Decent commute/decent schools

[ServoMiff]

Originally Posted by jayc123

While Alameda does not have rail access, it has ferry access which is even better. I live in Harbor Bay and work in San Francisco along the Embarcadero. The ferry takes 30 minutes, is never late, and taking a boat to and from work is unbeatable in my opinion.

This really depends on where you live on Alameda. My wife has a friend who lives on the easternmost section of Alameda and commutes in to the Powell BART station - it takes her roughly an hour on BART and a little longer if using the Ferry. It would be a little easier for the ferry if they could find a place to rent on the western side of Alameda.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by loves2quilt

Thank you everyone. I'm curious about something else. We have friends who live in Novato. What would it be like to commute from there to the Embarcadero BART-I know the BART doesn't run there. How would you commute in? How long would it take?

You could live in Marin, and take the ferry to the Embarcadero. But finding something affordable in Marin could be a little challenging, and as is generally true in the Bay Area, you'll need to scale down your space requirements to fit your budget. Novato, also Fairfax, could work for you. From there, you'll have a drive to the ferry, then the roughly 30-min. ferry ride, which people find really relaxing. There's no traffic, and on the way back, there's a bar, for unwinding and socializing. There are also Golden Gate Transit buses for commuters, but the ferry is better.

[Chuck5000]

Getting to the ferry on 101 from Novato in the AM won't be too bad if you leave before 7:30am or so, but the reverse commute would be hairy, depending on time of day. Can you leave work at 3pm? I wouldn't want to do it regularly. Time-wise, it is long, you're looking at over 1 hour at a minimum just to get to Embarcadero, I think. GG transit bus is actually a little slower but you can read. You can look at ferry and bus schedules online. Fairfax is no faster than Novato, and if you have to deal with Francis Drake at rush hour, it's slower.

[kgbnsf]

Originally Posted by ServoMiff

This really depends on where you live on Alameda. My wife has a friend who lives on the easternmost section of Alameda and commutes in to the Powell BART station - it takes her roughly an hour on BART and a little longer if using the Ferry. It would be a little easier for the ferry if they could find a place to rent on the western side of Alameda.

I live on the east end and find access to Harbor Bay Ferry really easy to access. Usually about a 5-10 minute drive (or bike) to the Ferry terminal and it's just 30 minutes across the bay. BART could be longer. If you don't use a car at all in your commute to SF (via ferry or BART), then taking the Transbay busses are best option. 30 minutes average on that and they run as frequent as every 10 minutes during commute and often stop just a couple blocks for most locations in Alameda.

Definitely rent first and figure out what and where you like in the Bay Area.

[Maceart]

Dublin area has excellent schools and a BART station. Ditto with Castro Valley area (just make sure you get into the right school district). There are houses in the 700k range over there.

Do note that if you buy into a million dollar house your property tax rates are going to be quite high (around 15,000 a year) so budget accordingly.

[loves2quilt]

Upon looking closer at Alameda, I like it. Are there areas that are better/worse in terms of neighborhoods and crime? Particularly anywhere to stay away from? I like the sounds of San Leandro also and the Lamorinda towns are appealing. Lamorinda may be too small and rural seeming for us after living in a very dense metropolitan place in Asia. The place we have been living the last few years is also incredibly
diverse.

[Chuck5000]

Quick note - in addition to its lack of diversity, Lamorinda will have a much more upscale feel than Alameda, and another step below that is San Leandro. Long term, I think any town with a BART station will change substantially in the direction of gentrification...even Hayward and Richmond (which are the two lowest income inner-bay-area towns with stations)

[smashystyle]

Originally Posted by Chuck5000

Quick note - in addition to its lack of diversity, Lamorinda will have a much more upscale feel than Alameda, and another step below that is San Leandro. Long term, I think any town with a BART station will change substantially in the direction of gentrification...even Hayward and Richmond (which are the two lowest income inner-bay-area towns with stations)

I agree, both with your descriptions and the forecasts for towns along BART. Richmond will also benefit from the opening of UC Berkeley's global campus there (which has some local folks in Richmond concerned about gentrification). I don't think gentrification's at all there yet in Richmond, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it over the long run. The biggest obstacle with Richmond isn't crime (it's already safer than Oakland), but the Chevron refinery. Although Benicia and some SoCal towns have done well with refineries nearby.