Neighborhoods in Fairfield CALIFORNIA (San Jose, San Francisco: hardwood floors, apartments, lease)

[amyellaine]

I am new to Fairfield and need to know what streets/zip codes need to be avoided. I would hate to buy a house in a bad neighborhood then i'm stuck. It's one thing to rent since you can move at lease exp. but buying is serious... HELP?
Currently i am renting in Green Valley but we need something that is smaller and less expensive. We could afford one of these houses in GV, BUT why buy a huge house when you don't really need it? I'd rather keep the $$ and use it for vacations. All of these houses are huge! We live in one of the "smaller" 2 story houses and it is still 2500 sq ft, 3 huge bedrooms, 2 1/2 bath, den AND living room. It's really too big for us.... With that said the housing prices have fallen a great deal in GV but I'd like something below $250K. Again...Help? Decent neighborhood where it's quiet and i don't have to worry about walking outside or down the street?

[Snort]

Do you really need to be in Fairfield? I'd live in Vacaville over Fairfield.

[llowllevellowll]

lol Vacaville is certainly better than Fairfield as a whole, but Fairfield is cheaper. I wouldn't discount it altogether.

I am surprised to hear that you're renting in Green Valley (which is still Fairfield, by the way) but that you're needing to ask what's good in Fairfield? You're so close! Go driving and walking in Fairfield and you decide what's good and what's bad. The only way you're going to get to know a place is if you go experience it for yourself.

As iffy as some people think Fairfield is, it's quite tame. There are no areas where you'd feel uncomfortable like you would in certain parts of San Pablo, Richmond, or even Vallejo, to be honest.

Fairfield is a bit misunderstood, from what I notice. Although it's sort of seen in bad light, since the annexation of Suisun and Cordelia, and with all of the new development, there are quite a bit of highly respectable areas as well, including where you live.

With that being said, if you're looking for a house under $250,000 you might have to look closer at the area east of 80 toward the older parts of Fairfield, and that's where you really need to drive around. Fairfield has a semi-cute little strip of old downtown, and the business district around Solano Mall is nice - Trader Joe's, Chipotle, Barnes and Noble, World Market, etc - but for the most part, the neighborhoods over there are really hit or miss and there are few redeeming qualities south of Air Base Parkway all the way down Pennsylvania to Route 12, really.

Because of the relative affordability of Fairfield, you'll see more shady, thuggish characters walking around than you would in Vacaville. It's also the county seat of Solano County and contains the County Courthouse - I think we know who might usually have appointments there. So, yeah, it's too hit or miss in old Fairfield for me to really tell you what's good. I have no idea what you're used to or where you come from and where you feel comfortable at to know.

I can give you one affordable idea that I considered and that's Raintree Terrace. It's north of Air Base Parkway just east of 80. You should see signs - Luxury Condo's starting in the 110's. They're surprisingly nice. They sit in a converted apartment building that they turned to condos and they have some 2-bedroom, 2-bath condos remaining. I'm not sure if by downsizing you meant going that low, but I have no problem with their location and they're actually nice - comes with granite countertops, hardwood floors, all-stainless appliances, a fireplace, and a 42" inch LG flat screen for about $150,000. If you really want to save money and think you can do 2-bed, 2-bath, there you go.

Just go drive around. Also look into Vacaville. Vacaville rarely has violent crime and you can find things in the low 200's if you're willing to do a little bit of work.

[Majin]

Suburb.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by Majin

Suburb.

That's a pretty stupid thing to say. The op says she already lives there-guess you didn't actually read the post?

ALL cities outside of San Francisco or Oakland proper are suburbs. Even Sacramento is a large city divided into suburbs..likewise San Jose.

As for Fairfield, the bad parts are somewhat scattered. The old parts right across from the mall aren't that great. Look northward and west of the freeway. The areas (from my very limited recollection) near Railroad ave, and some of the areas on either side of N. Texas southward.

[kimmc]

Your best bet would be anywhere West of the freeway. All the neighborhoods are really nice in that area and if you watch you'll be able to find something in your price range for sure.

