Safest areas near Walnut Creek - Advice Please :-) (Sacramento: apartments, rent)

[chillami]

My husband and I are in our 50s (no kids at home YAY!) and we are looking to relocate from Sacramento to the Walnut Creek area. My husband is tired of the commute and I am tired of the crime.

DH wants to live in San Ramon. We are leaving the state within a few years and we won't be buying a house. I can't justify the rent in San Ramon although it looks like a really nice place to live. He wants to stay within 15 minutes of his offices in SR and WC.

Where we live now, there are murders every couple of months. Our home was robbed 6 months after we moved here (while we were home). I want to live somewhere that I can feel safe again We are moving back to Utah within 5 years and we are saving for a home there so I don't want to spend anymore than I have to on rent. In Sacramento, we are paying 1,500 a month for a 1500 SF 4 bedroom house. I am positive we are looking at 1000 more a month (MIN) for 2 bedrooms in the WC area.

Where can we get the most safety and the biggest bang for our dollar and still be within 15-20 minutes from WC? I was hoping to find a little guest house on someone's estate but that's not working ;-)

Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

[clongirl]

Well, there's Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Danville, Concord, Walnut Creek, San Ramon...all of the surrounding towns are all safe. San Ramon is very nice--more families with kids and big new housing estates but there might be some apartments/condos around. You might even want to check out Dublin. It's right next to San Ramon and probably the best choice for location/price. More apartments to choose from too, I believe.

Your main problem (as you already noted) would be your budget. Rents are probably closer to double the amt. you're paying for a 2 bedroom apartment/or condo. Start by checking Craigslist to see what appeals to you. I don't think you could really go wrong with any of the towns mentioned.

[ServoMiff]

Danville would be a good middle ground between the two offices, but expect your rent to double or triple for a decent place of the same size. You pay for the convenience of the area, that's for sure. Traffic kinda sucks on I-680 also, but if he's already commuting that, he probably already knows what he's getting into there.