Which city has these 10 criteria?? (San Jose, Sacramento: school, beaches, pool)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Too bad you can't just stay in El Cerrito, I love that town for the houses and hills and of course BART to the rest of the Bay Area.

Yeah, OP; it's pretty hard to beat Berkeley/El Cerrito/Albany. And what's the rush, anyway? You don't have a partner yet, anyway. And maybe when this mythical entity appears in your life, he might have other ideas. Maybe best not to get over-invested in any one locale or dream.

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by NatureYogi

Thanks!! Haven't bought books on swimming holes yet cause so far they each are $40-50 but will budget it in at some point. Your Nevada trip sounds inspiring and wonderful!

Southern California definitely doesn't resonate with me the way Central/Northern California, Oregon and Washington do. But unfair to make full judgment before actually visiting; I haven't been south of Santa Cruz area. Keep feeling my dream town is somewhere near Central/North CA coast (or maybe Oregon or Washington) but problem is too many cities for me to explore each one and some may not even be on my radar. Hawaii less of interest for me to raise family the more I read about it.

Portland: lived there a few months 10ish years ago. Liked it alot. Many people have suggested it for me. Portlandia is hilarious. Would love to hear more about why you think it'd fit me better than East Bay's Albany/Berkeley/Alameda. Google does say there are great outdoor swimming spots within an hour of Portland, yay, though East Bay has that too. Rent a bit cheaper, woo-hoo!

Medford Oregon was 105 on Monday (a new record)...

Perhaps go on a raft day trip or a Jetboat ride, on the Rogue River.....lots of FUn...

There are lots of creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes around the Rogue Valley


Welcome to Hellgate Jetboat Excusions

Grants Pass Daily Courier -- Downtown Web Cam

You might fall in love with Grants Pass. For 29 years we have happily lived in the mountains & bought our vittles & other goods in Grants Pass. Over time we have met many kind, caring, loving folks who live around Grants Pass.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Grants+Pass+Oregon

Best of luck finding your special place...

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Hawk J

Medford Oregon was 105 on Monday (a new record)...

This planet is SO toast!

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by NatureYogi

Thanks!! Haven't bought books on swimming holes yet cause so far they each are $40-50 but will budget it in at some point. Your Nevada trip sounds inspiring and wonderful!

Southern California definitely doesn't resonate with me the way Central/Northern California, Oregon and Washington do. But unfair to make full judgment before actually visiting; I haven't been south of Santa Cruz area. Keep feeling my dream town is somewhere near Central/North CA coast (or maybe Oregon or Washington) but problem is too many cities for me to explore each one and some may not even be on my radar. Hawaii less of interest for me to raise family the more I read about it.

Portland: lived there a few months 10ish years ago. Liked it alot. Many people have suggested it for me. Portlandia is hilarious. Would love to hear more about why you think it'd fit me better than East Bay's Albany/Berkeley/Alameda. Google does say there are great outdoor swimming spots within an hour of Portland, yay, though East Bay has that too. Rent a bit cheaper, woo-hoo!

Hit the used book stores and the libraries for their sales.

[NatureYogi]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Yeah, OP; it's pretty hard to beat Berkeley/El Cerrito/Albany. And what's the rush, anyway? You don't have a partner yet, anyway. And maybe when this mythical entity appears in your life, he might have other ideas. Maybe best not to get over-invested in any one locale or dream.

Rush is that I've moved around and traveled so, so much already. Lots of fun but also lots of goodbyes and wasn't easy on my career situation to uproot so much. I wanna take my career to the next level by starting my own business and get even more involved in local community but not if it's somewhere I'll just leave soon. The idea of just settling into a long-term city ASAP feels comforting, foundational and urgent. Also have seen friends suddenly fall in love or get pregnant then scramble to sort things out; would rather plan ahead. My other moves were spontaneous and risky yet very exciting but this time I like the opposite extreme of really thinking it through.

Inner East Bay seems like best overall fit I know of and us dog walkers are thriving here: got the weather, trails, demand. Berkeley Marina was beautiful last night. A house with a fire pit could give that bonfire feeling and Ocean Beach has fire pits and there are many pools around, etc. Pretty enamored with Berkeley and Oakland. Too hot like Austin would end my dog walking career.

[NatureYogi]

Originally Posted by Hawk J

Medford Oregon was 105 on Monday (a new record)...

Perhaps go on a raft day trip or a Jetboat ride, on the Rogue River.....lots of FUn...

There are lots of creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes around the Rogue Valley


Welcome to Hellgate Jetboat Excusions

Grants Pass Daily Courier -- Downtown Web Cam

You might fall in love with Grants Pass. For 29 years we have happily lived in the mountains & bought our vittles & other goods in Grants Pass. Over time we have met many kind, caring, loving folks who live around Grants Pass.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Grants+Pass+Oregon

Best of luck finding your special place...

Thanks so much for your comments! Oregon is very special and I look forward to exploring it more on vacations! Yes I heard Medford/Ashland area is its sunniest part. For raising a family Oregon is feeling too highly white for me; I value diversity alot. But again a wonderful state! Thanks again.

