Belle Haven Menlo Park — okay for young family?

[Anonymous]

My brother and his wife and two toddlers are moving to Bay Area from Seattle, and trying to find an affordable place to live.

They are just renting for now, and they both work on the Peninsula.

It’s kinda close to East Palo Alto, but I’ve read its much improved in Belle Haven now. They will likely go private for schools.

Rents and home prices are very reasonable, super close to FB HQ, brother feels like it will be a great investment.

[Anonymous]

It borders EPA and no way would I move 2 kids there. The rape, assault, larceny stats are way too high, there is no walkable downtown, just no. And the schools are out of the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It borders EPA and no way would I move 2 kids there. The rape, assault, larceny stats are way too high, there is no walkable downtown, just no. And the schools are out of the question.

I thought it was much better. Wouldn’t it be similar to Capital South or NoMa?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It borders EPA and no way would I move 2 kids there. The rape, assault, larceny stats are way too high, there is no walkable downtown, just no. And the schools are out of the question.

When I look at spotcrime, all the crime in Menlo Park is south of belle Haven — it’s complete clear!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It borders EPA and no way would I move 2 kids there. The rape, assault, larceny stats are way too high, there is no walkable downtown, just no. And the schools are out of the question.

When I look at spotcrime, all the crime in Menlo Park is south of belle Haven — it’s complete clear!

Spotcrime isn’t a reliable indicator. Belle Haven is Tract 17 - 5 rapes, 12 assaults, 82 larceny in that little area in a year...no thanks.

https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/16747/2018-YTD-Crime-Summary-Report

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It borders EPA and no way would I move 2 kids there. The rape, assault, larceny stats are way too high, there is no walkable downtown, just no. And the schools are out of the question.

When I look at spotcrime, all the crime in Menlo Park is south of belle Haven — it’s complete clear!

Spotcrime isn’t a reliable indicator. Belle Haven is Tract 17 - 5 rapes, 12 assaults, 82 larceny in that little area in a year...no thanks.

https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/16747/2018-YTD-Crime-Summary-Report

Ugh, that is awful. My brothers biggest worry is home invasion -- he has grown up in SE DC so pretty savvy when out and about, but having to worry when at home is a different matter.

[Anonymous]

27 burglaries in a year...that is a lot for such a small area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:27 burglaries in a year...that is a lot for such a small area.

Does that include car break ins or just home burglary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:27 burglaries in a year...that is a lot for such a small area.

Does that include car break ins or just home burglary?

That does not include cars...add another 82 incidents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:27 burglaries in a year...that is a lot for such a small area.

Does that include car break ins or just home burglary?

That does not include cars...add another 82 incidents

What part of DC metro is closest analogue?

[Anonymous]

So if Belle Haven is bad choice, where can he rent a house for about $4k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if Belle Haven is bad choice, where can he rent a house for about $4k?

What are his requirements for a house? I am from Menlo Park and live in DC now. I don't think Belle Haven is radically worse than most of SE DC. I know people renting 2BR, 900sqft houses in nice parts of Menlo Park and Palo Alto for about $4k. It is tight for a family, but doable, depending on how many kids they have. If more space is needed, consider Fremont or other areas just across the Dumbarton Bridge, Mountain View or other areas south of MP on the 101, or the part of Redwood City by Bay Road.

[Anonymous]

Belle Haven and neighboring North Fair Oaks are much improved, but the baseline wasn't great to start with. If he's used to SE circa 80s and 90s he will be fine there, but if he's looking for safer and less gritty than that, he might want to go farther afield.

What does he want for $4K? And is he hoping to buy eventually? If he works for Facebook, they offer a homebuying incentive program for employees to buy closer to the office that I believe excludes East Palo Alto and possibly Belle Haven too (to avoid accelerating gentrification that is already putting pressure on low-income families in those neighborhoods). If that's a program he'd be eligible for, he may want to rent somewhere where he could later buy.

Also, are they committed to the private path, or is that just to make an area with lower-performing schools work? I would probably look in Fremont if it's the latter and use public schools. You can rent for under $4K there if you aren't looking for a huge house. He may also still be able to find that on the Peninsula in places like Mountain View or Redwood City, though those rents continue to go way up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Belle Haven and neighboring North Fair Oaks are much improved, but the baseline wasn't great to start with. If he's used to SE circa 80s and 90s he will be fine there, but if he's looking for safer and less gritty than that, he might want to go farther afield.

What does he want for $4K? And is he hoping to buy eventually? If he works for Facebook, they offer a homebuying incentive program for employees to buy closer to the office that I believe excludes East Palo Alto and possibly Belle Haven too (to avoid accelerating gentrification that is already putting pressure on low-income families in those neighborhoods). If that's a program he'd be eligible for, he may want to rent somewhere where he could later buy.

Also, are they committed to the private path, or is that just to make an area with lower-performing schools work? I would probably look in Fremont if it's the latter and use public schools. You can rent for under $4K there if you aren't looking for a huge house. He may also still be able to find that on the Peninsula in places like Mountain View or Redwood City, though those rents continue to go way up.

Committed to private.

They have dogs and kids, so big houses are the goal.

He is most used to SE DC from 2010-2018; are you saying Belle Haven is like SE in the 90s?? — I got stabbed there just walking around back then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Belle Haven and neighboring North Fair Oaks are much improved, but the baseline wasn't great to start with. If he's used to SE circa 80s and 90s he will be fine there, but if he's looking for safer and less gritty than that, he might want to go farther afield.

What does he want for $4K? And is he hoping to buy eventually? If he works for Facebook, they offer a homebuying incentive program for employees to buy closer to the office that I believe excludes East Palo Alto and possibly Belle Haven too (to avoid accelerating gentrification that is already putting pressure on low-income families in those neighborhoods). If that's a program he'd be eligible for, he may want to rent somewhere where he could later buy.

Also, are they committed to the private path, or is that just to make an area with lower-performing schools work? I would probably look in Fremont if it's the latter and use public schools. You can rent for under $4K there if you aren't looking for a huge house. He may also still be able to find that on the Peninsula in places like Mountain View or Redwood City, though those rents continue to go way up.

Committed to private.

They have dogs and kids, so big houses are the goal.

He is most used to SE DC from 2010-2018; are you saying Belle Haven is like SE in the 90s?? — I got stabbed there just walking around back then.

I don't think you're likely to get stabbed just walking around the neighborhood. But there will be occasional armed robberies and occasional murders (usually targeted, not random, but still there). There will be a lot of property crime. There is still some gang presence, though not as much as there once was. Crime rates are falling as the area gentrifies, but they should be okay with it being rough around the edges for at least a few more years, and should also be okay with the dynamics/politics of being gentrifiers in a neighborhood that is still predominantly low-income. (Some people are completely comfortable with that, and others are not.)

All that said, if they want a large home with a yard and a decent commute to jobs on the Peninsula for a price that leaves them money to spare for tuition, they don't have a lot of options that will be very different (and frankly don't have a lot of options at all). In their shoes if they're sure they're going private for school, I'd keep renting till they know which school and then househunt based on proximity.