East SJ Question (San Jose, Fremont, Hayward: apartments, for rent, condos)

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by lrmsd

Yea, that's exactly what I've been mentioning on this forum a lot lately-ie, that the bay area has now 'graduated' to the league of NY, Paris, London etc where, he*l no, you don't expect to own a home. In the past, people in the bay area could have the dream-nice world class city life/amenities, great schools, nice home...It's just becoming more like other cities globally now. Not that it's not a drag, but it's not that shocking, really.

Oops-sorry for straying off topic, good luck OP!

Bingo! And if people want that large single-family home for less money, they are more than welcome to seek them outside of the Bay. That doesn't mean those people cannot handle the Bay, it's just that their preferences differ, nothing wrong with that at all.

There are plenty of beautiful, awesome, wealthy, and cosmopolitan places in America (or even California) that doesn't cost an arm and a leg like the Bay. It's all about choices.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by neutrino78x

Living in a big city when you make a lower income normally requires roommates, that's nothing special.

Single family homes in big cities are expensive all over the world. You can't buy a single family home in London cheaply either. Middle class in London isn't defined by living in a single family home. People are happy with "flats" because they get to live in London.

It's the same in the big city of San Jose.

Originally Posted by neutrino78x

I'm 36 and I've lived with roommates all my adult life, both on submarines and as a civilian. 36 is young anyway, nobody's too old for anything at 36.

I think everyone here is missing my point. I have no problem living with a roommate, and have done so for about half of the last 20 years... the problem is finding someone who will live with ME! I'm actually a very nice, friendly/considerate, and low-maintenance roommate, but on "paper" I look very unappealing. If you were searching Craigslist for a roomie, would you choose someone described as the following - especially if you had your share of "quiet, clean, pet-free, smoke-free" folks to consider too?

- 37 year-old single professional woman (okay, that's fine)
- 1 friendly dog and 3 cats (eh, not soooo bad)
- 25+ snakes and small rodent colony (what?!)
- Smoker; cigarettes mostly outdoor, "medical" cannabis indoor (here's where I start to lose them).
- Stays up all night and sleeps until afternoon on days off, 11am-1pm on workdays; doesn't get home until between 9-10:30pm, if not later.
- Spends most of my at-home time watching TV, surfing on my laptop, and/or playing PS3 video games.
- Not a fan of housework, do only the minimum necessary to keep from looking like a psycho hoarder.
- Bad credit but decent salary, might need you to co-sign due to the former.

And so forth. I have to be honest, too, or the person will move out within a month! So if you can find someone who'd live with the above, please please let me know.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by bobby_guz_man

Bingo! And if people want that large single-family home for less money, they are more than welcome to seek them outside of the Bay. That doesn't mean those people cannot handle the Bay, it's just that their preferences differ, nothing wrong with that at all.

There are plenty of beautiful, awesome, wealthy, and cosmopolitan places in America (or even California) that doesn't cost an arm and a leg like the Bay. It's all about choices.

Yeah, and I definitely had to think long & hard about it before moving back here in 2002 (after college). But this is my HOME, where I lived for the majority of my formative years, and where most of my immediate family still lives... also, now that my father is ill, I just don't want to leave him quite yet.

Interestingly, I received an offer to interview with Seattle Public Library recently! It has long been a dream of mine to live in Seattle, so it was very tempting - just not good timing right now, but good to know that option is a possibility in the future. I realize Seattle isn't much cheaper than here, however it does have more "outskirts" where rent/real estate is affordable and commutes are doable. Regardless, it looks like I am stuck here for the time being.

P.S. I signed my new lease last week, but there are options for breaking that lease if I decide to move sooner.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

Because no one lives in a vacuum. I AM affected by the choices of others. And when the majority of people choose to live too close to the financial edge, which is the situation we have in the U.S. we are all affected by it. (Has the 2008 financial crisis, driven by too many people taking out insane mortgages, been forgotten already?) It creates a lot more social and economic stress, not just on the people doing it, but on the people who aren't.

Yeah, but the chances of a dog owner's issues (I'm talking one or two dogs - not a hoarder-type of situation) trickling down to you are pretty slim. We are more limited, yes, but hopefully most of us are still self-supporting. Anyway, that is definitely not the topic of this thread! My dog is my best buddy, and as I said earlier, I'd sooner live in my car than even consider dumping him.

