Monterey/Salinas neighborhoods?
Hi- My sister and her husband will be moving to the Monterey/Salinas area this summer - he has a job in Salinas, but they may prefer to be closer to the ocean. They have a toddler and a baby, and are looking for suggestions on towns or neighborhoods to rent in (for the first year or so, thinking they'll buy later). Their priorities:
- Walkable neighborhood ideally with parks/preschool in walking distance
- A fenced yard for their big dog - many rentals don't allow dogs, so this is tricky
- Moderate price - to save up to buy a house hopefully
- Within a few miles of the ocean would be great, but not required
Are there neighborhoods of Salinas that meet the first three criteria and have a friendly feel? What about other towns? Monterey is an obvious choice, but probably more expensive. I'll be doing some scouting for them so specific places to check out (parks, coffee shops, book stores, etc) to get the feel of a place are welcome!
Feb 12, 2017
Parent Replies
I lived in Seaside (right outside) Monterey from 2003-5. It's cheaper than living downtown and depending on where in Seaside, you'd be right near the beach and bike path which leads to downtown Monterey. I went down to visit not too long ago and the neighborhood hasn't seemed to have changed that much. Good luck!
Hi JBMom, we own a second home in that area - Seaside to be exact. Seaside is between Monterey and Salinas; a little north of Monterey and south west of Salinas. It is easy to commute through the back hills to Salinas from Seaside and avoid congestion on highway 68 or highway 1. Seaside is much cheaper than Monterey but it does have some rough neighborhoods. I liken it to living in Oakland - there are some great neighborhoods, some not so much. Good rule of thumb is the higher up the hill you are, the better. Of course, that impacts walkability but there are some small parks sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods, like at San Pablo and Yosemite Avenues. There is also a seemingly nice elementary school there, but I don't have any info on preschools. I have a friend who is a real estate agent that does some rental management, too. PM me if you want his contact info.
I grew up in the Monterey/Seaside area and while a lot has changed since I left many years ago I can probably help a little. If they'll be working in Salinas I think your best bet (if you want to be near the ocean) is Marina. There's been a lot of new development since the army base closed in the mid-90's and it has seen a huge growth. So much that they finally built a new high school about 10 years ago (before kids had to go to Seaside). The drive to Salinas would be shorter than if you lived in Seaside (Monterey was very expensive back when I lived there and I can't imagine it got any cheaper). Most of my family now live in Salinas due to the large amounts of new housing they built in the last 15-20 years. My Mom lives in the area near Alvarez high school which I think is a nice neighborhood bounded by Constitution Blvd Nantucket Blvd and Independence Blvd. My mom and my young nephews (7 and 9) are always taking walks or riding bikes or going to the parks. There's also a few gated communities in the hills off of River Rd in the south that are really nice. I believe they're called Las Palmas. My grandmother currently owns a house there and the views are awesome but they do come with a pricetag.