If you could live anywhere in the Bay area, where would you go?

[OrangeSunset]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

The way I'm reading your OP, you're open to San Jose as well. $500K actually goes surprisingly far here. The Santa Teresa area is within your budget, good schools, light-rail service that connects to Caltrain at the Tamien station. There are also some very nice parts of Evergreen and Berryessa within your budget, but the traffic can be intimidating and the public transit is pretty bad.

Yes, I'm interested in the entire bay area including San Jose. I've hear Morgan Hill is also an option, thoughts?


Thank you everyone for your input.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by OrangeSunset

Yes, I'm interested in the entire bay area including San Jose. I've hear Morgan Hill is also an option, thoughts?


Thank you everyone for your input.

I grew up in Morgan Hill and went to Nordstrom Elementary, which is considered best in the town. It's like San Jose was 50 years ago, with orchards and horses instead of tech companies and Starbucks, and very sleepy.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Up the money amount, and I'd move to Lafayette.... walking distance to my favorite quilt shop Cotton Patch on Brown Ave...

Sorry off topic, but that place is GREAT (not that I sew/quilt). They have the nicest and most helpful people working in there when I was confused trying to figure out my child's sewing project for school.

[CAVA1990]

This would have been a lot more fun if you hadn't put those constraints on it. To answer your original question: a home in the Berkeley Hills with a view of Memorial Stadium and the Golden Gate.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by OrangeSunset

Assuming a portable job and not a lot of money, where can one find the following:

1) Good schools
2) $500k budget for a house or $2500/month for rent
3) Sunny & warm(er) microclimate (hate gloomy days!)
4) Open minded & friendly people
5) Family oriented & safe
6) Near BART

Is this even possible?

I know that inexpensive and good schools don't go together but maybe there's a pocket somewhere...


PS: I wasn't sure where to post this, here or at the San Jose forum. I wanted to include the entire bay area though. So please, if including San Jose area disregard item 6.

I would live in San Rafael. Away from all the crime and poverty in San Francisco city. I have history there anyway. And it seems like a nice city. But too bad it's not that diverse. But hey, you can't win them all.

[expect]

Union City=
1. good elementary/middle schools, only 1 option for high school
2. 500k is about average
3. warm/sometimes hot in the summer. low-mid 80s i suppose. rainy (but not crazy rainy) in the winter. really good weather, not cloudy like daly city
4. i suppose
5. yes
6. yes

fremont is also nice, but a little more expensive.

[ywongyzh]

los gatos, los altos, palo alto, cupertino, and of course the part of marin close to SF would be my absolute top picks

next on my list would be orinda, lafayette, moraga, pleasanton, san ramon

[cawoman]

"San Mateo or Redwood City, and possibly San Carlos - 500k or 2500 will get you a 2/3 bedroom place"

Sorry, but I can't imagine what that poster was thinking--you would be hard-pressed indeed to find a 2-3 bedroom house for around 500k (or even in the low 600s) in San Mateo, San Carlos or Redwood City, unless it's perhaps in a very scuzzy part of SM or RC with lousy schools. Possibly an older condo would go in that range in those cities. I know the area and the real estate market there pretty well. Two of my cousins in SM are successful real estate agents, and my parents own a home in SM. I also have relatives all over the general area, so we have looked at buying homes in those cities many times, including quite recently.

As far as rent, though, yes, you might be able to rent a decent place for $2500. Stick to the other cities people mentioned for better schools and warmer weather in your price range--San Ramon, Dublin, Walnut Creek, parts of San Jose, etc.