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Old 05-31-2007, 03:52 AM
 
2 posts, read 28,102 times
Reputation: 10

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My fiancee and I are considering buying a house in the Danville/San Ramon area. We like the area and the schools having pretty good ratings, etc. The one hitch is she works in Redwood Shores (near Oracle) and I work in Menlo Park (but right off the Marsh Rd exit off 101).

We plan on carpooling to save on gas and tolls across the bridges, but questions are:

truly how bad is the commute? how long would it take typically? better to leave early (7AM) or better to leave late (9AM)
which route to take in the morning (and would this be different coming home at night than purely reversing the directions back? As best as I can tell, here are 2 possible scenarios:

a) Crow Canyon to 580 West to Grove Street/A street backroads in Castro Valley to San Mateo Bridge to 101 South and drop her off in Redwood Shores before continuing to Menlo Park OR

b) Crow Canyon to 680 South to Niles Canyon Road (84) through Fremont/Union City and back on 84 across the Dumbarton Bridge and have her drop me off in Menlo Park before continuing on up 101 North to Redwood Shores OR

c) another better alternative to either one above?

Anyone do this crazy commute?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
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Old 05-31-2007, 03:12 PM
 
Location: Northern California
3,719 posts, read 14,671,024 times
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Why live in Danville/San Ramon??? Why not live around Redwood City and skip the long commute? The traffic on I-580 is horrible just about on any given day And the traffic on Hwy 84 through windy, narrow Niles Canyon to the Dumbarton Bridge can be just as bad. Think of all the gas money and bridge tolls you will save by living near your work.
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Old 05-31-2007, 06:35 PM
 
15,630 posts, read 26,110,200 times
Reputation: 30907
Quote:
Originally Posted by ed94025 View Post
My fiancee and I are considering buying a house in the Danville/San Ramon area. We like the area and the schools having pretty good ratings, etc. The one hitch is she works in Redwood Shores (near Oracle) and I work in Menlo Park (but right off the Marsh Rd exit off 101).

We plan on carpooling to save on gas and tolls across the bridges, but questions are:

truly how bad is the commute? how long would it take typically? better to leave early (7AM) or better to leave late (9AM)
which route to take in the morning (and would this be different coming home at night than purely reversing the directions back? As best as I can tell, here are 2 possible scenarios:

a) Crow Canyon to 580 West to Grove Street/A street backroads in Castro Valley to San Mateo Bridge to 101 South and drop her off in Redwood Shores before continuing to Menlo Park OR

b) Crow Canyon to 680 South to Niles Canyon Road (84) through Fremont/Union City and back on 84 across the Dumbarton Bridge and have her drop me off in Menlo Park before continuing on up 101 North to Redwood Shores OR

c) another better alternative to either one above?

Anyone do this crazy commute?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Not to mention if there's an accident on the bridge, you are SCREWED. Look -- either way you go it's over 50 miles one way. it's at least an hour if you are going speed limit, which you very probably won't, so estimate about and hour and half. That's three hours a day, 15 hours a week on the road, going around 500 miles total.... with averages of 24 MPG and a 16 gallon tank, you'll be spending 70 bucks on gas a week.... not including bridge toll -- add 20. Don't know about parking...

And it sounds like you have kids or want to have kids -- and kids get sick at school all the time -- and you'll BOTH have to leave your prospective employers to get back to San Ramon to pick up little Ed or Edwina -- and then what about Little Ed and Edwina's choral concerts, school plays -- you going to want to see them be a carrot... it's far more likely you'll take Ed and Edwina WITH you and place them in schools near where you work...

Now -- I'm not going to say you're crazy -- but *I* wouldn't buy a house in San Ramon unless I could telecommute most of the time.
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Old 06-01-2007, 12:23 AM
 
2 posts, read 28,102 times
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Default thanks. help is still needed for commute insights...

Thanks for the replies so far...

I understand it's a little crazy, but here are some of the reasons why we are considering Danville/San Ramon... vs somewhere like Redwood City, etc.

