Where to Live for a Job in San Francisco

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Questions

• New job in SF - where's a sunny place to live?
• Job in SF but I must have sun
• East Bay neighborhood that's commutable to SF, progressive, kid-friendly

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New job in SF - where's a sunny place to live?

Sept 2010

Hi- I have been a longtime reader of BPN and now that we are moving to the area I am pleased to join the community and ask your advice. We are moving here for my partner's work in downtown San Fran. It will be a big adjustment for us as we'll go from flex, working from home to long office hours and to a city where we know few people and have no family. We want to find a place to live (we'll rent at first) that is not longer than a 45 min commute. Not seeing Dad every morning, noon and night will be a huge change for the kids and adding more than an hour on to his workday seems too long for everyone yet is it realistic to find a less than 45 min commute?

I'm worried about the fog. Like a plant I need sun. Any thoughts on places that are more sunny? We care deeply about schools. Any leads on great schools? We'd like to find a real community where we can settle and stay put. We want to know our neigbors and walk places. We enjoy healthy, good food, we are eco-conscious, we like kids parks, biking, skating etc. We are liberal cultural Jews and former New Yorkers. I grew up near Madison, WI (which I LOVED) and I think there are some similarities in Berkeley. Yet, would we feel like a family in a sea of students if we lived near the Ashby Bart stop?

My older child will be changing schools mid year in K and any hints on how this works mid year are very welcome. Also any good private or charter school options if we can't navitate a midyear public move. Also leads on play based social emotional empahsis or Reg Emilio preschools apreciated too. I know it's lots of questions in one so thanks very much in advance! New BPN Mama

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so....is your partner's work near BART? if so, you have a wide range of places you can live which are within 45 min. i only know east bay but i'm sure there is stuff on the peninsula. for sunny, hot you can go through the hills to Lafayette, Orinda, etc. i think those are more suburban. if you want more 'city'ish, consider Rockridge (i think some of the public schools are good) and North Berkeley BART area and Albany (el cerrito bart/north berkeley bart). bike trails etc all over. for schools, lots of good listings on bpn, maybe see which parents are excited about the things you care about. we are the academy which we like, i also hear great things about black pine circle, windrush, prospect sierra, it really depends upon your kids too, what motivates them. for public schools people often choose albany, but there are a variety of public schools that people like all over. it's more expensive to rent/buy in albany, i believe, because of the schools. i think near the ashby bart stop can be rough. welcome!

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I live in Alameda. The commute to downtown SF can be less than 30 minutes (depending on exact downtown destination). My son attends a RE preschool on the island (Home Sweet Home). Alameda is sunny and walkable and I have great neighbors and... I love it. Best of luck with your relocation. your new neighbor?

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I am sure you will get a ton of responses with everyone advocating for where they live but can personally recommend the Montclair area of Oakland - we are objectively warmer than most other Bay Area locals, 12 miles from Montclair Village to downtown SF (which translates to an average 30 minute drive or 40 minute BART with drive time to a nearby station), and currently a relatively affordable section of Oakland. Your children generally go to neighborhood schools in OUSD and for elementary most of the Hills schools are very good with strong parent communities and well rounded education (arts, music, computer, etc.). On foggy days because we are up high and the spacing of the canyons we are often either fog free (sitting above it) or we warm up faster - average Oakland temp today is 70 - we are 75+ There are a number of 'liberal' jewish communities in the area - we are members of a large reform synagogue with a great pre-school and educational program for older kids - there is a TON of amazing food in and around Oakland, and despite being up in the hills there are a lot of paths that get you around so I often walk to farmer's market on Sunday mornings - I also walk my son to school most days. Welcome to the Bay! Maggie

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I would strongly recommend that you check out Alameda, CA -an island off the coast of Oakland-as a wonderful Bay area option for living. Our family moved here last summer and have been thrilled with the open and welcoming community we have found. The commute to SF is only 15-20 minutes (non-rush hour), and in rush hour about 30-35. However, there is a ferry (20 min), an hourly transbay bus (20 min), BART (from Oakland), and many carpool options, too. The community is full of beautiful victorian-era and craftsman-style homes and the city takes great pride in its historical character. The crime rate is low, and my kids (10 & 15) ride bikes and skateboard wherever they want to go, my husband & I walk and ride bikes, too. The schools are highly-rated (check greatschools.com), and very pro-active in the face of recent budget crunches, but there are also great charter schools available (ACLC & NEA). It is a rich, culturally-diverse community with great restaurants & stores, festivals, and beaches, plus it is the sunniest place in the Bay area. (Temps are typically 10 degrees warmer than SF. Since our arrival in July, we've had only 2 completely overcast days and no fog!) It was just selected as one of the 'Top Ten Suburbs' in Travel & Leisure magazine and one of the 'Top 100 Communities for Kids' by America's Promise Alliance. There is also a similar online parent network called 'Alameda Parents Network' which offers great friendliness and support. Plus, it is only a 10+ minute drive from Berkeley, so you can enjoy the benefits of Berkeley very easily as well! We love it! Bara Waters bara

