Best place to live in SF bay area if you work in Sunnyvale/Mtn View area?

Question

Hey- I just got a job in the Sunnyvale/Mtn View area and am wondering what are the best places to live in the bay area assuming the following...

- my wife does not have a job yet but will likely be working in SF or the east bay
- we have no kids and are in our mid-30s
-we want to rent apartment to start (~$3K/month or so rent?) or house?
- I'm good to communte (~45mins each way) via train, bus, combo of the bus+train, or, if necessary, drive
- we're not interested in living in an area with endless tract homes--we want to live somewhere fun with character!

Follow-up ?: How feasible is it to live in SF proper given commuting to the valley and cost of living?

Thanks!

Answer 1

You should consider checking out apartments in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Menlo Park and Sunnyvale. All have downtown areas that are rich with dining, shopping, bars, etc. These are also all on the Cal Train line, so if your wife ends up working in SF, she can commute easily.

Living in SF is doable, but it will tend to run to the highest rents in the Bay Area. Remember, you can always train into the city to enjoy the things that it has to offer. You have to go to work 5 days a week, so you may as well save yourself the grief of Bay Area commutes.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I'm not an SF native, but I would imagine that the closer you get to downtown SF, the pricier the real estate. This is the phenomenon that drives sprawl, the building of homes ever further from city centers. The good news is that Sunnyvale and Mountain View are both stops on the Caltrain commuter rail line. I would consider locating along that rail line, or in downtown SF if you're able to afford it. Not sure about East Bay.

Answer 3

a great sort of persons attempt eastern Alameda/Contra Costa Counties. they are close to to sf, yet are not too high priced, however they have been going up in value. you ought to attempt someplace so some distance as stockton/Manteca/Tracy, basically over the hills interior the valley, yet that must be a loong *** power. Fresno is a three or 4 hourcontinual, i does not try this.