Living in Danville
Parent Q&A
My son goes to school in Danville, and the kids there have a ton of freedom (in a good way). Several of my friends have moved to Castro Valley recently, and have encountered the awesome environment you described, but if money is no object, you may not like it (it's cheaper and less charming than the areas you mentioned). Living on a cul-de-sac is key, wherever you choose.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
| Questions about Living in Danville |
2008 - 2014 Reviews
Moving away from Oakland - Danville or Piedmont?
March 2014We know all the pros/cons about most things when comparing these two areas - cost difference, culture, commute, weather, lifestyle, etc. What we can't get a handle on is the difference between the public school sports programs at the middle and high school level. Piedmont seems to support nearly all levels of budding athletes and as a result almost all the kids who want to play for a school team have a fairly good chance of doing so. Conversely we hear that in Danville only the true elite get to play on school and/or club level teams and there's not much in the way of recreational leagues after 5th grade. Our 2 boys love sports(soccer, basketball, flag football, tennis and lacrosse) and can't imagine not being about to play therefore our decision will be more heavily weighted by those opportunities than API scores for the public high schools. Who lives in Danville and/or Piedmont, loves kids/teen sports and can set us straight? MS
We live in Danville and have three children, ages 16, 12 and 12. Girls and boys of all abilities can play club soccer through high school here -- Mustang is the club, white is the level. The high school teams are very competitive and only the best club kids make a team. That would be D1 players (silver or gold level). LAX club goes only through middle school. High school LAX is not as competitive as high school soccer. Golf is very competitive and I'm not sure if there are club teams. The men's golf team at Monte Vista High School is mostly kids who learned on the local country clubs. Just the facts, m'aam.
Living in Danville Blackhawk area
March 2013Hello. We are considering moving from Oakland to Danville/Blackhawk area with our two young children. Has anyone lived there and have an opinion of the area? How is the diversity, schools, crime, safety, community feel, weather, people, etc.? I am also concerned about people being too materialistic, is this true for this area? Is it easy to meet friends like in Oakland? Any information will be appreciative. Thanks! moving
Hi, we live in Danville/near Blackhawk Plaza, and I actually work in Oakland, so I do have a point of reference. we moved from the Peninsula 4 years ago, specifically because of schools. I think that Danville/San Ramon is more condusive to having a family, there're more parks, more friendly family- oriented people, etc. To address some of your questions: Schools - I only have direct experience with Elementary Schools and Daycare - both are excellent. I like my son's teachers, they're professional, caring and effective. They have a nicely equipped computer lab, good library, PTA funds para-professionals to help the teachers 3/4 days, there is a LOT of parent involvment, as far as funding for supplies, presentations, holiday events for the kids, etc. Environment - We love the parks, clean play grounds, safe bike trails, and a lot of families around with small/young kids. We found people to be friendly, we know our neighbors and my son plays outside with other neighborhood kids (this was NOT the case when we lived on the Peninsula). Yes, there're some very high income earners, and it affects kids' lifestyles and perceptions; nobody is pushing their lifestyle at you, and we found friends easily; NOT everyone is materialistic and drives a Ferrari (some pp definitely fall in that category). The one stable difference is how kids spend summers/free time, they travel more, go to more after-school activities, sports, music, etc.. this is certainly a reflection of a higher income population. We found that it also affects the quality of these programs (they're very good), and my son found himself spending a LOT more time outdoors(due to good weather and the fact that he's more involved in a sport) Diversity - I don't think you'll be able to match the level of diversity in Berkeley/Oakland area; maybe in Dublin or Walnut Creek/Concord. Weather - it's great, we spend a lot more time outside, in the parks, bbq's, etc. Safety - I feel much safer, we take walks when it's dark, leave strollers outside our front door, etc.. not to say that any place is totally safe these days. We had a hard time moving, so Im happy to share my experienc. L
Moving to Walnut Creek or Danville
Jan 2013My husband and I moved from San Francisco to the Oakland foothills 5 years ago. We now have children and need more space. We have been researching Walnut Creek and Danville and are wondering if anyone out there has recent advice. We know that the Walnut Creek School District is more desirable than Mt. Diablo, but have heard that the schools that feed into Foothill Middle School and Northgate High are good. Any advice for Danville would be greatly appreciated. Nicole
Hi Nicole, Our family, including 2 school aged boys (6 & 8) moved to Danville from Houston, TX last August. We too looked at other parts of the East Bay before deciding on Danville. Our priorities were also school-driven and we looked at Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, Alamo and Danville. We couldn't be happier with our choice! The community we live in is wonderful - warm, friendly and family-oriented - and the school the boys go, John Baldwin Elementary, is very good. I can't speak to the quality of schools in the Mt. Daiblo school district because we're zoned to San Ramon Valley USD, and although we find the education standard in general lower than what we had in Texas, the school is wonderful. Great teachers & staff, nurturing environment and involved parents. From what I understand, the other elementary schools in the district are very similar. We feed into Charlotte Woods Middle School and San Ramon HS, and I've heard that both are excellent. Danville as a town is lovely too, and we're only ten minutes from Walnut Creek and go whenever I need the bigger stores, etc. Like I said, we're delighted with our choice. I'm happy to talk with you off-line if you'd like more information. SB
I missed the original post but just wanted to say that it really depends on what you are looking for. My brother has been living in Danville for the past 5 or so years and despite what others love about it, he really dislikes a few important things. Weather: hot, dry and windy in summer. He and his kids spend all day in doors where it is air-conditioned. Too hot to play outside in summer. Yuck. Culture: none. No diversity of any kind, lots of emphasis on materialism. If it's suburbia you want, it's perfect. If you are from the East Bay or any other city, it might be slightly Stepford for you. --City girl
2004 - 2007 Reviews
2003 & Earlier
How do you like living in Danville?