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Okay get out your bay area map and we'll color code it together. First North Bay: Tiburon, Sausalito, Belvedere, Mill Valley, they are all Blue Fairfax, San Enselmo, Larkspur Corte Madera, GreenBrae, Ross, San Rafael, these are Green. Novato and Petaluma, Purple

East Bay:

Piedmont, Berkeley Hills, Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, Danville, Alamo Blue. Oakland Hills (Montclair) Berkeley flats, Rockridge, all Green, San Leandro, Oakland above lake merrit, Albany, Hayward, Purple.

South Bay:

Hillsborough, San Mateo Blue. Pacifica and Millbrae, Green. Bellmont, San Carlos, Foster City Purple.

Blue is where everyone wants to be. Perfect weather, gigantic homes, good schools, every day is vacation. High percentage of stay home mothers. This will work if your combined income exceeds $200k. North Bay blue's tend to be fairly liberal and artsy, where the east bay Blues have some pockets of .... how do I say.... 'not very open minded'

Green, also VERY nice, great climate, generally more liberal folks, artists, athletes, writers. The schools are sometimes alot of work to ferret out, though it can be done. Everyone in green has a dog. This is more the $100 to $175K folks.

Purple is your classic, 'moving further out to get more for your buck', areas. Schools tend to be pretty good, but the culture is not quite as dynamic.

The farther east you go, the warmer the climate. Berkeley Oakland is ideal. Sausalito is absolute heaven, Pacifica is foggy. Soon as you get 'through the caldecot tunnel it gets hot; as far out as concord is deadly hot. North- Petaluma gets rather hot as well, but its really quaint.

The Bay Area really is the most beautiful place in the world wherever you land, but it can be expensive.

there are definately places to avoid: anywhere near an airport. East oakland, Richmond.... South San Fran.

You are going to be SO HAPPY. Welcome! Please email me with any further questions. I enjoy this Reenie

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Welcome to the bay area! Based upon your background/interests, I think you'll like it here. If you are looking for more sun, the east bay is definitely the place to be. And yes, it is definitely possible to have a commute of less than 45 min each way if you live somewhat close to a BART station. We live in Temescal (6 blocks from MacArthur BART), and my husband commutes to downtown (Powell St. station) in about 30 minutes, door to door. His office is right above the station, so that helps.

Re: neighborhoods, you don't say how much rent you can afford, which would inform my recommendations. Don't shy away from Oakland--there are many wonderful neighborhoods here. In addition to Berkeley, you might check out Rockridge, Temescal, or Piedmont Ave. areas of Oakland. Of these, in general, Rockridge is probably the most upscale and Temescal the cheapest, but more up-and-coming/artsy/etc. They are all centrally located making commuting pretty easy--a simple walk or bike to BART. W. Berkeley is less expensive, Central Berkeley medium, N. Berkeley and Claremont area are more affluent--again, these are generalities. Can you visit here to see what neighborhoods you like before signing a lease? While the Ashby Bart area of Berkeley is not flooded with students (at all), you might find some of the aforementioned Oakland neighborhoods better. Berkeley is full of families, students are more around the campus and where Shattuck and Telegraph intersect with University.

Be aware that both Berkeley and SF have a lottery for public schools. Not sure how that works re: mid school-transfers. SF's is very intense and you could wind up in a school across town. Berkeley's is more manageable, though you are not guaranteed your neighhorhood school. The more affluent neighborhoods of Oakland have pretty decent public elementary schools and you are much more likely to get your local school, though sometimes they are oversubscribed. I would call to check about transferring in mid-year.

Re: play-based preschools. Yes, there are many, Regio and otherwise. Hopefully someone else will offer current recommendations. There are also many progressive, private schools in the east bay, too many to list! Google is your friend. good luck!

