Afordable places to live around Menlo Park? (Mountain View, Palo Alto: apartments, rentals)

[cpterm]

Hi,

My wife and I are going to relocate to Bay Area from Virginia. My work is in Menlo Park, next to Stanford University.

Since we will have our first new born this summer, we are looking for a two-bed room apartment for rent. We want to have a safe and quiet place to live. Because I will have the same benefit as the employee of Stanford University, I would like to live relatively close to the campus to access the University Facilities. Of coz, I know, the closer I live to Stanford, the more price I need pay, so any distance within 6-7 miles is fine for me.

I have read some reviews of several communities in Mountain Veiw with relatively low price. People complain the noise by the neighbourhood (like loud music etc.), so we really want to avoid this kind of situation. We hope to save more for buying our own home, so our budget is within $1600 a month. What will I expect to get for $1600 a month? Do you have any recommend area with nice neighbourhood and affordable price?

I will appreciate your recommendations!

[zitsky]

Hi, you will be shocked at the cost of housing over here. Unfortunately, $1600 will probably not get you a 2 bedroom. If you go a little higher you can find something. I did a quick search and I'm finding 2 BR apartments in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountain View anywhere from $1800-$2500.

Mountain View is not really close to Stanford. It's about a 20-30 minute drive to the center of campus, maybe less depending on where you're located. If you do locate there, avoid the area around Latham & Rengstorff as it does tend to be noisy. I lived in one of the better apartments in that neighborhood but we did occasionally get a lot of noise from other areas.

I'd recommend looking in Menlo Park or Palo Alto. Avoid the east side of Menlo Park near highway 101, as it's not a great neighborhood. And do not confuse East Palo Alto with Palo Alto. East Palo Alto is a separate city and is not a very nice area. I'm sure there are lots of good people who live there, but there is a higher crime rate and other problems over there.

[cpterm]

hi Zitsky,
Thank you for the reply. It looks like you just moved there not long ago. I found that some apartments around Latham & Rengstorff are really cheaper than other areas, probably due to the noise. How about the area Northwest to the San Antonio shopping center? There some apartments along Del Medio Ave, Fayette Dr. , and Miller Ave etc. The location looks pretty nice,close to shopping, not far away from Stanford Campus. But I am not sure if this is quiet and safe. Thanks again!

Originally Posted by zitsky

Hi, you will be shocked at the cost of housing over here. Unfortunately, $1600 will probably not get you a 2 bedroom. If you go a little higher you can find something. I did a quick search and I'm finding 2 BR apartments in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountain View anywhere from $1800-$2500.

Mountain View is not really close to Stanford. It's about a 20-30 minute drive to the center of campus, maybe less depending on where you're located. If you do locate there, avoid the area around Latham & Rengstorff as it does tend to be noisy. I lived in one of the better apartments in that neighborhood but we did occasionally get a lot of noise from other areas.

I'd recommend looking in Menlo Park or Palo Alto. Avoid the east side of Menlo Park near highway 101, as it's not a great neighborhood. And do not confuse East Palo Alto with Palo Alto. East Palo Alto is a separate city and is not a very nice area. I'm sure there are lots of good people who live there, but there is a higher crime rate and other problems over there.

[Nell Plotts]

No one has mentioned asking your HR Rep if there is an internal BB with rentals listed. If you will be a Stanford employee there is housing that is limited to that workforce.

Although it may be a bit of a drive look in Mountain View.

Housing is a premium in this area. You may need to live in much smaller quarters that you desire BUT the weather is mild and you can use parks as an extension of your living space. Commit to only a year lease. By the time your baby is crawling you will be able to find more spacious digs.

[zitsky]

Originally Posted by cpterm

hi Zitsky,
Thank you for the reply. It looks like you just moved there not long ago. I found that some apartments around Latham & Rengstorff are really cheaper than other areas, probably due to the noise. How about the area Northwest to the San Antonio shopping center? There some apartments along Del Medio Ave, Fayette Dr. , and Miller Ave etc. The location looks pretty nice,close to shopping, not far away from Stanford Campus. But I am not sure if this is quiet and safe. Thanks again!

I just moved away actually, but plan to go back. I moved away so my spouse could take a job in Durham, NC. I lived in Mountain View for 12 years. The area you mentioned should be OK. It's near Palo Alto, so I think it's a good neighborhood. Just keep in mind that the San Antonio shopping center isn't a nice walkable mall. It's designed for cars, although there is a renovation planned to make it more pedestrian friendly. There are plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, stores etc in that area.