Move from NYC to Bay Area w/ Family - Advice Appreciated!

[BayAreaHillbilly]

The OP's best bet given all parameters is San Mateo or stretching, Belmont. Belmont does not check the walkable box in most hoods, San Mateo is better for that. Trade off is schools. Sure, San Mateo has Aragon and surrounds but that is going to cost. San Mateo flats are more in range but schools are worse than the hills, unless in the small sweet spot that feeds into Aragon but is on the flats (e.g. I believe Hayward Park may just squeak in).

Pacifica - depending on the hood, it may be quite shock to the OP. There are some very blue collar areas. Schools vary considerably.

OP also needs to understand microclimates. The beach = onshore breeze and summer stratus. Of course Fall through Spring is the pay back, no frost and the best weather in the Bay Area during the non fog season.

Final point for an NYCer. You may already be realizing that we do not have the type of drop in housing costs that you see in NYC as you reach the 10 mile radius from Manhattan. Our equivalent radius is much larger, and yet, in the midst of the overall high cost are pockets of lower costs - those are rough pockets. It's a real challenge to recreate the pluses and minuses of a middling NYC/NNJ/W.CT burb in the Bay Area. We don't really have any equivalent communities. You can find fragments of what you have back there but there are none that give you the whole package. You are going to have at least one factor that is inferior, be it commute, schools, housing stock, or demographic, etc.

[mattywalnuts]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

The OP's best bet given all parameters is San Mateo or stretching, Belmont. Belmont does not check the walkable box in most hoods, San Mateo is better for that. Trade off is schools. Sure, San Mateo has Aragon and surrounds but that is going to cost. San Mateo flats are more in range but schools are worse than the hills, unless in the small sweet spot that feeds into Aragon but is on the flats (e.g. I believe Hayward Park may just squeak in).

Pacifica - depending on the hood, it may be quite shock to the OP. There are some very blue collar areas. Schools vary considerably.

OP also needs to understand microclimates. The beach = onshore breeze and summer stratus. Of course Fall through Spring is the pay back, no frost and the best weather in the Bay Area during the non fog season.

Final point for an NYCer. You may already be realizing that we do not have the type of drop in housing costs that you see in NYC as you reach the 10 mile radius from Manhattan. Our equivalent radius is much larger, and yet, in the midst of the overall high cost are pockets of lower costs - those are rough pockets. It's a real challenge to recreate the pluses and minuses of a middling NYC/NNJ/W.CT burb in the Bay Area. We don't really have any equivalent communities. You can find fragments of what you have back there but there are none that give you the whole package. You are going to have at least one factor that is inferior, be it commute, schools, housing stock, or demographic, etc.

thank you. we intend to fly out on friday to tour the office and spend a couple of days exploring. we'd like to stick within a 10 mile radius of menlo park. looks like menlo park, mountain view, palo alto and parts of redwood city are where we should be looking.

does anyone know how difficult it is to secure school for a 3-year old then fall pre-school at this point in the year?

[City Data 2014]

Originally Posted by mattywalnuts

thank you. we intend to fly out on friday to tour the office and spend a couple of days exploring. we'd like to stick within a 10 mile radius of menlo park. looks like menlo park, mountain view, palo alto and parts of redwood city are where we should be looking.

does anyone know how difficult it is to secure school for a 3-year old then fall pre-school at this point in the year?

mattywalnuts, did you ever move to the Bay Area? If so, where did you end up? I am considering a move as well, working for the same company, and have a 2 year old. Looking for many of the same things you are and would also like to live within 10 miles of the office. Let me know what you decided!