1. You get almost twice amount of square footage of house for the same price ie. $1MM buys about 1600 sq ft in Redwood City vs. about 2800 sq ft in San Ramon/Danville
2. Schools are better in San Ramon/Danville vs Redwood City. Schools in Palo Alto and Cupertino are better than San Ramon/Danville but the cost gap of comparable house is even wider. Probably 2.5X
3. I travel a few days for work every other week and I can telecommute once a week or so. Perhaps that will make it more bearable, but I recognize that doesn't help my fiancee
4. The transaction cost of buying a house are high so would rather lock in somewhere with a 30 year fixed mortgage rather than move if the family grows hence the desire for a home that is a bit more scalable, etc
5. We might not always work in the Peninsula as these things are dynamic so maybe one of us or both of use may work in SF or East Bay etc.
6. Regarding commute: we can use only one car and there's no bridge toll when carpooling. Of course if there is an accident we are SCREWED. but I've found living in SF and commuting to Menlo Park now that if there is an accident I'm still screwed as well.

If we chose to do this commute, any thoughts which way would be the least painful poison?

Again thanks for any of your insights...
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Old 06-01-2007, 02:26 AM
 
15,630 posts, read 26,110,200 times
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Honestly, I would hook into a good traffic source and pick what ever way looked better that day. You'll also get sick of doing the same thing day in and out that having two or three ways will be wonderful.

I used to do a reverse commute to Walnut Creek, so your best bet is to find some entertaining radio to listen to, or books on tape. I never minded my hours in the car, except when it rained -- Californians just don't get the idea that they have to SLOW DOWN and LEAVE ROOM in the rain. Also I packed a snack for the ride home.... sounds dumb, but a little munching made the time go a bit easier -- also reduced the "I gotta stop for bad fast food" cravings.

I don't live in SR, so I can't speak for the commute from there -- it's been about 17 years since I worked up there -- at that point it hadn't grown as much as it has now.

It only takes two people to form a carpool? Geez -- the Bay Bridge is three... which is the bridge we go over, and why I didn't know that. And hubby says that a later commute is better -- we're self employed and he starts out at 11AM.

I would actively seek work near San Ramon, too -- for after kids... especially young kids -- you want them near your work when they're little. I've known a lot of people in this circumstance and each one has found a way to have the kid transfer to be near a parent. It's not as big a thing as when they hit junior high, but when they are little they get really sick at the drop of a hat and you don't want to be an hour and half away...
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Old 07-15-2007, 01:46 AM
 
2 posts, read 20,761 times
Reputation: 15
Default san ramon to palo alto commute

Hi Ed

Have you decided either way. I am in a similar position and would like to know how you made a decision.


------- posting pasted below -------



I currently stay in mountain view. My wife works in palo alto and I work in san jose. The place we stay does not have good local schools so my two kids ( 6 and 3) go to private school. I am looking into buying a house in san ramon. I like the schools and think I can get a good house while not needing to pay for the private school. I am wondering if anybody has a similar requirement and is currently staying in san ramon and doing the commute. I am conflicted and feel while I get good schools and a good house in san ramon long term, I am losing time with my kids.

I would really appreciate if any body in similar situation and can give their advice in terms of commute time, trade offs they made, do they feel it is worth it etc.

regds

sam
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Old 07-20-2007, 12:26 PM
 
Location: Foster City, CA
48 posts, read 260,454 times
Reputation: 19
Red face Not an easy commute

I know you can get much more in the way of a house in the San Ramon/Dublin area but the commute is not pretty. If I had to do it daily I would go Crow Canyon, skip 580 all together and pick up A Street and go down to Mission and then 92 across the bridge to 101 south drop her off at Oracle and continue down to Menlo Park. Reverse it at night. Your bottlenecks will be 92 at 580. There is no way around that one unless you stay on A street and cross 580 and go down to Industrial and pick up 92 there. Any way you slice it you have a long commute. My guess is about an hour without any accidents to clog the bridge. The other bottleneck will be 92 at 101 and 101 until you get to Belmont and the turn-off for Oracle. The rest of the trip down to Menlo Park should be okay.

