Advice about Living in Hayward
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Aug 2014
RE: Leaving the Bay Area for Auburn area
I wanted to chime in on Hayward for one second, since I would hate for other readers to write us off. It is different than Berkeley or Oakland for sure (I lived in Berkeley for 5 years before living in Hayward for 10-and-still- counting), so I completely understand your culture shock.
It took awhile for me to get used to it, but once I did - and once I stopped comparing Hayward to 'cooler' places - I found that you can really make things work here, just like you can anywhere else. You can totally eat out, go to the movies, get decent groceries, get a decent cup of coffee, meet like-minded people, go to the park, send your kids to a school you are happy with, etc.
You will not have as many options as you might in other places, but Hayward is well-situated if you need to escape (20 minutes to Oakland, 30 minutes to Berkeley, 45 to SF, 35 to San Jose, 15 to Pleasanton, and Half Moon Bay/Santa Cruz are pretty close too).
There have been numerous posts on BPN about the high cost of living in the Bay Area, and one of the things I appreciate most about Hayward is that my relatively low mortgage payment allows me to take advantage of all kinds of things that I wouldn't be able to afford in a more desirable area, like take vacations, upgrade the house, eat out, go into the City, take my son to an As game, enroll him in sports, go to Cal Performances, save for college, and the like.
Like you, I really resisted moving to Hayward at first, but it turned out to be a great decision. Some of my friends in my income bracket who live in more expensive areas have lost their homes or struggle to make ends meet every month, and I'm sure glad I don't have to deal with that kind of stress. Plus, there is a lot of privilege in the Bay Area, and Hayward will definitely keep you real! I would encourage anyone who is house hunting or renting in this crazy market to come check us out. Never thought I'd say it, but I'm a Hayward fan
Neighborhoods in Hayward
Sept 2008
We are considering a move to Hayward to make a commute on the San Mateo bridge easier. I know that Hayward has some family friendly neighborhoods, some upscale neighborhoods as well as neighborhoods that have more crime than others. We are considering buying a house, but we're unsure of where to start looking for family-friendly neighborhoods. Any suggestions with general street/intersection references would be greatly appreciated. moving to Hayward
Hayward is divided into two parts. Fairview, located in Unincorporated Alameda county, East of Mission Blvd is still regarded as Hayward by the post office. Many of the homes up in the hills are affordable (by Berkeley standards) have fantastic views and large lots, some an acre or more. I lived in a neighborhood located near Lone Tree Cemetery for almost 30 years. The neighborhood is friendly, crime free and beautiful. The downsides are: You are somewhat isolated and must drive for everything; the summer weather is quite warm, warmer than Berkeley; the schools are not as good as they are in Berkeley/Albany. If I were moving back I'd choose the unincorporated area, but locate within the Castro Valley school district. John
Family with toddler moving to Hayward
July 2002
My husband, son and I are temporarily moving to Hayward. My son is 18 months old and I am expecting our second at the end of August. We were looking for toddler activities to do in the Hayward area (music classes, swimming etc. I am not very familiar with this area so any advice would be great. Thank you in advance for your help. Ritu
My favorite parks in Hayward are:
Kennedy Park On weekends they have rain rides, petting zoo, merri-go-round, snack bar. New play equipment and lot of grass to run around on. http://hard.dst.ca.us/kennedy.html
Don Castro Man-made lagoon with a shallow beach, lifeguards, picnic areas, snack bar, free shade umbrellas, super clean; empty on weekdays. A hidden gem. http://www.ebparks.org/parks/doncas.htm
You also might try the Castro Valley Mothers Club. There is an Hayward Mothers Club that is a off-shoot, but a lot of Hayward moms belong to this club. Their web site also has a ''Things to Do'' section. http://www.castrovalleymothersclub.com/ Helena
I don’t know if you can get a house in Hayward for $500Kish, but if you can, I would at least check it out. I have lived in Hayward for the past 17 years (rented in Berkeley before that), and given my modest income I LOVE it. Despite the low ratings, there are several good schools in Hayward. I know tons of kids who have gone through Stonebrae Elem/Bret Harte Middle/Hayward High and have thrived, but there are also other strong schools, so don’t limit yourself to those attendance areas. HHS and Mt Eden HS have lots of AP options and programs for all types of kids, including high achieving ones, musicians and artists. Burbank Elem and Stonebrae Elem have dual immersion programs and higher test scores than other schools. Both buildings are fairly new. I can not vouch for the special ed dept. I fear your child would be underserved, but I really don’t know. There are a bunch of charter schools at the high school level and a very popular Montessori charter that starts at 1st grade. Since you spend time here, you probably know that Hayward is very diverse (majority Latino and many racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups represented) and also very liberal. It’s a union town, sanctuary city and very accepting in general. We have an awesome gay prom every year, just for the record! Like many gentrifying and blue collar cities, homelessness is a problem. The city council is working on it, but not making huge headway. We have a good farmer’s market, brand new library and small downtown with new restaurants and things to do. If I were a millionaire plus, then maybe I would choose to live in N Berkeley (my old hood), but on my income, Iiving in hayward means I have enough cash after paying the mortgage to take a few vacations, do some shopping, go to theater in the city, etc without breaking the bank. Good luck!
Yep, I suggest Hayward. Diverse, welcoming, and cheap. 30 minutes from Berkeley if you live near 580. The crime rates might look bad on paper (I live here, but I don't look), but there are many safe neighborhoods, so you can get a better feel for that by asking neighbors when you househunt. Check us out!
Welcome back! If it's not too far for you, you should consider Hayward. It was recently ranked the third most diverse city in the US, and my son went to school with lots of biracial kids (he is half Latino, half white-Jewish). We have many public schools with bilingual programs that run TK-6th grade and I believe there is one dual immersion middle school. It's been a long time since I thought about preschool, but you should at least be able to find one with bilingual teachers. Hayward lacks many of the amenities and much of the charm that Berkeley and other parts of the Bay Area offer, but it's super real, very welcoming, and much more affordable.