Im looking to move to the Bay Area NEED ADVISE!! (San Francisco: crime rates, houses)

[artemis78]

I missed the part where there was a baby involved--in that case definitely look to Albany, West Berkeley, or El Cerrito near the Albany/Berkeley line, where you'll find other young families nearby. You can probably find a decent apartment in a nice neighborhood if you're willing to deal with the old-school 70s buildings--you can always move into nicer spaces as you have more income flexibility, but with daycare expenses I wouldn't stretch at all on the first place--you'll need the extra cash flow. (Remember that good daycare is also much more expensive here!) You could also potentially stay in those neighborhoods once your daughter starts school, which is also a plus--Richmond would definitely mean moving for the schools.

Also, note that the SF area beaches are nothing like the LA beaches. They're perfectly enjoyable, but they're often times fogged in, the coastal weather can be chilly except in the early fall, and the water isn't really warm enough to swim in (unless you're really tolerant of cold water!) There also aren't too many sand beaches around--a few, sure, but many more with cliffs or rocks along the coast. So people don't head to the beach on a dime the way they do in LA or San Diego--in case that's what you were hoping for.

[brewer2930]

I still say the Fremont/Union City area is nice and affordable (a little anyway).

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by Numb1ne

thank you all for the great advice. When i say "water" I just mean we dont want to live Sacramento or Modesto far from the water.

You know, the Sacramento area or maybe Stockton might not be such a bad idea. Rent is much more reasonable than in the Bay Area. It's in a central location and about 2 hours or less to San Francisco to the west or east towards Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. As for water, there are plenty of lakes in the area and there is the Sacramento River and Delta.

[clongirl]

Perhaps Benicia? It's right near the water, safe, family oriented and not too far from the City. Cute little town. I'm not sure what rent goes for, but I'm sure it's more affordable than the Bay Area proper.

[gizmo980]

Do you know where your job/s will be? That makes a big difference, since I don't want to recommend anything that will be a horrible commute (like San Jose to Oakland, for example). If you're working in the city of SF, I'd recommend looking on the north Peninsula - Millbrae, Brisbane, South San Francisco, Pacifica, Burlingame, etc. Burlingame in particular is a great place to raise a family, and has excellent schools... that would be around a 20-30 minute drive to SF in traffic, or a 20 minute train/BART ride. Foster City and San Mateo are also really nice, but will add more time to the commute. You should also check out the East Bay, like parts of Oakland, Alameda & Berkeley. Not sure if these will fit into your budget, so you still probably want to consider Contra Costa County, which is definitely more affordable. Hope that helps!

[gizmo980]

Another thought is El Sobrante... kinda far from the water, but you're still within driving distance (maybe 15 minutes to the bay?). It's a cute little town, and I don't know much about the schools, but it's safe and affordable by our standards.

[Melody74]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Santa Cruz, or areas close by. It has water. It has a beach. It's a beautiful area as well.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

Do you know where your job/s will be? That makes a big difference, since I don't want to recommend anything that will be a horrible commute (like San Jose to Oakland, for example). If you're working in the city of SF, I'd recommend looking on the north Peninsula - Millbrae, Brisbane, South San Francisco, Pacifica, Burlingame, etc. Burlingame in particular is a great place to raise a family, and has excellent schools... that would be around a 20-30 minute drive to SF in traffic, or a 20 minute train/BART ride. Foster City and San Mateo are also really nice, but will add more time to the commute. You should also check out the East Bay, like parts of Oakland, Alameda & Berkeley. Not sure if these will fit into your budget, so you still probably want to consider Contra Costa County, which is definitely more affordable. Hope that helps!

The OP is still looking for a 2 bed place in the $1000 - $1200 range and that's going to be really hard to find something decent in the Bay Area - and in Santa Cruz too.

The OP hasn't mentioned anything about employment and that would help to determine location.

[ripley44mag]

Moss Beach...... Ripley

[harv93]

How about the coast, like Pacifica? It's foggy + cold for the Bay Area (although still beats the pants off of Michigan) but on the ocean; due to fog it's often cheaper to live on the coast than inland. But also depends where your job is