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I only have a few mins so I can't get into the whole where to live but I can tell you we live in South Berkeley near the Ashby Bart - and it is not a student area at all - the students mostly live near campus. I work in the financial district and my door to door commute (walk, bart, walk) is 32 mins total so very manageable. We love Berkeley -it is the burbs but still lots of access to SF, theater etc if you still want that. So I'd say its fairly urban as suburbs go, particularly for the bay area. good luck with the move! Berkeley fan

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I recommend Piedmont . Your husband can catch casual carpool and be on the highway in 1-2 quick minutes. Or go to nearby Rockridge or Oakland BART stations. Berkeley is much bigger with much more stop n go traffic. Piedmont is like a small town where you know your neighbors and can walk around the whole town. Berkeley is larger, more urban, and your neighbors kids go to different schools. Piedmont is surrounded by farmers markets and groceries as well as restaurants and other such things. The absolute best thing is being able to sign your kids up for recreation dept classes and a FREE van drives the kids around! Don't believe the image of Piedmont. There are so many great and caring families here! And of course the weather is great, less fog than the Berkeley hills (where I work.) K12

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I would not live near Ashby BART with little kids. When I lived there a few years ago, there were muggings outside my window, and people would go to the door or tap on the window asking for handouts, etc. Plus, the walkable shops are not that close or that great. Some people will surely disagree, but it would not be my choice. If I were you, I would look near Rockridge in Oakland instead. It's a fun area, very kid-friendly, sounds like a good match to your self-description, and it is on the Pittsburgh/Bay Point BART line rather than the RIchmond line. There are more trains, and you never have to transfer, whereas on the Richmond line, you sometimes have to transfer (direct service from SF is intermittent), which would add time to your husband's trip. I found that my commute from downtown to Rockridge took half the time, or less, than it took me when I was in the avenues in the City itself. anon

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Consider living in Rockridge ! It has many attributes...

--It's a wonderful walking neighborhood full of shops, restaurants, cafes, etc. (OK, Rockridge is oversupplied with places to get your brows waxed, but where else can you walk to the bay area's best butcher shop?) I walk EVERYWHERE - to get groceries, to the post office, to the playground with my kid, etc. I routinely park my car and then don't look at it for a week.
--There is access to GREAT food here - both restaurants and groceries and a great farmer's market on Sundays.
--It is so easy to commute from here. The BART gets you from Rockridge to SF in 20 minutes. And it's right on the freeway too.
--Rockridge is FULL of families w/ small children, and it feels like a village. I routinely see the same people when I am out with my daughter, and I have made friends at the park, the coffee shop, etc. Although it has all the fun and interesting stuff of an urban neighborhood, it *feels* small, and you see the same faces regularly.
--There are about six trillion preschools in Rockridge (maybe even more preschools than waxing salons). Take your pick.
--Rockridge is home to two of Oakland's best public elementary schools, Chabot and Peralta.
--Downside: Rockridge is an expensive place to buy a house (see above if you wonder why). But renting here is not that different than other nice neighborhoods in Berkeley/Oakland. I have been both a renter and a homeowner here, and, in my opinion, the location is so special and wonderful that it's worth maybe squeezing into a smaller space.

Best of luck on your move! Rockridge Mom

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We live in Alameda and we highly recommend it. Alameda is a small island off of Oakland, and we are a small community with a small neighborhood feel. People like to describe us as a place stuck in the 50's--in a good way! Kids still ride their bikes to school and play on the streets, and there are tons of parks, lagoons and beaches where people exercise and walk their dogs. The schools here are also very good, from K-12 (some better than others, so be sure to check first). I hear the problem with Oakland schools is that even though your neighborhood elementary school might be good, some are admitted by the lottery system, and later on the middle schools/high schools are not that great, and we were told some parents then move or send their kids to private school. At least in Alameda I take comfort that we can settle here and send our kids to public school all the way to high school.

You can drive to downtown in 30 minutes (more with traffic), take BART (unfortunately you'll have to be driven to BART in Oakland), or take the ferry (very convenient). I hear some people carpool into the city from Alameda. A 45 minute commute seems like a lot when you are not from the Bay Area, but you will find that you have to drive at least 20-30 minutes just to get anywhere, so you might have to readjust your expectations. At least within Alameda, everything is just 5-10 minutes away. Oh, and did I mention the weather is good? It's never too hot, and we don't get the fog. Good luck with your move! --Vote for Alameda!

