I grew up in the Bay Area (Mill Valley) and we travel there regularly as most of my family is still out there, along with many friends. I agree with the many PPs who've noted how expensive the area is and the general decline in the public schools throughout California. (This is particularly dismaying to me as I got a great education K-12 in public schools, and we have paid/are now paying 4 private school tuitions here.) OTOH, I am eternally grateful for having grown up in a place where I was surrounded by natural beauty and where the climate allowed me to enjoy nature year-round. My kids are athletic and outdoorsy. As a family we ski, sail, hike and ride bikes, but nature seems distant to them -- a destination, rather than a familiar part of their lives. In this respect their lives are very different from mine as a child, and I wish I could have given them the experience I had growing up.

OP, before you make your decision, I would urge you to visit and try to connect with other young parents in the Bay Area. Target an area you like, find a good realtor and get the details about housing prices and schools. Also, you don't say much about your long-term earning prospects, but that should be a consideration as well. Finally, I would simply say that the people I know who are most unhappy in life are those who look back with regret on what they didn't do or try. This sounds cliche, I know, but at 50+, I look around at my peers and think it's really true. Good luck with your choice!

In the bay area To live in a good school area you have to spend 800k for a 1200 sqrft home.

00:40 here. Also the lottery system for public schools in SF is terrible! You can be placed at a school across the city from where you live.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living in the city would be tough on $110k, ESPECIALLY with school-age kids. They have a screwy system, ostensibly to "balance" the schools racially, which seems to always result in your kids assigned to the school farthest from your house. Look into Moraga/Orinda/Lafayette or Pleasanton/Dublin-- both have great schools and are on BART lines. They're not cheap but you could rent.


Also, NEVER refer to it as "San Fran" (or Frisco)-- it's "The City" or you will be dismissed as a tourist

Yes, this!

Ditto - it's "the city," though you can write SF (not San Fran).

110k in the city with two kids would be really tough, and buying would be next to impossible. You definitely need to visit to see what areas and neighborhoods appeal to you. I second the recommendation to check out the aforementioned areas, with the caveat that they are very suburban (not my style). You would likely commute an hour+ on BART each way to downtown SF. There are areas of Oakland and Berkeley that could also work, but you will get less for your $. But you really need to visit to get a feel - even with certain neighhorhoods, there are certain areas that are safer and more desirable, and others, not so much.