Where to live in better areas in Fairfield, CA (San Francisco: apartments, renting)

[bradio]

I've been in San Francisco forever, now planning to buy a house in Fairfield CA.
I think it's a decent place and affordable.. but I've been hearing bad things about it too, like the bad areas. I drove around few streets and places but it's such a big suburb...
Can anyone help me?
I'm looking at a house at Bransford Ct, just across Northbay Med Center - is this a good neighborhood/area??
Thanks!!

[llowllevellowll]

I purchased my first home in Fairfield in December of '09. Before that, I lived in Vacaville which Vacavillians are convinced is a much safer and nicer place to live over Fairfield. After moving to Fairfield, though, I personally really enjoy it more than I did Vacaville. It's a bit edgier than Vacaville and there is more crime but one thing I've determined is that a) a lot of this is appearance/surface based (and racially-based), and b) that the crime doesn't appear to occur randomly. As with most places, if you aren't harming anyone else, it doesn't appear that anyone is ever harming you. Recently there was a double-murder in Vacaville and the first thing Vacaville residents thought to say was, "This is supposed to happen in Fairfield or Vallejo, not here!" And to me, that's just so silly. There are parts of Fairfield that are infinitely nicer than anything in Vacaville and there are parts of Fairfield that are obviously down-trodden but there's a certain honesty and forthrightness from Fairfield that to me, is really endearing.

There are typically 3-12 murders per year in Fairfield, whereas Vallejo (directly to the east) typically has 6-15 murders. For those nervous of the stigma behind either city, Vacaville (just east) is where many opt to go, which has 0-2 murders.

The real reason for its increased edginess is really tied very closely to Travis Air Force Base. Although being home to an air force base brings a lot of employed people in to the city, it's a double edged sword because a lot of its workforce are more transient so there are often times higher vacancy rates in apartments and housing, which there's a lot of. With high supply and inconsistent demand, prices sink to levels lower than neighboring towns and as well, attract more lower-income families (not necessarily a bad thing either) due to its increased affordability.

Fairfield also sits just east of Vallejo and not too, too far from Richmond, and it does play a roll. I know some folks that have moved away from both cities in hopes of finding cheaper rents as well as a 'safer' place for their children. In addition, Fairfield schools have bussed kids in from both cities, as well. I think it's quite easy to differentiate Fairfield, though, because I do think that overall, it's a much nicer place to live.

There's a lot of good food, good diversity, and down-to-earth people. There's also a lot of really good, innovative development. See: Green Valley, Cordelia. Green Valley is undergoing a wealth of upgrades and development that is coming along, atleast thus far, tremendously. Green Valley is also closely tied to old Suisun, which has a network of farms, wineries, pottery clubs, etc, that are unbelievably cute/endearing and sort of makes you think you're not really living in a larger city.

If you had to generalize Fairfield, you would say that everything West of I-80 (Green Valley all the way to Vacaville) is GOOD. To be more precise, it's anywhere from family-oriented/suitable to downright gorgeous. Houses range in value from anywhere between roughly 189k - 22 million with more than a handful of homes on the market over 1 million. (This is what I was talking about when I said that Fairfield has a higher ceiling than Vacaville).

Now, Bransford Ct is located on the other side of I-80, which is what most of Fairfield is. Its neighborhoods are typically family-oriented and has a large range. Each neighborhood is a case-by-case basis. I'd personally live on Bransford Ct (there are some really cute houses right around there) but it's also very active. You'll have a lot of vehicular traffic over by the mall (and the other million stores over there). It's a GREAT location for freeway access, and obviously, for shopping. If you don't mind that it might not always be the quietest place on earth, it's a good little neighborhood.

The further you go past Pennsylvania, the spottier it will get in parts but it really just depends. E. Tabor is the most notorious street in Fairfield. When you're out past Texas and E. Tabor and continuing on E. Tabor, you'll find a lot of lower-income families and a lot of apartments. There are areas near Armijo High School off of Texas street past downtown that are on the shady side, and there are some apartments off of Pennsylvania before downtown that aren't very good.

I spend a lot of time in downtown, in the "States" neighborhood between Texas and Travis, and I typically get from one area to another using surface streets, rarely taking the freeway, and I've never seen anything that shocked me. Like I said, you'll see a lot of everyday commoners of all races and backgrounds walking down Texas, Travis, E. Tabor, etc, but they really just appear to be doing their own thing. Fairfield doesn't really try to impress others, if you ask me. I think people think it's rougher than it really is. I think it's quite tame and likable myself!

I like the area that you're choosing for amenities, but also check out everything on the other side of I-80 as well before you make your decision. It's more suburban in areas and more rural in places but they're more highly regarded. If you're purchasing and not renting, I would at least take that into consideration as well.

If you need any further help or a tour, feel free to PM me.

[18Montclair]

wow...lots of interest in Fairfield today...that's cool.

[bradio]

Thanks Parti! I really appreciate your feedback.
What do you think of N. Texas/Marigold area? I've just viewed a home to buy there.

[tatabox]

I'm also moving to Fairfield but it's more for work unfortunately. My question is: is it posible to live in Concord, Pleasant Hill or Walnut creek? Anyone know how long the commute is. I have to be within 30 minutes of Fairfield, is this drive possible? Is there much traffic?

[tatabox]

Looking for a house in Fairfield or Vacaville now...how is the Paradise Valley neighborhood in Fairfield?

Which areas in Vacaville are the nicest?

[kats-meow]

We bought a house in Fairfield Nov 2009...... coming from the Napa area all of my life I was worried about neighborhoods. Our Realtor who was born and raised in Vacaville was very familiar with the neighborhoods of both towns and helped us immensely. We bought a house in the Laurel Creek area near Travis AFB, great area, very quiet and family oriented and active. Neighbors are always out walking their dogs or jogging and friendly!! There is also a lot of active neighbors exercising at night (that's always a great sign for a neighborhood)! Homes in the Travis AFB school border have outstanding schools, they are award winning I'd say it's as good as it gets if you are looking for great schools and there are a lot of beautiful homes within those borders that run from the outskirts of Fairfield into Vacaville.
There are some sketchy areas of Fairfield (but all cities have this problem) and I'd say Bransford Ct near Northbay is not a good area, I wouldn't move there and I certainly wouldn't walk my dogs and kids in that neighborhood at night. Cordelia and Green Valley homes is a nice area, almost all of the homes are newer , I have heard many friends complain it's the "windier" part of Fairfield though. Fairfield is known for it's "delta breeze" but those two spots seem to be windier than other areas of Fairfield.

Fairfield has a lot of diverse restaurants, everything is nearby......there is huge Mall and multiple shops, pretty much everything you can find shopping-wise within the city limits or in Vacaville.

Hope that helps!

[kats-meow]

Paradise Valley is a great area, the country club is right there and many of the homes we looked at in that area included golf course amenities.