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We recently moved to Oakland from Brooklyn (Park Slope). While I grew up in San Jose, it had been nearly 20 years since I left the Bay Area, so coming back feels very much like we are getting to know things from scratch.

We knew we did not want to be in the South Bay. Too far from work, not urban enough, or interesting enough. Before moving here, I was pretty set on Berkeley. I lived on BPN and real estate web sites and pretty much had a lay of the land before we even came to visit. However, spending time in Berkeley left me feeling a bit empty. The places in our budget didn't seem like communities I wanted to live in (we wanted to buy a 3-4 bedroom for 800K or less). I was really surprised by this, so I absolutely recommend you take a few trips out in advance to see the areas for yourself.

We ended up really liking many parts of Oakland-- Rockridge, Lake Merritt, Crocker Highlands, Montclair. There was an energy here I really appreciated. My parents-- after more than 30 years of listening to Oakland-bashing on the news--were surprised to see that Oakland was really an interesting and beautiful place.

We fell in love with a house in Montclair , and the zoned public school seemed excellent, by test score and because the parent community was hugely involved. We took a risk and bought it.

It's been 3 months since we moved and we really love living here. It is nowhere near as pedestrian-scale as Brooklyn, but there are other things we appreciate. Our street is so lovely--our neighbors are very friendly, our kids all go to the same school, they ride their bikes and scooters in the street (it is a dead end street, so little traffic), we have BBQs together... we feel so fortunate to have that and without it, we would likely feel lonely. The school is also terrific, though certain things about it have taken some adjustment (the parent involvement is enormous, and expected. as a working mother with 2 small children, I have found it overwhelming at times the extent to which I am asked to participate). The farmer's markets are amazing. The weather is incredible. My neighborhood is gorgeous. We love our house. The work-life balance is better here culturally than in NYC... my husband is home earlier despite a longer commute as people seem to put down their jobs and go off to pursue their own interests. He is not as stressed out. I have always worked from home, so it is no different for me. Culturally, it feels quite liberal, and the families I have met seem to share our values in education, healthy living, the arts, politics, etc.) I am sure there are varied opinions no matter where you go, but it does not feel conservative here.

The cons: We've put more miles on our car(s)--we need 2 now--in 3 months than we did our entire driving history in Brooklyn (we owned a car for 2 years there). My husband is driving to Brisbane temporarily for work, and the traffic is a bitch. He sometimes makes it in an hour, if he is lucky. He will normally go to SOMA, which should allow him to take BART. I miss the vast selection of great, independent coffee shops in Park Slope. I have yet to replace my beloved Grumpy's. I also miss the Park Slope Food Coop, which was a great place to buy inexpensive organic food. I love Berkeley Bowl, but it is not cheap. Same with Whole Foods. I miss fall and that snap in the air when you can pinpoint exactly when the season changes. Also, my daughter's school in Brooklyn was pretty economically and racially diverse, which I appreciated. Her school in Oakland is less so.

All in all, I think you will find something to love about your Bay Area experience, no matter where you end up. We ended up in a place we didn't expect and we love it. Just be open minded and embrace the change. Feel free to contact me if you would like to ask me anything else. Good luck! Wendy

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well, i read the responses and i have to take issue w/ the post that said stay away from Richmond . i didn't see the original post, but there are plenty of great places to live in richmond and we have a lot of middle class families here. in addition, you will find cute, affordable houses, some good public schools--including a dual immersion school--and plenty of high quality private schools. plus the diversity here can't be beat. we have richmond art center, free music festivals, horse stables, and access to other cultural venues. it's 25 minutes to sf, 20 to san rafael, 45 to napa, 15 to oakland. neighborhoods to look at are richmond view, richmond annex, north & east (north of the 30s), point richmond and some of the newer areas near hilltop. the city has problems, no doubt about it. but so does berkeley, oakland and sf. it all depends what neighborhood you're in. the one thing i have to say that does suck about richmond-el cerrito is the summer weather, which is just like sf. but i'm an old beach bunny from l.a.. anyway, to whoever said stay away: you should come up here sometime. you might actually like it! in richmond 10 years

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Job in SF but I must have sun

Feb 2010

I'd hate to have husband commute but I must have sun. Is it better to live in Berkeley, Sausalito, parts of SF or avoid SF complelety? Concerns about crime as well. I am Cal mom age 63.I hope to teach cooking to kids out of my home. Many thanks, C.