Now maybe if the landlords would stop being so damned uptight, and actually allow dogs in more complexes, this wouldn't be an issue? I've lived in a number of other regions, and this has to be the most dog-UNfriendly place ever. Really really frustrating at times, particularly when you have a dog (like mine) who honestly causes NO trouble... he rarely even barks, unless maybe someone knocks on the door.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

- 37 year-old single professional woman (okay, that's fine)
- 1 friendly dog and 3 cats (eh, not soooo bad)
- 25+ snakes and small rodent colony (what?!)
- Smoker; cigarettes mostly outdoor, "medical" cannabis indoor (here's where I start to lose them).
- Stays up all night and sleeps until afternoon on days off, 11am-1pm on workdays; doesn't get home until between 9-10:30pm, if not later.
- Spends most of my at-home time watching TV, surfing on my laptop, and/or playing PS3 video games.
- Not a fan of housework, do only the minimum necessary to keep from looking like a psycho hoarder.
- Bad credit but decent salary, might need you to co-sign due to the former.

Well, you know, everybody in a collective living situation has to Adapt, Adjust, And Evolve, that the whole house's atmosphere is optimal for everybody. One cannot just say "I'm gonna be the roommate from hell, and everybody better just like it!"

Or...

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Well, you know, everybody in a collective living situation has to Adapt, Adjust, And Evolve, that the whole house's atmosphere is optimal for everybody. One cannot just say "I'm gonna be the roommate from hell, and everybody better just like it!"

Or...

First of all, I am NOT the "roommate from hell" - even said I'm quite easy and pleasant to live with, once you get past how I appear on paper. I had roommates for many years, and very rarely ran into conflicts or found myself unwilling to compromise a little. For example, I first starting smoking outside due to a former roommate's request (and ended up liking it better anyway). But I do have to be honest in an ad, and most of those things I listed aren't even "changeable." I am not cruelly dumping a pet like some folks here suggested, can't change my work schedule, can't change what I enjoy doing in my spare time, won't be able to improve my credit overnight, and probably won't quit smoking anytime soon. I'd like to quit the cigarettes, actually, but it ain't gonna happen that easily or quickly.

And the biggest question is why I should have to compromise by even getting a roommate, when I can technically afford to live alone? I would love more options on location and size, which would be helped with a roommate... but it's not like I have a choice between roomie or homelessness. I have a beautiful semi-spacious apartment in a decent neighborhood, and manage to pay the rent every month on my own. So it's really just everyone else saying I need a roommate, and I'm certainly not changing my entire lifestyle because OTHER people think this is the solution for me. Understand where I'm coming from now?

Ironically, I just used the "van by the river" joke earlier today! A colleague and I were discussing our ridiculous COL, and I said "we either have to pay out the nose and like it, or live in a van by the river."

[gizmo980]

Anyway, I think it's time to summarize: I am not that interested in finding a roommate, and don't even necessarily need to be spending less money (than my current rent of $1720/mo). I was just asking about East SJ because it has some 2-bedrooms available, which are priced low enough for me to afford ALONE. The whole point was to find a bigger place for MYSELF, or I may as well stay in a 1-bedroom!! If I wanted a roommate, or couldn't afford to live in the Bay Area, I'd have asked the questions from that angle instead.

Think about it - if I were to share a 2br instead of staying alone in my current 1br, wouldn't I actually be losing space? That would be pretty dumb, unless the savings were really worth the sacrifices.

[gizmo980]

Now to switch gears a little, since it seems everyone is in agreement that east SJ isn't a great option - what do you all think about commuting from Union City, Fremont, or Hayward to the south(ish) Peninsula? And I'm talking about commuting without traffic, since it's only maybe 2-3 days/month that I'm driving at rush hour. I could definitely find a 2br in my budget out there, especially in Hayward! Worth the drive or not?

P.S. I'm aware that Hayward has its sketchy neighborhoods, but I've been through the worst of it and wasn't impressed/scared.

[bobby_guz_man]

There are other parts of San Jose you can look at, besides ESSJ. Neighborhoods like Japantown, Midtown/Burbank, or some parts of the North 1st corridor as well. Downtown SJ is another good place to look at.

Union City, Fremont, and Hayward are truly suburb cities. Since you're the person who thinks SJ is a fake city made out of cardboard, I'm not sure what you would call those cities? Who knows, maybe you'll think they're "real"?

[pidgeontoad777]

i lived in sj for entire life and the east side is and has always been a dump.some parts are much worse than others but you would be better off living in the west side by bascom, if you dont mind helicopters and police sirens constantly