Commute from Half Moon Bay to Mountain View plus opinions on HMB (San Jose: apartment, rental)

[Kats.]

Hi,

My husband and I are looking at moving from the UK to SF Bay Area next year with his job, which is in Mountain View.

I've been looking at areas to live and Half Moon Bay seems really appealing, except for the commute. Has anyone does this commute - how long does it take and how bad is the traffic?

I'm also looking for opinions on Half Moon Bay as a place to live. To give some background, we're in our 30s, no kids, enjoy walking, and are homebodies and like cooking so won't be too bothered by a lack of nightlife or restaurants. The fog and the cooler weather appeal to us, we don't like the heat. I will be working from home so only my husband will have to do the commute. The traffic sounds quite bad around Half Moon Bay though (especially at certain times of the year - nice weather, pumpkin festival).

We've been to Mountain View and it seems like a nice enough place to live, but we would really like to be on the coast if the commute isn't too bad. Palo Alto also appeals but we're worried about the housing costs - we will be looking to rent a 2 bed place, preferably a house rather than an apartment. I know HMB is still expensive, but from Craig's list it seems less expensive than Palo Alto or Mountain View. A big priority is living in a detached house if we can afford it. Not sure about our rental budget yet, but perhaps around $2800 per month.

I would love opinions on the commute, Half Moon Bay and anything else I may not have thought of. Thanks!

[humboldtrat]

It's a terrible commute. The road out of HMB is a 2 lane winding mountain road with some truck traffic until you get to I-280.

HMB is a nice little town. Outside of supermarkets and other small stores, there isn't much shopping. You would have to drive 20 miles to the other side of the peninsula to visit a mall or other large stores. I like hanging out at Pillar Point harbor with its many restaurants.

Being next to the ocean, HMB has a lot of wind and fog and it can be 10 - 20 degrees cooler with a lot less sun than in Mountain View.

[sonarrat]

If you really do like the fog, then I would recommend the Sunset district of SF. The commute would be about the same time-wise, but it would be more dependable and there are a lot more services in SF.

[Snort]

Look at google maps and put in the two locales. It says it's a 42-minute drive, but it could be worse with traffic. I do a similar commute, and it really gets old after a while. Stay close to work and enjoy what the South Bay area has to offer. Weekends on the coast will be a nice diversion. 5 days a week of a long commute- no.

[Kats.]

Thanks everyone for your replies. 2 lane moutain road doesn't sound good, I can see how that would get tiring.

We've moved our attentions to Palo Alto. From my research, looks like we would have to get a 2 bed apartment rather than a detached house for around $2800 rent per month - is this right? Palo Alto looks like a really nice town - lots of trees, walking trails, shopping - any opinions on living there?

[tstieber]

Palo Alto is fantastic! The weather is just about perfect there, it is a very attractive city with lots of nice shops and restaurants, as well as a big open air shopping mall, and some lovely open space for nature walks nearby. Pricing seems about right. HMB is a cute town, just the commute will kill you.

[Kats.]

Thanks for the Palo Alto feedback, sounds very nice.

[jamesdmaniac]

This post is probably too late but....I lived in HMB for 17 years while working in High Tech. During that time I had offices in San Jose, Cupertino and Oakland. The commutes were always an hour or longer. However, to me they were worth every second. After a short time you get used to driving in traffic. Also, while working in San Jose (41 mile commute) I found that a colleague of mine who lived in Milpitas (approx 8 mile commute from his home) spent more time in traffic! Both ways!! So, it is not always how long the commute is but, rather, what routes you have to take. Plus, once you get home to HMB, you can really relax. Go for a walk on the Coastal Trail or sit on the beach with a bottle of wine and watch the sun go down...your commute will become a routine you won't really mind!

[Kats.]

Originally Posted by jamesdmaniac

This post is probably too late but....I lived in HMB for 17 years while working in High Tech. During that time I had offices in San Jose, Cupertino and Oakland. The commutes were always an hour or longer. However, to me they were worth every second. After a short time you get used to driving in traffic. Also, while working in San Jose (41 mile commute) I found that a colleague of mine who lived in Milpitas (approx 8 mile commute from his home) spent more time in traffic! Both ways!! So, it is not always how long the commute is but, rather, what routes you have to take. Plus, once you get home to HMB, you can really relax. Go for a walk on the Coastal Trail or sit on the beach with a bottle of wine and watch the sun go down...your commute will become a routine you won't really mind!

Not too late at all, thanks for your thoughts on HMB, it does sound pretty nice!

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Kats.

Not too late at all, thanks for your thoughts on HMB, it does sound pretty nice!

It really comes down to what kind of person you are. Most people tend to underestimate the toll long commutes will take on them over time. However, there will always be some exceptions to the rule.

As for me, I'd live in Palo Alto or Mountain View if I could afford it. I hate commuting. Palo Alto is one of the most popular cities in the South Bay, with limited housing supply--and the very high rents reflect that reality. Mountain View is a notch below Palo Alto but it is still nice. Your rent money will go further in Mountain View since it's a little bit cheaper.