Suburbs East of San Francisco

[Anonymous]

I wonder if anyone is from the San Francisco area, and in particular, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Orinda, or even Berkeley/Oakland. My husband has a great job opportunity out there and is very interested in moving. We live in upper NWDC, where we love our leafy streets, friendly neighbors, walkability and wonderful community. Is this part of the Bay area at all like that? I know that one can't compare DC and the Bay area, but there are things about our life that I'd like to preserve, should we move, and so I'd love to hear more about what life is like in that area. I've spent time in San Francisco and the areas to the South, but I've never even been to Berkeley. (And, is the commute from these more suburban areas to Berkeley or Oakland manageable?) I understand that the schools are generally good, so I'm more interested in learning about the other quality of life factors. Oh, and I've done some initial on-line real estate searches and it seems to be about as expensive as DC. Is that way off-base? It's hard to tell from pictures.

(And, yes, we'll spend time there before making a decision, but I'd love to hear local opinions from people who've lived in both worlds.)

[Anonymous]

You might want to poke around the Berkeley Parents Network.

http://parents.berkeley.edu/

[Anonymous]

I would check out Alameda, next to Oakland but much safer. Don't know much about Lafayette but Walnut Creek and Orinda may be a bit plasticky for your tastes. I love Berkeley, but it's not for everyone. Is your husband's potential job near BART? That would open up your commute options.

[Anonymous]

OP here - What do you mean by plasticky? Can you say more?

Yes, his job is a three-minute walk from BART. Good to hear that opens up our options.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who lives in Alamed and loves it. She says it has a very small town feel.

[Anonymous]

12:34 again. My primary experience with Walnut Creek is chain shopping. It just seems more suburban and cookie-cutter than what you are looking for. Same for Orinda -- it doesn't feel like the Bay Area to me, more like generic California suburb. The parts I have been in have had nice, newish houses on hills with no sidewalks, but there may be more walkable areas I don't know about. That said, I have heard good things about the Orinda schools.

[Anonymous]

if you're willing to consider private schools, there are parts of oakland that are awesome. Check out Rockridge, which is just south of Berkeley; also the areas of Berkeley just north of there (I think the neighborhood is Elmwood). Not sure where in NW you live, but Dupont and Cleveland Park have nothing on these neighborhoods. Medium sized houses, walkable/pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, walking distance to a great and unique retail strip (College Ave) - restaurants, shops, bookstores, etc.

If you go over the ridge to Lafayette or Orinda, you're definitely far more suburban, but some areas have their own charm (think the more suburban pockets of Bethesda or CC, where you have to drive to things). Areas in North Berkeley are also more suburban but in a nice, older community way. Walnut Creek is kind of ick - agree with PP.

[Anonymous]

12:34 yet again. I wholeheartedly second the suggestion for Elmwood/Rockridge, but I imagine the real estate is pricey (in addition to the cost of private school).

[Anonymous]

OP again - Any particular areas in Orinda, etc., that have charm? We're in upper NW, so we're in a semi-suburban neighborhood already, although we do walk and metro most places. We're not trying to find something as vibrant as, say, Dupont, and we're not completely against having to drive places, but it would be nice to do most of our "living" in a local area accessible by foot or transit. And, send our kids to local schools where their friends live around the corner. And, we definitely can't afford private schools (which is probably the biggest reason we're thinking of moving; we don't know if public will work here all the way through). Is the Elmwood area one that requires private school or just Rockridge?

Thanks again for all the advice. It's great to hear from people who know both places. I did look on Berkeley Parents, but i don't have a point of reference, so it's not as helpful as hearing from people who've lived in both areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again - Any particular areas in Orinda, etc., that have charm? We're in upper NW, so we're in a semi-suburban neighborhood already, although we do walk and metro most places. We're not trying to find something as vibrant as, say, Dupont, and we're not completely against having to drive places, but it would be nice to do most of our "living" in a local area accessible by foot or transit. And, send our kids to local schools where their friends live around the corner. And, we definitely can't afford private schools (which is probably the biggest reason we're thinking of moving; we don't know if public will work here all the way through). Is the Elmwood area one that requires private school or just Rockridge?

Thanks again for all the advice. It's great to hear from people who know both places. I did look on Berkeley Parents, but i don't have a point of reference, so it's not as helpful as hearing from people who've lived in both areas.

Like much of this area, the Bay area has some of the priciest real estate in the country, especially if you are looking for walkability, charm, safety, and decent schools. Have you thought about looking on the Penninsula? Not any cheaper than the East Bay, but you may find more options. And you have CalTran to get into the city, as well as not having to deal with the Bay Bridge.

[Anonymous]

Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga (in Contra Costa County) are what I would consider equivalent to Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac: schools are well-regarded, upper middle class areas along the yellow BART (Pittsburg/Bay Point) line. You might also consider the Dublin/Pleasanton areas--similar demographics --along the blue line. I used to work for Contra Costa County and can say that not alot happens in Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga apart from DUIs and car burglaries-- pretty safe for the most part. Pleasanton is pretty quiet, too but a bit farther out.

But have you looked down the Peninsula, toward Redwood City, Burlingame, Palo Alto, etc.? Lots of people commute from there to The City on Cal Train and some of those areas have nice little downtowns. Lots of my friends bailed out of living in San Francisco proper when they had kids and moved down the Peninsula for the schools.

[Anonymous]

Have you looked at forums on city-data.com? Might have some useful information. OP, is your husband working in San Francisco or in the East Bay? Because if it's the East Bay, I would not live on the Peninsula/South Bay. The Bay Bridge is a nightmare. There are ferries from SF to Oakland and Alameda. I also prefer the East Bay suburbs to Peninsula suburbs generally. There's a lot of Silicon Valley influence in the Peninsula, which may or may not be your thing.

[Anonymous]

Foster City? Great schools, beautiful, good location, BART access...we have friends there and the LOVE it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again - Any particular areas in Orinda, etc., that have charm? We're in upper NW, so we're in a semi-suburban neighborhood already, although we do walk and metro most places. We're not trying to find something as vibrant as, say, Dupont, and we're not completely against having to drive places, but it would be nice to do most of our "living" in a local area accessible by foot or transit. And, send our kids to local schools where their friends live around the corner. And, we definitely can't afford private schools (which is probably the biggest reason we're thinking of moving; we don't know if public will work here all the way through). Is the Elmwood area one that requires private school or just Rockridge?

Thanks again for all the advice. It's great to hear from people who know both places. I did look on Berkeley Parents, but i don't have a point of reference, so it's not as helpful as hearing from people who've lived in both areas.

Elmwood is in Berkeley, so it would be Berkeley public schools; Rockridge is in Oakland. I know plenty of 30-somethings who went to Berkeley public schools and to top private colleges, but they had parents who were professors and that was a long time ago. I don't know what the schools are like now.

[Anonymous]

There are other posts on this topic, maybe from a year ago or so. Might have more info for you. "Lamorinda" schools are top notch. They're also good in Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Danville but you are smack in the center of Race to Nowhere culture. Be careful not to let your kids get caught up in the suburban affluence as it's far more excessive than DC. Public schools not so good in Berkeley or Oakland (except for Piedmont). Catholic schools are a good option.