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Go to sfgate.com, and search the entire archive for 'microclimates'. There is a story by Harold Gilliam with maps of SF microclimates, fog etc. A place that seems even sunnier is through the tunnel--- Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek , and they are directly on a BART line. We briefly lived in Marin and did seem less foggy than SF. Some of the commutes can be fast--for example if your husband works in Embarcadero Center, the ferry is fast. anon

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have you looked at Noe Valley . It's a fabulous family friendly neighborhood. We used to live on 22nd st at Church. It was sunny most of the year. We watched the fog roll in to the right and left eventually meeting in Potrero and never quite make it to us. Ah, I miss those days. miss those sunny days

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Noe Valley is relatively sunny for the city (as is the Mission, but you said you were concerned about safety - probably not the best area for you). Potrero Hill would be another option. Anything south of the city, too. (Just don't go west!)

In the East Bay, I wouldn't go north of Emeryville -- too much fog coming across through the golden gate. Oakland is pretty reliably sunny in all parts, I'd say. A Fan of the Fog

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Oakland has much more sun than Berkeley and there are very nice neighborhoods there. Real sun is through the Caldecott Tunnel - Orinda, Moraga . Don't know about Sausalito. SAD sufferer in Berkeley

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East Bay neighborhood that's commutable to SF, progressive, kid-friendly

April 2003

In a year or so my husband will be taking a job in San Francisco. We presently live in Hawaii where I am from. We are looking in the East Bay area for a place to live. We have three kids- 3 year old twin boys and a 4 month old baby boy. I know very little about the area and am very nervous about this move because this is a decision we are making for our whole! family. I have been trying to research areas from Berkeley all the way to Walnut Creek.

Here is a summary of my ''dream'' place: I would love to find an area that is progressive with natural living/organic living resources. An active community would be nice. I am looking for a place with easy access to outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, running, parks, playgrounds and open space to run loose. I want a place that is kid friendly and close to good schools- public and/or private. Other places (ie: children's museums etc... are a plus too). My husband will be commuting to San Francisco so it needs to be within a reasonable distance to the city (I hear BART is very easy). I realize that the cost of living is outrageous- even compared to Hawaii, so I am prepared for that, but are some areas more expensive than others? I guess that covers the aspects that I consider most important. I have seen the other postings on the website but I was hoping for more information about some of the specific qualities that I mentioned. Any input would be very appreciated! Thank you
Courtney

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If you are looking for a great East Bay neighborhood, I would pick our neighborhood -- Upper Rockridge between Broadway Terrace and Moraga Avenue. This is a very diverse neighborhood and is close to everything (nature and modern conveniences). It also has a terrific K-8 public elementary school, Hillcrest. (You may need to send your kids to private high school though.) We really love it here -- there are tons of kids on our street that are the same age as yours (my twins and baby are separated by the same time as yours are but are about a year older). As far as commuting to the city, my husband takes the bus from about a block away. It is an express bus and he is at his desk 35 minutes after walking out the door. Of course, BART is always an option but the bus is generally faster for him given the location of his office. The commute is a huge benefit to being here. Also, the weather is not nearly as hot as the cities further east. Shannon

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you are describing berkeley and oakland. consider these neighborhoods: rockridge (upper and lower), montclair, crocker highlands, berkeley hills, elmwood, and north berkeley. a happy oakland resident

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Hi Courtney, We've been really happy in Albany , and it has all the things you're looking for:
1) A small-town atmosphere with lots of families, walkable neighborhoods and easy access to natural groceries & pharmacies.
2) Several nice local parks, quick access to large parks like Tilden, easy access to a bayside beach and a quick hop across the bay to Marin County and Point Reyes
3) A great school system with motivated kids, good teachers and lots of parent involvement
4) Walking (or easy biking) access to BART
Yes, it's expensive. And the school budgets are getting slashed, just like most in California. But it works pretty well for us. Good luck! Jeff

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Hi. Since you are from Hawaii, you should be aware that the Berkeley area, basically from North Oakland to north berkeley/albany/so. el cerrito gets A LOT of fog in the summer. I live in No. Berkeley. Our nicest time of year is the spring. Lots of blue sky. From June through August there is a lot of fog. Some times it's just in the morning, some times it lasts all day. Because this area is located directly across from the ''open'' area spanned by the Golden gate bridge, the coastal fog rolls through, across the bay in a tube, and sits nestled in the Berkeley hills. I love sun and still love this area despite this, but it CAN be a drag on summer days that are warm everywhere but here. The good thing is that even when we have hot days, eventually the fog rolls in and cools things off just aorund the time you are tired of the heat.