Paradise Valley and Laurel Creek areas are also really nice-- pretty much anywhere north east of Air Base Pkwy and N. Texas St.

To avoid for sure would be any of the San/Santa Streets. Anywhere around E. Tabor (Huge gang areas). Anywhere to close to Phoenix Drive or Grande Cricle. Those are large groupings of apartments and there tends to be a lot of trouble in those areas. Well, a lot of trouble comparatively speaking anyway. Still, it is definitely no Richmond or Oakland.

[Moonlover]

It is really hot there in the summer. Sweltering heat.

[bradio]

Originally Posted by kimmc

Your best bet would be anywhere West of the freeway. All the neighborhoods are really nice in that area and if you watch you'll be able to find something in your price range for sure.

Paradise Valley and Laurel Creek areas are also really nice-- pretty much anywhere north east of Air Base Pkwy and N. Texas St.

To avoid for sure would be any of the San/Santa Streets. Anywhere around E. Tabor (Huge gang areas). Anywhere to close to Phoenix Drive or Grande Cricle. Those are large groupings of apartments and there tends to be a lot of trouble in those areas. Well, a lot of trouble comparatively speaking anyway. Still, it is definitely no Richmond or Oakland.

I'm looking at a house to purchase on Bransford Ct corner Fairfield ave, and practically across North Bay Medical Center.. Is this a good area??

[lazarus619]

Originally Posted by llowllevellowll

lol Vacaville is certainly better than Fairfield as a whole, but Fairfield is cheaper. I wouldn't discount it altogether.

I am surprised to hear that you're renting in Green Valley (which is still Fairfield, by the way) but that you're needing to ask what's good in Fairfield? You're so close! Go driving and walking in Fairfield and you decide what's good and what's bad. The only way you're going to get to know a place is if you go experience it for yourself.

As iffy as some people think Fairfield is, it's quite tame. There are no areas where you'd feel uncomfortable like you would in certain parts of San Pablo, Richmond, or even Vallejo, to be honest.

Fairfield is a bit misunderstood, from what I notice. Although it's sort of seen in bad light, since the annexation of Suisun and Cordelia, and with all of the new development, there are quite a bit of highly respectable areas as well, including where you live.

With that being said, if you're looking for a house under $250,000 you might have to look closer at the area east of 80 toward the older parts of Fairfield, and that's where you really need to drive around. Fairfield has a semi-cute little strip of old downtown, and the business district around Solano Mall is nice - Trader Joe's, Chipotle, Barnes and Noble, World Market, etc - but for the most part, the neighborhoods over there are really hit or miss and there are few redeeming qualities south of Air Base Parkway all the way down Pennsylvania to Route 12, really.

Because of the relative affordability of Fairfield, you'll see more shady, thuggish characters walking around than you would in Vacaville. It's also the county seat of Solano County and contains the County Courthouse - I think we know who might usually have appointments there. So, yeah, it's too hit or miss in old Fairfield for me to really tell you what's good. I have no idea what you're used to or where you come from and where you feel comfortable at to know.

I can give you one affordable idea that I considered and that's Raintree Terrace. It's north of Air Base Parkway just east of 80. You should see signs - Luxury Condo's starting in the 110's. They're surprisingly nice. They sit in a converted apartment building that they turned to condos and they have some 2-bedroom, 2-bath condos remaining. I'm not sure if by downsizing you meant going that low, but I have no problem with their location and they're actually nice - comes with granite countertops, hardwood floors, all-stainless appliances, a fireplace, and a 42" inch LG flat screen for about $150,000. If you really want to save money and think you can do 2-bed, 2-bath, there you go.

Just go drive around. Also look into Vacaville. Vacaville rarely has violent crime and you can find things in the low 200's if you're willing to do a little bit of work.

"Because of the relative affordability of Fairfield, you'll see more shady, thuggish characters walking around than you would in Vacaville. It's also the county seat of Solano County and contains the County Courthouse - I think we know who might usually have appointments there."

Got to love the "liberal" mindset of Northern California.