Young professional from Phoenix looking for neighborhood advice for rent. (San Jose: apartment, home)

[USHiker212]

Hi Everyone,

I'm 24 and plan on moving there from Phoenix in February. I was in the Bay Area back in April for work and fell in love with the area and the quality of life.

I wanted to get your feedback on good neighborhoods for a young professional/techie to rent a nice studio or 1 bedroom apartment. Neighborhoods I've looked into so far include: Mountain View, Downtown & West San Jose.

I don't own much stuff, so I figure I'd that I'd look for a studio or find a roommate to share an apartment with. My budget is at ~$1500 a month so getting a roommate seems like the best option.

My company's office is in Palo Alto, but since I work remotely, the most I'd be there is 1 or 2 days a week max.

Would also appreciate any tips on hiking spots in the area. I hike quite a bit here so would love to know what other hiking spots or other outdoor activities are recommended.


Thank you!

[vadaseri]

Welcome to bay area. There are too many trails to list.

Bay Area Hiker: Home page

[Azmordean]

Welcome!

As far as a place to live, you might look around San Jose. I like downtown San Jose, and I've heard good things about places like Campbell and Willow Glen.

I live in Mountain View, and it's great, but I'm not sure the price premium is worthwhile if commuting isn't a major factor. Palo Alto itself is also a fantastic place to live, but again, you pay a lot for the privilege.

You should be able to score a room in your price range without much trouble in most areas. A place to yourself will be tougher.

Hiking... there are so many options it's comical. Here in the South Bay, the Santa Cruz Mountains are at our doorstep, and full of state parks and open space preserves. The coast has options of its own. Further afield, Mt. Tam and Marin are excellent, there's the Diablo range, there's Big Sur. Just poke around online and you can find some excellent hikes. I like a lot of the Open Space preserves along Skyline Blvd, and also hike frequently out of Castle Rock State Park. Big Basin Redwoods is beautiful as well.

If you're looking for someone to hike with, PM me when you get here. My training program has me biking most weekends, but I like to switch it up with a hike now and then!

[wsugrad03]

Welcome. It depends if you want new construction or are fine with 1970s construction. If the old stuff works for you, you can maybe find a few places in Mountain View with you budget, but it's tight. The down town in MV is great and is a perfect location for work in the tech industry if you want to ride your bike and have a short commute. If you want new construction, try north San Jose near Montague/Rivermark area and the surrounding Cisco campus area. There's a ton of brand new and very swanky apartment buildings. Since you'll be a home a lot, you may appreciate more amenities (pools, gyms, tennis courts, etc...). You'll find this area to fit your budget and the commute isn't too bad and you can pick between the 101 and the 237 for your commute. Should take you about 30 minutes to Palo Alto. I live in this area and I really like it as a place to live. Schools however are not so hot, but it doesn't seem like it applies to you.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Anywhere in Santa Clara would be safe. There's a short stretch on Lafayette Street north of El Camino that is a tad sketchy, but nothing like a ghetto. And it's cheaper than Mountain View or Sunnyvale.

Nice hiking out past Saratoga, on Hwy 9, which is an easy drive from Santa Clara or North San Jose.

http://www.gosaratogaca.com/recreation/hiking/

You can also hop on Hwy 17 toward Santa Cruz, and find hiking in the Santa Cruz mountains, too.

http://www.santacruz.com/guides/sant...hiking-trails/

[bobby_guz_man]

Morgan Hill Also, try looking in SF. There are many cheap areas of SF like Visitacion Valley, etc.

Actually, may I suggest Monterey? Since you'll only be driving to work once or twice a day, you could actually just live in Monterey area.

[Azmordean]

Originally Posted by bobby_guz_man

Morgan Hill Also, try looking in SF. There are many cheap areas of SF like Visitacion Valley, etc.

Actually, may I suggest Monterey? Since you'll only be driving to work once or twice a day, you could actually just live in Monterey area.

Not sure I'd suggest those places for a young professional (except SF) .

And Monterey is like a 2.5 hour drive on a good day -- not sure I'd want to do that even once a week. If OP likes the coast Santa Cruz is certainly an option though.

If it's only once a week drive, the good parts of Oakland may be a decent urban choice as well, especially if renting.