Best place to live in East Bay (San Jose, San Mateo: house, schools)

[Shelacious]

Given the statements that the San Mateo job has flexible hours and the Walnut Creek job does not, I'd definitely lean toward living in the East Bay. Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lamorinda (Lafeyette, Morgaga, Orinda) all work for your commute, and make the San Mateo commute painful during peak, and less painful but still long off-peak. Moving more south toward Oakland, San Leandro, Castro Valley, Hawyard would be more equitable between Walnut Creek and San Mateo. I worked in Oakland and commuted to Redwood Shores--I had flexible hours too, and it was doable if I went into the office around 10:15 and left the office around 7:30 pm (but I hate traffic, so I waited longer than I could have) and it was fine, especially if you don't have kids/hard deadlines for arriving home.

[peninsular]

I second the suggestion of living in the city. I would look around Sunnyside neighborhood and North and West of there (also possibly Glen Park). It's not far from the Glen Park/Balboa Park BART to commute to Walnut Creek and a reasonable hop onto 280 to go to Peninsula.
It would not be as good of a choice for commuting to San Mateo, but I'm surprised nobody mentioned Alameda.

[04kL4nD]

Castro Valley is a semi-decent compromise. It's got the same weather/proximity to SF/SV as Hayward, without the problems that make Hayward less appealing (crime, bad schools, run down areas, etc). Hayward isn't THAT bad, but it's kinda like Concord in the sense that there are better surrounding cities close by.

I would NOT live in the City, personally. If you want urban/dense/vibrant many parts of Oakland fit the bill, but at a lower cost and better weather.

[Shelacious]

Originally Posted by peninsular

I second the suggestion of living in the city. I would look around Sunnyside neighborhood and North and West of there (also possibly Glen Park). It's not far from the Glen Park/Balboa Park BART to commute to Walnut Creek and a reasonable hop onto 280 to go to Peninsula.
It would not be as good of a choice for commuting to San Mateo, but I'm surprised nobody mentioned Alameda.

I didn't mention Alameda because there's no BART service, and that would be a key consideration for me to commute to Walnut Creek. My coworker commutes from Walnut Creek/Lafayette BART to Oakland, and on BART she arrives at work sooner than I do driving in peak from Central East Oakland to Downtown Oakland. Relying on AC Transit to BART or driving as the only options would be a bit of a bummer.

[davdaven]

Originally Posted by peninsular

It would not be as good of a choice for commuting to San Mateo, but I'm surprised nobody mentioned Alameda.

Getting out of Alameda during rush hour can be tough if you're headed to Walnut Creek. There's the back way out if you're headed south, which is good for getting to San Mateo, but there's no avoiding the Posey Tube or 880 on the way to WC.

[the topper]

Uptown Oakland/Lake Merritt

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by the topper

Uptown Oakland/Lake Merritt

Nah. Rockridge/Elmwood. Also, parts of north Berkeley. I mean, as a general question, not necessarily for the OP's needs, though Rockridge could work, actually.

[04kL4nD]

I know a lot of people adore Rockridge/Elmwood, but it's not for everyone. Not a lot of great nightlife options and it skews a bit older/sleepier. I reread the OP and if they want urban/walkable/active nightlife they would be much better off closer to the lake and downtown/uptown areas. Piedmont Ave/Temescal may be closer to what they are looking for, also.

[landlocked60]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

I know a lot of people adore Rockridge/Elmwood, but it's not for everyone. Not a lot of great nightlife options and it skews a bit older/sleepier. I reread the OP and if they want urban/walkable/active nightlife they would be much better off closer to the lake and downtown/uptown areas. Piedmont Ave/Temescal may be closer to what they are looking for, also.

We don't need nightlife. We have been there done that! We are 59/60 year old's. Right now we are more into having good non-chain restaurants within close driving distance and shopping. I am starting to look for places in the areas in Oakland you all suggested as well as Contra Costa just to see the differences. I noticed a condo I liked in Moraga. But, am wondering is that too rural? It seems at this time the pickings are pretty slim and realtors or home owners putting off showings due to shelter in place.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

I know a lot of people adore Rockridge/Elmwood, but it's not for everyone. Not a lot of great nightlife options and it skews a bit older/sleepier. I reread the OP and if they want urban/walkable/active nightlife they would be much better off closer to the lake and downtown/uptown areas. Piedmont Ave/Temescal may be closer to what they are looking for, also.

True. I was thinking the BART commute would be easiest from there, for the OP, but they could still use Rockridge BART from those other areas.

Originally Posted by landlocked60;

We don't need nightlife. We have been there done that! We are 59/60 year old's. Right now we are more into having good non-chain restaurants within close driving distance and shopping. I am starting to look for places in the areas in Oakland you all suggested as well as Contra Costa just to see the differences. I noticed a condo I liked in Moraga. But, am wondering is that too rural? It seems at this time the pickings are pretty slim and realtors or home owners putting off showings due to shelter in place.

Winter is always the slowest RE season, with the fewest listings. Spring can be slow to gear up, too. Hard to predict how the shelter-in-place policy will affect the availability of inventory. April may see more listings; we can only wait and see.

College Avenue, which stretches from the University of California through the Elmwood neighborhood (south Berkeley) into Rockridge to Broadway (north Oakland) is characterized by locally-owned shops of all sorts; bookstores, grocers and grocery specialty-shops, artisanal clothing, restaurants, a hardware store, etc. Berkeley has commercial rent control on that street, which is why it's the way it is, though there are a couple of chain supermarkets in the area, too. Oakland seems to do the same for its leg of the street, judging by the type of shops. There are other neighborhoods in Oakland that have locally-owned shops and restaurants too; Piedmont Avenue, is one popular street/area.