Pros and Cons of living in Albany
Hello, we are currently long time SF residents with two girls who will be turning 8 and 6 this summer. We have really outgrown this city and apt. We are looking at Albany as a place to move to get good public schools and somewhat reasonable housing (i.e. Piedmont prices are probably out of our reach). What are the Pros and Cons of bringing up a family in Albany? Is it possible to commute to SF for work? Thank you so much in advance.
Apr 17, 2017
Parent Replies
Our family has lived in Albany since 2008, and we love it. It has a small town feel without small-mindedness. (Though, look into recent events at the high school. Our kids are still elementary ages, like yours.) I love running into people I know while out in the community, but it never feels stifling. Commuting to SF is a synch. I drive to North Berkeley BART and grab casual carpool to SF and then walk to my office. I BART home to North Berkeley BART and then drive home. Biking would be even faster and easier, but I drop my kids off before work and need the car. Good luck with your home search! (You may also want to consider Lafayette and Alameda for more reasonable home prices and sizes.)
hello, Albany is a very family oriented city. Families move here because of the high rated public schools. There is no Bart station in Albany, but there are several direct non-stop public buses that go to San Francisco.
If you are looking for housing, you are welcome to contact my wife (Angela) who is a realtor @ 510-621-8100 She knows the Albany area Very well.
regards, N.F.
Albany is a wonderful place to raise a family. The school system is very easy to navigate as there are only 3 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school. The sense of community is strong. My high school student has friends that he has known since kindergarten. It has a small town feel, but is inclusive and progressive. It's reasonably ethnic diverse, although mostly Asian and white. Commuting from the east bay to SF stinks regardless of where you live. But, there are two BART stations in walking distance and the trans bay bus stops nearby. Houses are less expensive than Piedmont, but prices are rising and the homes are smaller. I can really think of no cons, except when I moved here I missed SF terribly.
I agree with others that it's a great place to bring up a family and the commute to SF is definitely doable (though it's hard if both parents are across the bridge). You didn't mention if you hoped to buy a home. The inventory in Albany is extremely limited compared to larger nearby towns. House-hunting is hard enough around here; you might not want to limit yourself to Albany. I don't know as much about the rental market. If you start renting and your kids get used to the schools, it could be hard to then switch to Berkeley or El Cerrito if you want to buy a house.