For summer hot weather, you'd need to live ''through the tunnel'' in Orinda, Concord, Walnut Creak, Pleasonton area.

For this side of the tunnel, the best public schools are found in Piedmont. You trade good schools (v. Berkeley) for a fairly conservative population.

Berkeley has tons of diversity, poor/mediocre public schools, great access to the outdoors (literally out your door, if you live high in the hills, adjacent to Tilden Park), tons of arts and restuarants...in fact, Berkeley is all about food, whether its the abundance of fresh everything at the markets or tons of choices for excellent dining out. Lots of theaters, movies, art shows, music. This is why we live here.

There is good access to Rockridge Bart station in North Oakland/Rockridge area, or at North Berkeley Bart, central Berkeley BART or even El Cerrito Bart. Berkeley distinguishes itself from other areas nearbye in that most of the houses are old and have a lot of architectural charm, and the neighborhoods have lots of trees.

There are tons of excellent private schools to choose from. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Dana

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Alameda is a wonderful place to live! flat, so biking/stroller stuff is easy. easy bus ride to the city, 35-40 min. schools pretty good i think (we homeschool). lots of scouts, soccer, little league, churches, etc. trader joe's and a new marketplace (organic stuff, fish, bakery, niman ranch meat) in town. quick to get just about anywhere in the bay area from here. good luck! peggy

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Hi Courtney. I currently live in Oakland, but if I had my choice (maybe in a couple of years) I would live in Orinda . It is exactly what you described in your message, and it is west of Walnut creek. Orinda also has a BART station so commuting to SF is a breeze. Actually, most towns around Walnut Creek are pretty nice, but I have heard that Walnut Creek schools are not as nice as they used to be. You could look at Lafayette and Pleasant Hill, both between Orinda and Walnut Creek. Other towns out that direction will just put you even farther from SF. Best advice though is come take a look, and maybe rent for a year before putting down roots. The real estate prices will really make you gasp.

Also, be sure to find directions and drive by Orinda Public Library. It is huge and new, beautifully set next to new community center and very large playground/public tennis courts. I have three kids (3yr, 6yr, 11 yr.) and we will go spend 3 hours or so doing various activities around the library & playground.

Good Luck! Tiffany

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You didn't mention whether you would be buying or renting a home when you arrive, but either way you can get a good sense of the cost of housing in the various East Bay cities by going to www.realtyadvocates.com. Just click on Home Search (East Bay), then select the different cities you are looking at, and conduct a search with broad parameters (2+ bedrooms, 200,000-800,000 dollars...). This will give you a pretty good sense of how much most homes are going for in that area.

Most of your desires can be met in most of the communities in the Berkeley-Oakland area. As far as schools go, some districts are better than others, but California's budget is in a shambles and our schools are taking the brunt of the blow. All the districts, even the ''good'' ones, are scrambling to maintain decent class size and enrichment programs in the coming years.

Good luck to you,
ehens

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I took an interest in your request b/c I too am from Hawaii (Honolulu), and I understand what your leaving behind to move to the Bay Area.

My husband also commutes to the city on BART and we've lived in different East Bay neighborhoods over the past 10+ years. I've found the following to be really nice, kid friendly, good parks, easy commute to city etc.: Piedmont, Rockridge(Oakland), Elmwood (Berkeley), West Brae neighborhood near the N Berkeley BART station/Monteray Mkt all to be great. Living on the Berkeley/Oakland side of the East Bay puts you within easy access of great restaurants, food shopping at farmer's markets, Berkeley Bowl/Monteray Mkt, museums both in the East Bay and the City and close to the neighborhood parks and regional parks (Tilden).