If you can afford it, look for a house on the Peninsula in Belmont or the Redwood City hills (Emerald Hills and Roy Cloud school area). Prices are a bit lower there and your quality of life will be much higher without that commute.
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Old 05-24-2014, 01:12 AM
 
1 posts, read 7,334 times
Reputation: 10
Hello,

My wife and I moved to San Ramon two months ago for the same reason you mention. My wife recently took a job in Redwood Shores. The commute is difficult averaging an 1hr 10 min each way.

There are no buses from San Ramon Bishop Ranch that takes folks out of San Ramon to other location for work. They only bring folks into San Ramon for work. At least that's my understanding?

The best thing to do is create or join a car/vanpool until there is a better way.

Write to me if you are interested in creating a carpool.

Cheers,

Mr. John
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Old 05-25-2014, 12:56 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
13,570 posts, read 10,269,764 times
Reputation: 8247
Quote:
Originally Posted by ed94025 View Post
Thanks for the replies so far...

I understand it's a little crazy, but here are some of the reasons why we are considering Danville/San Ramon... vs somewhere like Redwood City, etc.

1. You get almost twice amount of square footage of house for the same price ie. $1MM buys about 1600 sq ft in Redwood City vs. about 2800 sq ft in San Ramon/Danville
2. Schools are better in San Ramon/Danville vs Redwood City. Schools in Palo Alto and Cupertino are better than San Ramon/Danville but the cost gap of comparable house is even wider. Probably 2.5X
3. I travel a few days for work every other week and I can telecommute once a week or so. Perhaps that will make it more bearable, but I recognize that doesn't help my fiancee
4. The transaction cost of buying a house are high so would rather lock in somewhere with a 30 year fixed mortgage rather than move if the family grows hence the desire for a home that is a bit more scalable, etc
5. We might not always work in the Peninsula as these things are dynamic so maybe one of us or both of use may work in SF or East Bay etc.
6. Regarding commute: we can use only one car and there's no bridge toll when carpooling. Of course if there is an accident we are SCREWED. but I've found living in SF and commuting to Menlo Park now that if there is an accident I'm still screwed as well.

If we chose to do this commute, any thoughts which way would be the least painful poison?

Again thanks for any of your insights...
Again, unless one of you works in the East Bay, it really makes little sense to get a house in the 680 corridor when both of you work in the Peninsula.

You might get more house for your money in San Ramon or Danville but if you're going to spending an awful lot of time commuting you will have little time to enjoy that. IMO trading off a smaller dwelling for an easier and less stressful commute is acceptable, you might feel differently. I'd suggest Belmont, San Carlos or Foster City as communities you may want to consider which have decent schools.

As for alternative routes up and down the Peninsula - if 101 is down you can take 280, and vice versa. It's less so once you're committed to a bridge crossing.
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Old 05-25-2014, 09:09 PM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
12,287 posts, read 9,768,545 times
Reputation: 6509
I did that commute for a little less than a year and it sucked. I carpooled from Danville to redwood city. It took on a good day about 1.5 hours each way. If something happened on a bridge or 880 then it can take 2 hours. The amount of carpool lanes is very limited on the freeways you'll use so it is not of much help. You still have to pay bridge toll, though it is less.

I would strongly strongly recommend looking at the peninsula. Nothing is worse than spending your life in a car. The difference in schools between Danville and rwc is not really that much, plus you'll have an additional 2 hours with your kids every day instead of you being in a car.

You might be used to having a large house, but many families for generations with multiple kids have lived in a 1200 sq ft house. Sure it is nice to have a formal dining room a few times a year when you have people over, but is it worth the extra 150 hours a year in a car? Same when people say they like having a guest room, it might be used a handful of times a year and to get that you have to spending so many more hours sitting in traffic. It is just not worth it.
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