November 2002We are starting on the journey towards moving to a larger house. While we hope to be able to stay in Walnut Creek, our realtor suggested considering Danville as well. I was wondering if any of you live in Danville and how you like it. What are the family-friendly neighborhoods? How are the public schools, specifically middle schools(s) and high school(s). Anything else we should consider? Thanks for any input. LB
We live in Danville and love it! Danville is the definition of family-friendly, in almost all neighborhoods. The ones with small streets and culdesacs have the most kids. My kids are young, the oldest is 6, so I can't speak to middle schools and high schools much, but they score well on tests and the student body is on average very high-achieving and college-bound. I'm not sure what else you're looking for, but if it's family- friendly, you'll definitely find it in Danville. The community center is strong, the restaurants are almost all kid-friendly, there are lots of mothers groups and newcomer groups, more stay- at-home moms than working moms, the churchs have great youth programs, and almost anything you want is within 15 minutes drive to Walnut Creek or Pleasanton/Dublin. Staying close to the freeway makes San Francisco more doable, but otherwise neighborhoods are a matter of asthetic preferences. Happy house hunting and don't fear Danville, it's great! Julie K.
Having grown up in Danville and recently moved back to Danville to raise kids, here's my 2 cents. Extremely kid friendly stores/restaurants (they'd be out of business if they weren't). Can't beat the weather. Lots of outdoor activities (surrounded by state parks) and organized sports (you name it they've got it). Very involved parents which keeps the schools on their toes and the kids out of trouble (for the most part). Competitive public schools, (some of the best in the state actually) and have caught the attention of all the best colleges/universities nationwide. Schools still offer music, dance, electronics shop etc. Parents make sure these programs are kept in the schools despite budget cuts. Great library/community center and several very nice kiddie parks (Oak Hill, Osage). A great place to raise kids. I remember making fun of living there when I was a kid because it seemed so boring, compared to San Francisco, but as an adult I appreciate the tranquility and the access to everything we could ever need. Bart service from Walnut Creek is key to my pleasurable AM commute to SF. I could go on and on. Email me if you want to hear more of the good and the bad. Nancy
More reviews of Danville
Sept 2003Re: Moving to Lafayette - pressure on teens? I had to answer this post in defense of Danville. I have 2 small kids(3 and 4)and moved to Danville from Upper Rockridge about a year ago. I have found Danville to be a wonderful, ''kid centered'' town. I'm not sure what part of Danville you were in, but my block is chock full of vans (not luxury vehicles). There are alot of stay at home moms on a limited budget. My block has a close community of moms that give each other help & advice (when asked for!). The emphasis is definetly not on ''keeping up with the Joneses'' but trying to raise kids as part of a loving community.
I would guess that Danville is a lot like Lafayette...there are areas of extreme wealth and areas of more moderate incomes. I had concerns before I moved to Danville (''older'' parents, adopted kids, mid-level income)but I have found a friendly & welcoming community and we love it here!! roz
I encourage you to take a closer look at Walnut Creek. Yes, there is a lot more for teens to do in WC than in Danville, but the main reason I suggest it is that from WC they can hop on BART and get to most of the Bay Area easily. I raised my now young adult children in WC and my daughter in particular used BARt a lot to get to volunteering, ice skating, and more in SF....
I grew up in Japan and know what you mean. Is there any way that your parents can move to Japan? Japan’s infrastructure is much better. Especially for the elderly… Bay Area is wonderful of course and I would also recommend that you live near BART as the kids are used to being more independent. Using BART they can visit Berkeley and El Cerrito where there are various Japanese American communities and after school programs. If you plan on sending your kids to “Hoshūko” Saturday School I wouldn’t limit the high school you pick to just the ones that offer Japanese.
Good luck!
The Asian % of population for both Walnut Creek and Danville are similar, but I don't know about further detail on which specific Asian populations. I do find, unless you are lucky, that you need quite a concentration of a population to get good choices in grocery stores, language courses, and such. Even Berkeley, for instance, is iffy on Asian groceries- one or two smaller places; I have to go to Oakland Chinatown or up to Ranch99 or to SF to get the kind of whole fish I use for steaming; or condiments, spices, etc., beyond some chili sauces. If I wanted specifically more Vietnamese ingredients, I'd have to go into SF or down to San Jose. I can get my kids into Mandarin classes pretty easily, but Cantonese or Vietnamese would require private lessons.
I moved back to the Bay Area specifically to raise my children with enough Asian-Americans around that they see themselves represented in all walks of life, every day. And I would hesitate to get more suburban than Berkeley for that reason.