Lamorinda vs Danville/Alamo (San Francisco, Oakland: to rent, houses, school districts)

[kcamp]

Finally sold my NJ house and am California bound to rejoin my husband. Have One high school boy and one middle school boy. Have been looking to rent in Danville/Alamo area until I got to know the area. Realtor very focused on those two areas and seems dead set against the Lamorinda area. Everything I read about the area is positive. He feels weather patterns make Lamorinda a bad choice and more bang for your buck in Danville/Alamo. Frankly, I have yet to see that. I know areas of Danville (Blackhawk) can be (sorry) snooty. Can the same be said for Lamorinda? Any feedback on living in Lamorinda, commuting to SF from there, schools and such is greatly appreciated.

[NorCal Dude]

Both areas can be a bit snooty, but you will find that in all places that are good places to raise a family in California. Most people like the Lamorinda area because it is closer to places like sf and a shorter commute. It was also built out before danville so the housing stock is alot more diverse and alot more custom. Danville has a lot of that post 1980's cookie cutter sprawl that you see across the country. Both school systems are top notch with the slight edge to Lamorinda. Overall I would choose Lamorinda, they have a Bart which makes getting around the bay area easier.

[clongirl]

Well, don't listen to that realtor (the motive is obviously $$)! I LOVE living in Lamorinda..I'm originally from San Francisco so I like being with other Oakland/San Franciscans. Although there's a lot of wealth here (but not me ,) it's not quite as overt and ostentatious as Alamo/Blackhawk areas, imo.

My family did look into Danville at one point (but not Alamo) but it just seemed a bit homogeneous, and too far away from anything that makes me feel "at home" within the Bay Area. I think the weather here is some of the best in the Bay Area ..we'll often get the cooler mornings, then by 9am, the fog is gone and then it warms up and cools off again in the evening. I love it! (Danville probably doesn't get the morning coolness). I also like that it's semi-rural here. It's not like your typical tract house..plenty of older houses with more character (if that's what you're into). The roads are windy, the deer, wild turkey, even coyote are spotted all the time where I am.

As for the commute..25 minute BART ride. Driving...well..you know the story there..I'm sure horrible during rush hour, but much better into San Francisco than Danville. Berkeley is even closer..like 15 minutes (I like good food). Shopping/malls/parking lots are all 5-10 minutes away in Walnut Creek...brilliant! I'd say..fire that realtor...he's obviously lying to you. (I'm not bashing the other areas, but his assessment of this area is totally inaccurate)

Oh, and I am in no way "snooty"..in fact, I am now shopping at Target for my clothes! My house was built in 1960 and was built on top of a pig pen on my next door neighbors farm! Class!

[JAQ]

I agree with the above posters. I think there both pricey, but you get what you pay for. I lived in Danville for 4 years and my parents still reside there. Yes some of the people are snooty, but not all, i've met some great people there, especially the neighbors, older nice people, mainly retired in there 60's. Danville is a small town with a nice little downtown then you have Lamorinda with BART access and WC nearby which has a larger size downtown. It all depends what you want, if you're looking for a more quiet atmosphere I would choose Danville. Lamorinda if you like to get out more, socialize and the type to go SF more.

[18Montclair]

Lamorinda is better in my opinion. I think it might be a touch more down-to-earth than Danville/Alamo. The schools are among the very best in California. I really like the wooded hillsides and pleasant downtowns in Lafayette and Orinda. The schools in Lamorinda are excellent-among the best in the state. A major plus is proximity to the City and urban core of the Bay Area. Orinda and Lafayette both have BART stations and that makes commuting a breeze.

As far as weather, I dont known what your realtor is talking about. Lamorinda is very similar to Danville/Alamo in summer if not a little more comfortable. In any event both areas are sundrenched and warm in summer with barely any rain(that applies to the whole state of CA btw).

Anyway, you should visit for yourself and decide.

[jade408]

I'd agree on Lamorinda as well. Closer to more stuff to do. And there are more ways "out" compared to Danville. Danville/Alamo are in the middle of the 680 corridor, so you need to go about 10 miles north or south to get to an east/west freeway. If you need to go to SF or Berkley or Oakland, Danville is a bit annoying. Lamorinda has better BART access, and that's key if you need to get to SF.

Alamo does have some ranch homes and left over ranchers in town as well, but I agree with the snootier assessment.

Weather patterns? That's a joke. The weather is hardly different. Think about 5 degrees either way summer/winter. Danville gets 5 degrees warmer in the summer and Lamorinda gets them back in the winter. Both areas are significantly warmer than Oakland/Berkeley or SF (if that's important to you). I imagine Lamorinda is a bit rainier in the winter (it is greener than Danville). There is a slightly higher likelihood of fog in Lamorinda. Fog is less frequent in Danville. (it is occasional during the winter and spring in Lamorinda)

[llowllevellowll]

Hgannet - how about a private message? That's a bit more tactful and less desperate than posting your phone number on a public message board lol

I'll pretty much agree with everyone on Lamorinda. I am a home owner first and a realtor second, and I love Danville, but I'd gladly live along 24 before I would 680 any day. (I regularly commute from Concord to Pleasanton and back in rush hour - it can be a mess).

Schools, proximity, class - there's nothing bad to be said about Lamorinda in the least.

Visit both areas, scope out what your price point will get you in both areas, and make your call that way and if a realtor tries to push you into one or the other, he's not doing his job.

Good luck and let us know how things work out for you!

[Hemlock140]

I grew up in Lafayette, and have relatives in Danville and Walnut Creek. As others have said the weather difference is not worth mentioning at all, the schools in both areas are top-notch, and both areas have their share of snooty people but also plenty of nice, friendly folks. The commute is so much better from Lamorinda that would definitely be my choice if I were to go back, plus you have the Lafayette and San Pablo Reservoirs, Briones Regional Park and Tilden nearby, and more treed hills, while Danvile/Alamo is much more dry grass and the nearest decent lake is Del Valle way out in Livermore.

[nosocalgurl]

Your realtor is completely misleading you. Lamorinda is a fabulous place to live. The weather is great and VERY similar to Danville and Alamo. The area itself is gorgeous and the proximity to SF is a huge plus. The schools are top notch. The elementary/middle school districts are always ranked at the top of the state and the high school district actually is NUMBER ONE in CA. Campolindo and Miramonte High Schools are two of the best in this state. I think you would find Lamorinda people to actually be a bit less plastic and more down to earth than Danville or Alamo (I know MANY people in BOTH areas). There is a very different mentality towards money and material things in Lamorinda as opposed to Danville. I am not saying pretentious people don't exist in Lamorinda, but despite it being a "wealtheir" area by reputation, the people are a touch more grounded (I share this opinion with many people). Obviously these are my opinions only. The larger concern here is how your realtor is totally misleading you and preventing you from considering an area that many would do anything to live in. Strange if you ask me.