[marcopolo666]

Originally Posted by Justme909

Danville is a much better place to raise kind, intelligent, thoughtful children who care about others and not just about themselves.

What do you base this statement on?

[Maceart]

Both of these cities are quite comparable. Danville gets you a much bigger house for your money though.

If you work in the Silicon Valley, Los Altos is it. Shorter commute and no bridges to cross.

If you work in the East Bay, Danville is it. Large house, excellent school district and warmer weather.