[NatureYogi]

Originally Posted by mrsltd

Hit the used book stores and the libraries for their sales.

Great idea!

[NatureYogi]

P.S. Other reason for rush is service area is HUGE for dog walkers to keep our driving time low as possible so we don't burn out cause all the driving is already our #1 complaint. Can't decide my service area til I know where I'll live long-term.

[MaireM]

Originally Posted by NatureYogi

I've enjoyed living many places the past 10 years: Maryland/DC, Chicago, Oregon, Florida, Santa Cruz, Austin, etc. For past couple years inner East Bay (El Cerrito, Berkeley, Oakland). I also worked many months in San Francisco and now work in Oakland.

But not 100% confident I've found my long-term (20+ years) fit city yet. As in one I'll really build deep roots in and raise kids. (I'm 31, female, single. Probably want to be renting own home, marriage & first kid by age 37.)

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So please help me find my long-term city!!!

11 criteria all equally important to me:

1) Anywhere in world with English as main language. (I'd thought Central/North coastal California fits best but am now open to anywhere!)

2) Decently diverse (ethnicity, income, etc.). But leaning towards "liberal"/"progressive." For example, Santa Cruz in California (and near it) felt maybe too white and homogenous for very long-term. The lower crime parts of Berkeley/Oakland basically has the feel I want. Parts of Marin sounds maybe like a great fit yet worried it's not diverse enough.

3) Urban/crowded enough to have tons of cultural and food options and be modern/progressive. Yet not too overwhelmingly crowded or high-crime for me. For example, Santa Cruz felt too limited in options and San Francisco is way too packed/hectic for me. And Berkeley/Oakland is about right in quieter parts and the hills though could maybe go even less urban (I LOVE nature and peace).

4) Average income level & prices: roughly like Berkeley or less. Not as rich a majority as San Francisco. Wealth is totally fine (money is not evil!) but I'm more comfortable with more friendly/understated wealth than snooty/show-offy wealth. Bit concerned in upcoming years East Bay will feel as rich as San Francisco which makes me think it's not my long-term fit.

5) Higher quality public schools the better (though I MAY choose private if can afford it). Albany, CA, schools sound great for example.

6) Weather: very small chance I'd live with any snow again. Rain fine if not too constant like Oregon. Fog fine if not too constant like west San Francisco. More sunshine the better but Austin, Texas, summer was unbearably hot for me. East Bay weather great or even sunnier even better.

7) Outdoor swimming within 20-minute drive - lake, ocean, spring, whatever, as long as it's decently clean, warm, pretty and spacious. Kid- and dog-friendly. This is hugely important to me and a top reason I'm thinking East Bay may be close but not THE fit. Examples of perfect swimming to me is Barton Springs in Austin or Bass Lake near Yosemite or warm beaches. I love what I know of famous Central/North California coastline (have only seen some of it) but is any of it warm enough to swim in and by city with my other 10 criteria??

8) Good hiking and camping within 20-minute drive.

9) As for career, if the other criteria is in place my career will be fine. Ideally the city will have at least a couple successful professional dog walkers/sitters/boarders (= a market) as I have many months experience with that and can run a business. But I have other career options/education too. Though when I picture moving to Hawaii or Thailand (so warm and hippie, yay!!) I don't know if there are enough job (and cultural) options for me.

10) I enjoy crunchy, holistic, hippie, environmentalist, outdoorsy, artistic, community-minded, friendly, peaceful, casual kinda culture. But without a too overwhelming amount of drug use or crime. Awesome hippie-yoga-free-spirit kinda areas I've found tend to have more drug use than I want for long-term

11) Cleaner the air and water quality the better.

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Thanks SO much for any help!!!

Sonoma County is paradise. Incredible weather, great swimming with beaches on the Russian River, lakes and springs, hiking and camping galore. You can swim at Bodega Bay too but it will be cold-beuatiful there though. Try Santa Rosa if you want a large city and Petaluma if you can stand a smaller one. Sebastopol, also in Sonoma, would be ideal for you in all other ways but might be too small. Cool hippy town, though. Definitely worth checking out.

[MaireM]

Originally Posted by NatureYogi

Very helpful to know. Sadly, Alameda doesn't have rent control either. Albany homes feel too small for some families yet there are many with added on sections (though that shrinks yard). I'd say soundproofing the master bedroom, baby monitor, no clutter, and plenty of time outside the house would help.


Not yet.

Still finding so much info daily with Berkeley Parents Network archives and chatting at playgrounds and dog parks and driving around.

The 4 choices now are East Albany, Central/North Berkeley flats or El Cerrito...versus East Alameda. I'd need weekend trips at least once or twice a month to swimming holes/beaches/camping though to stay sane; many choices within 3 hour drive (already get hiking fix through working as dog hiker). Living super near playground/tennis/soccer/baseball/bbq/dog sorta parks is easy and a must especially when babies arrive.

In some ways returning to South Austin is so appealing though: Barton Springs, Zilker Park, cheaper rent, etc. Or maybe there's some perfect coastal or lake city for me I don't know about or have underestimated? Constantly craving swimmable water and big fields.

Hope this thread is helpful to someone or at least entertaining haha

Bodega Bay.