Living around Redwood City (San Jose, Fremont: how much, house, neighborhoods)

[monadic]

I might be relocating for work to Redwood City, and I'm looking for places to live in the general vicinity with the following properties (in order of preference):

1) Reasonably priced (I'd like a pretty nice house for $500k, let's say)
2) Good schools
3) Less than 1 hour commute to/from Redwood City
4) Multicultural / ethnically diverse.

It doesn't necessarily need to be a big town, but regarding point 4 i'd like to have, for example, reasonably close access to an Asian market and an authentic asian town.

Outdoorsy stuff / nice scenery would also be a plus.

Any suggestions?

[sonarrat]

It's possible to get a house in Redwood City itself for $500K, but schools would be a concern. Sequoia High is OK, but the elementary schools are hit and miss and the neighborhoods are not all good. The closest place I can think of that would meet all your criteria would be Milpitas. It's one of the nation's few majority Asian-American cities, it's relatively affordable by Silicon Valley standards, the schools are pretty good, and you could get to Redwood City in 45 minutes even during peak commute hours.

If you can stretch the budget a bit, then Cupertino may be better, but only if you are comfortable putting your kids in a high-pressure educational environment.

[Mach50]

If you are looking for near perfect schools with primarily Asian population, I believe Fremont would fit the bill.

I love Redwood City, but it is a mixed bag when it comes to schools.

[monadic]

I actually don't want to be in a primarily Asian environment. I'm not even Asian, although I do speak a couple of asian languages, enjoy having nearby authentic vietnamese food, thai food, etc, and like having access to an Asian market.

Nevertheless, I'm not *opposed* to a large Asian population by any means either, so Fremont is still something to consider. I had read previously that Fremont was really boring and suburbanized so I just assumed that it didn't satisfy point 4 above. But it's also last on the list of importance, as driving 20 minutes to San Jose or something wouldn't be that big of a deal to get to an Asian market if I really needed to.

I'll take a look at Cupertino and Milpitas as well. Does the BART run to Milpitas? How much does BART cost typically?

[Mach50]

Originally Posted by monadic

I actually don't want to be in a primarily Asian environment. I'm not even Asian, although I do speak a couple of asian languages, enjoy having nearby authentic vietnamese food, thai food, etc, and like having access to an Asian market.

Nevertheless, I'm not *opposed* to a large Asian population by any means either, so Fremont is still something to consider. I had read previously that Fremont was really boring and suburbanized so I just assumed that it didn't satisfy point 4 above. But it's also last on the list of importance, as driving 20 minutes to San Jose or something wouldn't be that big of a deal to get to an Asian market if I really needed to.

I'll take a look at Cupertino and Milpitas as well. Does the BART run to Milpitas? How much does BART cost typically?

Not sure I get the correlation between "boring and suburbanized" and point #4) "Multicultural / ethnically diverse".
Can it not be both?

I do think Fremont is pretty boring and very diverse. It is still in the Bay so it is close to many exciting places.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by monadic

I actually don't want to be in a primarily Asian environment. I'm not even Asian, although I do speak a couple of asian languages, enjoy having nearby authentic vietnamese food, thai food, etc, and like having access to an Asian market.

I understand completely. Even though there is an Asian-American majority in Milpitas, it's a slim one. I'm Caucasian, and I rented out a room in a Filipino household in Milpitas when I was getting started. Even though the Asian presence is very heavy, I didn't feel like I was marooned in Manila or anything!

I'll take a look at Cupertino and Milpitas as well. Does the BART run to Milpitas? How much does BART cost typically?

BART doesn't run to Redwood City, so I'm not sure what use you think it would have for you. Caltrain, however, does, but it's in dire financial straits so you may not want to rely on it.

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