I've also heard that living in Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga can be very nice too! So many choices, good luck! Maya

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We live in and really like Castro Valley . It's family friendly, there are community groups, I hear (my child is only 2 1/2) that the schools are good, it's small-ish but with all the essentials, well situated for either a BART or car commute to SF, also well situated for access to other cities such as Hayward/Union City, Oakland and Dublin/Pleasanton (I work in Oakland and my husband works in Dublin). Lake Chabot, which has hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicing and fishing, is just minutes from downtown. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions I might be able to answer. We're also relocating this coming June, but it has nothing to do with Castro Valley! Jennifer

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I have been looking into buying a house in the east bay (mainly oakland). And unless you are willing to pay exta ordinarily expensive prices for your home I would NOT look in piedmont, rockridge (oakland), and most places through the tunnell (orinda, lafayette). Although I'm sure these are great places to live they come with great big price tags, and are somewhat exclusive.

Although berkeley is a great place to live, my only complaint is that many parts of it are a pain to get out of, because there is only one freeway 80, and it is often congested. (also the property taxes are more than oakland). But still there are MANY nice neighborhoods in berkeley, & some good schools, and lots of parks/family oriented stuff. But I do not know berkeley as well as oakland.

Some neighborhoods in oakland that have good schools, and nice family neighborhoods are: oakmore, montclair, trestle glen, & crocker highlands, to name a few.

If you are interested in getting a general idea of the price/location of homes check out www.Realtor.com

Oakland school district finder http://mapstacker.ousd.k12.ca.us For school ratings (bear in mind that it is always best to get opinions of parents/and even better teachers on how a school is, also this does not list the correct school districts in oakland, that is why you have to use the other school finder) www.greatschools.net

some general info on oakland http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/RemoteRefFiles/form/current_info_bayarea.html

Also besides this site (impressive you found it!)For local jobs, etc. www.craigslist.org

Also, Alameda has really started to grow on me. It is has a small town feel, but is close to oakland/berkeley, and not to hard to get to san francisco. I love the old victorians (it is also slightly less expensive than oakland & berkeley). Also though coming from hawaii it will surley be a huge dissapointment, there is a beach there (with a nice view of S.F.- Hey you can't get that in Hawaii). But some of it is land fill, and Bay farm (part of alameda) which has great schools I believe is all Landfill, and it has a gated community feel which I personally do not like (and it's farther out).

Hope this helps, the bay area is a great place to live, it's just everyone seems to want to live here, so housing is out of control, and so is traffic during commute hours. But once you adjust to the few negatives you will fall in love with the diversity,& open mindedness of the residents, and the beauty of the surrounding reginal parks.
signed: an oakland resident for 13 years

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I was just reading the last set of recommendations and was taken aback by the description of Berkeley for the family from Hawaii seeking a nice neighborhood in the East Bay. ''Berkeley has tons of diversity, poor/mediocre public schools..'' There it is, casually tossed out as if a given, ''poor/mediocre public schools.'' Excuse me? Says who? I have had four children in the Berkeley Public Schools. Currently my oldest is teaching at Berkeley High School and my youngest is a sophomore there. My children attended Cragmont, Columbus (now Rosa Parks), Franklin, King and the high school. They had wonderful teachers. They learned to read and write, to help others and enjoy life. They went on field trips to Chinatown, Alcatraz, Ano Nuevo, Pt. Reyes, and Monterey. They had chicks in the classroom, visits from the Bat lady, music lessons in the fourth grade. They worked on the Award-Winning Berkeley High Jacket, played lacrosse, field hockey, water polo. They took AP Chemistry, AP Biology, French, Latin, and Calculus BC (not offered at many schools.) The three that graduated went on to Ivy League schools. But the best part is they made wonderful friends--kids who were resilient, caring, and thoughtful. And I have been lucky enough to make friends with their parents--people who work hard at supporting public education in their community.

It is NOT a given that the Berkeley schools are either poor or mediocre. Janet

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I second the recommendation that Castro Valley is a nice place to live. I've lived in the Bay Area all my life, and as an adult bought my 1st and 2nd house in Castro Valley. CV is a smaller community and has a small town feel which is something I like. I understand public schools here are excellent. (Our CV renter tells us the CV public schools aren't affected by the budget cuts as much as other schools because CV is considered a Distinguished school. Someone correct me if this is wrong). Also, I've been told there is afterschool daycare/activities at the CV schools. There is a BART station in CV, and also close by in San Leandro where parking isn't a problem until about 9am (?). There are many hiking + bike trails and parks, such as at Lake Chabot. Horse stables are nearby too, and campsites at Lake Chabot. CV is centrally located to the freeways. If you are considering buying a house, you get more for your money in CV than say Albany or Berkeley. Same with renting. Feel free to email me if you have questions. hana