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Tell me about living in the Bay Area

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Plasdom

Senior member
I currently relocated to Belmont and so far the traffic has been a shock. Seems like there is always traffic no matter where you want to go. I am used to at least clear routes to Walmart or Meijer. Seems like you have to "battle" to go grocery shopping.

The task now is to find a place to live. Where are the ideal places to live in some peace and quiet and safety. Because of the traffic the advice has been to live very close to work. However, if I can find a place where there is little traffic to go shopping and "have fun" I will be willing to live there and drive through traffic to work
 
It's expensive because it's the best metropolitan area in the US. I don't know where you came from, but traffic isn't any worse than any other big metro area I've been to.

Where you live depends on how much you want to spend. Are you looking to buy or rent, what's your budget? Personally, I'd want to live in Saratoga or Los Gatos. They're not the most exciting places as far as night life, but they're quieter, and the trees are nice.
 
bay area is wonderful...
but be prepared for sticker shock on just about everything...
better be making alot of money casue it does not go far there...

900 bucks a month for a 1 BR studio... tiny... but man so many things to do...
love that area... I Have Family in Santa Cruz and Woodside areas..
so I spent alot of time there.
 
traffic? traffic in norcal is NOTHING like traffic in this hell hole called los angeles. where did live before? that would explain a lot regarding your comparsion to traffic.

i love traffic in the bay area - unless there's an accident or an event going on, there's only traffic during rush hour. the way it should be if you ask me, not this constant traffic crap in los angeles.

for belmont, you may want to consider redwood city, depending on your budget. san mateo perhaps. los gatos and saratoga might be a bit "out there" especially if you don't enjoy traffic. belmont might be a bit pricey to live in itself. where do you work?

i grew up in san jose, i spend a lot of time in sunnyvale. i also like santa clara, there are some nice quieter parts of san jose, campbell, saratoga and los gatos are getting up there.
 
well in regards to the traffic, it has more to do with the way people drive than the amount of traffic. I am looking to rent for right now. With the housing prices I don't think I can afford to buy. I work about a block from ORACLE
 
I would consider a little further away, and just try to leave for work a little early to beat out most traffic...

yeah, and norcal traffic isn't bad at all. Come to LA area where its grind grind grind from like 8am to 8pm
 
Oh and where do you live? I live in SJ and I've commuted up to Redwood Shores a few times. That 101 commute is hell. It's the main road to SF. Just like 880 is the main hell hole for East Bay commutes. I'm glad I work in the South Bay where there's a much larger network of highways and larger roads to support traffic.

If you 're worried about traffic, don't. LA's traffic is dead. If it takes me 45 min to go from UCLA to USC then that's lame. Cuz I can get from Stanfurd to Berkeley in 45 min when they're like 4x as far apart as the 2 rival schools in LA. www.sigalert.com speaks for itself.. *cough*405 freeway*cough&
 
Oracle is in Redwood Shores, I would start looking at Foster City or perhaps even at San Mateo or San Carlos.

The area around Oracle as you probably already know is mostly commercial so I seriously doubt you'll find housing a block away from Oracle.
 
I visit Antioch, CA every summer to see my Dad and it is a far cry from Madison, WI. Its crazy that you have to plan a day out around traffic.

Personally I find the area awesome to visit but I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there.
 
San Mateo is a nice place to live.. not far from SF/San Jose, close to the airport, nice neighborhoods..

edit: congratulations on your job, too!
 
Originally posted by: notfred
It's expensive because it's the best metropolitan area in the US. I don't know where you came from, but traffic isn't any worse than any other big metro area I've been to.

Where you live depends on how much you want to spend. Are you looking to buy or rent, what's your budget? Personally, I'd want to live in Saratoga or Los Gatos. They're not the most exciting places as far as night life, but they're quieter, and the trees are nice.
Click to expand...

Amen. That area is VERY quiet and I like that....but peace comes at a cost too...haha
 
Originally posted by: 777php
Oracle is in Redwood Shores, I would start looking at Foster City or perhaps even at San Mateo or San Carlos.

The area around Oracle as you probably already know is mostly commercial so I seriously doubt you'll find housing a block away from Oracle.
Click to expand...

Then what is the big building next to 680 that says "Oracle" on it?
 
It probably is a satellite marketing office, the main Oracle campus is right off 101 just south of the 92. It's series of 4 or 5 circular buildings viewable on your right on the Northbound side of the freeway.
 
Originally posted by: freesia39
there's only traffic during rush hour. the way it should be if you ask me, not this constant traffic crap in los angeles.
Click to expand...
It's too bad they can't build a subway or something there... 😕

 
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: 777php
Oracle is in Redwood Shores, I would start looking at Foster City or perhaps even at San Mateo or San Carlos.

The area around Oracle as you probably already know is mostly commercial so I seriously doubt you'll find housing a block away from Oracle.
Click to expand...

Then what is the big building next to 680 that says "Oracle" on it?
Click to expand...

old building? where on 680? i only know of their building in redwood city shores.
 
Originally posted by: Plasdom
is El Camino Real a good alternative to 101?
Click to expand...

If the 101 is congested, sure. I take it from time to time if the freeway is packed. It really depends on how far you need to go, a few exits should be fine.
 
El Camino is ok. 101 is hell during commute hours though. Especially at the different onramps. 237 => 101 crowds up sometimes. 85 => 101 is ONE HELL OF A PIECE OF CRAP. They need to fix that ASAP. I commute through that everyday. If you live in the South Bay and want to go up North, 85 => 101 is definitely the path you take and its jammed like a b!tch.

San Mateo is a nice place definitely. Any housing near there is going to be MUCH better than if you lived closer to the South Bay. As you go more south like Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos... LoL that stuff is more expensive than SF anyday. So is Palo Alto... STAY AWAY unless you got the millions to shell out.
 
..I live on the DailyCity/SF border..very crowded..expensive..and many jobs have evaporated because of over priced housing. Most of us that are here now couldn't afford to start over in this area.
 
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