Danville vs Los Altos/Los Altos Hills (Fremont, Concord: rental, HOA)

[wave9x]

My vote goes to Los Altos. Top schools, perfect weather, upscale downtown, beautiful houses, lots of greenery and hills, low crime, easy access to all of Silicon Valley, close to vast state parks and the coast. Not much to dislike except for the cost of housing, which reflects how coveted a place it is to live. No way I would live in Danville, it is much too remote for me.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by wave9x

My vote goes to Los Altos. Top schools, perfect weather, upscale downtown, beautiful houses, lots of greenery and hills, low crime, easy access to all of Silicon Valley, close to vast state parks and the coast. Not much to dislike except for the cost of housing, which reflects how coveted a place it is to live. No way I would live in Danville, it is much too remote for me.

Danville has top schools, is sunnier, has an upscale downtown, beautiful houses, lots of greenery and hills and low crime, and is farther away from crime and grit. The Danville area is almost too perfect, too idyllic.

Ironically the incessant bragging about how much more expensive Los Altos is precisely what tips the scales in Danville's favor, which is just hilarious.

[wave9x]

Like I said, Danville isn't for me, it is too isolated. Walnut Creek is the most exciting thing in a 20+ mile radius. I like Walnut Creek, I lived there, but much prefer being closer to a large population center. Los Altos is within 20 miles of 9 or more cities that are the size of Walnut Creek or larger, from San Mateo to Palo Alto to San Jose, plus a major university. Some people like being away from it all, but I am not one of them. Also, I don't like being that far inland, I prefer being near the coast with more mild weather. Btw, I don't live in Los Altos but given the choice, would choose it over Danville.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by wave9x

Like I said, Danville isn't for me, it is too isolated. Walnut Creek is the most exciting thing in a 20+ mile radius. I like Walnut Creek, I lived there, but much prefer being closer to a large population center. Los Altos is within 20 miles of 9 or more cities that are the size of Walnut Creek or larger, from San Mateo to Palo Alto to San Jose, plus a major university. Some people like being away from it all, but I am not one of them. Also, I don't like being that far inland, I prefer being near the coast with more mild weather. Btw, I don't live in Los Altos but given the choice, would choose it over Danville.

I really don't know if being around a lot of small to mid sized towns is a huge draw. Yes, Palo Alto is very nice, but so is Walnut Creek. Also, its not like SJ is exactly a destination city for those in Los Altos. It is generally too low brow. If someone in Los Altos wants the urban experience, they'll generally head to SF, as would someone in Danville. You're closer to Stanford in Los Altos, but you're closer to Berkeley in Danville (within 20 miles). Both of them are upscale suburban outposts and people move there because they want the family life, not because they want to be in the heart of all of the action.

Yes, Los Altos may be closer to a few nicer downtowns, but how many do you need when you're within an easy drive to SF?

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.

The weather is cooler in Los Altos, but that can be a pro or a con, depending upon your perspective. Don't get me wrong, I think Los Altos is nice, but I don't think it is dramatically better than Danville.

[Local123]

SJ is too low brow? I don't get it. I have plenty of friends on the Peninsula come and visit San Jose. Can I ask if you grew up here? Maybe it's just that you don't have real connections in the area. Our friends from SF on down to us in SJ are happy to come our way. This attitude seems super "new to the area" to me.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by Local123

SJ is too low brow? I don't get it. I have plenty of friends on the Peninsula come and visit San Jose. Can I ask if you grew up here? Maybe it's just that you don't have real connections in the area. Our friends from SF on down to us in SJ are happy to come our way. This attitude seems super "new to the area" to me.

Wow, you really think you know me, don't you? San Jose is a fine place, but you're missing the point of the argument here. This is about which city is more exclusive (Danville vs Los Altos) and mine was just a response to someone stating that Danville was too remote. My argument was just that both cities are in suburbs and that one of the ultra wealthy residents of Los Altos likely does not consider San Jose a destination city.

[Local123]

It just doesn't sound like you are from here that's all. Sounds like the perspective of someone who doesn't have roots here so you are wrapped up in the superficial. Our friends from Palo Alto came down for dinner last night. They seemed happy enough to me to make SJ their "destination" for at least the evening. Rather than playing these who is more "exclusive" wars we should just appreciate what each city has to offer. That to me is how "real" Bay Area people operate. I am not missing any point. Maybe you are. ;o)

[charmed59]

I lived in Los Altos for many years, raised two children there, and it's the perfect bucolic family town. There were actually houses with white picket fences on my street. The schools there are rated very, very good. The elementary district was, and may still be rated the top district in the state.

Most parts of Los Altos are walkable. Something like 90% of the students in Los Altos are within a mile of their school. Between Rancho, Downtown Los Altos, Blossom Hill center in Mountain View and the retail on San Antonio, most residents can walk or bike to grocery shopping or dinner.

Downtown Los Altos is a great family downtown. There is still an independent toy store and an independent children's book store down there. They've been adding more and more family friendly businesses. After living there 15 years it was tough to walk down the main street without running into folks you know. They close the main street area several times a year, for an art and wine festival, the cutest christmas parade you've ever seen, a pet parade for all the children and their pets, and the home coming parade for the local high school. It really is as close to Mayberry as you will find in the SF bay area.

As mentioned before, the location is great for commuting and recreation. I used to bike through the foothills from my house. There is a fairly famous cycling loop on Portola Road that is easily accessible from Los Altos.

I don't know much about Danville. It could be very much the same. I had one friend that moved her family from Danville to Los Altos. She felt Danville was not diverse enough, and seemed to think there was a lot of pressure to stay young looking via plastic surgery.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by wave9x

Like I said, Danville isn't for me, it is too isolated. Walnut Creek is the most exciting thing in a 20+ mile radius. I like Walnut Creek, I lived there, but much prefer being closer to a large population center. Los Altos is within 20 miles of 9 or more cities that are the size of Walnut Creek or larger, from San Mateo to Palo Alto to San Jose, plus a major university. Some people like being away from it all, but I am not one of them. Also, I don't like being that far inland, I prefer being near the coast with more mild weather. Btw, I don't live in Los Altos but given the choice, would choose it over Danville.

listen I rejoice in your freedom to an opinion, but the whole better schools, upscale downtown, greenery and parks argument doesnt work as Danville's schools are arguably better, the city has a very nice and upscale historic downtown, and is awash in greenery and parks and hills.

And as I said, the entire 680/24 corridor Walnut Creek and points west and south to the Sunol Grade is probably the most idyllic stretch of suburbia perhaps on the entire west coast, totally grit free and extremely prosperous.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Local123

It just doesn't sound like you are from here that's all. Sounds like the perspective of someone who doesn't have roots here so you are wrapped up in the superficial. Our friends from Palo Alto came down for dinner last night. They seemed happy enough to me to make SJ their "destination" for at least the evening. Rather than playing these who is more "exclusive" wars we should just appreciate what each city has to offer. That to me is how "real" Bay Area people operate. I am not missing any point. Maybe you are. ;o)

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.