relocate from walnut creek > dublin, pleasanton, hayward? (Sacramento, Oakland: lease, crime rate)

[linuxchick]

Hi,

I currently live in Walnut Creek (PH border) and work in Walnut Creek. My boyfriend lives with me, and commutes to Emeryville. While I love my 5-10 minute commute, we are very regularly driving back and forth to Dublin because his 7-year old son recently relocated there with his Mom. We are constantly getting stuck in traffic on 680-S and 580-W (imagine, taking him to school in the morning: Walnut Creek > Dublin via 680-S, then Dublin > Emeryville via 580-W; yuck!). We didn't think it would be so bad, but it's a bigger pain in the butt than we thought it would be for sure, as we are driving back and forth very regularly.

We're thinking that it might be easier to relocate closer to Dublin, Pleasanton, or perhaps even Hayward/Castro Valley.

I would be willing to have a 20-25 mile one-way commute to Walnut Creek, especially because for me, I would be in reverse commute - I think? For him, he's already commuting 25 miles one-way, and any of those areas would be about the same distance, so it won't change much - though, I'm not 100% sure how traffic on 580-W to Oakland compares to traffic on 24-W to Oakland.

We're both pretty flexible on location - we have a newborn daughter (8 weeks old) and I have an 11-year old son from my previous marriage. My son is starting at a new school next year anyway, so it would be an okay time to make the switch with minimal disruption. But, schools are of importance, as well as daycare when I go back to work.

All that being said - I have no idea about any of these areas! We would like to rent a 3-bedroom house or duplex (as long as there's a garage) and our budget is $1800-$2000. Is this price range even doable for a 3-bedroom house in a decent area? Are there any neighborhoods to avoid (any input on any of the areas - not expecting any experts on all areas)?

Am I correct in my assumption that my commute via 680-N in the morning will be minimal? What if I took 580-W to 13-N to 24-E? What will his commute be like on 580-W in the morning?

Thanks for any help We are looking to relocate by August when school starts.

[04kL4nD]

Go ahead and scratch Hayward off of your list. Thank me later.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Go ahead and scratch Hayward off of your list. Thank me later.

mod cut.

There are worse places than Hayward.

I recommend the OP look at Castro Valley. For the reverse commute to Walnut Creek maybe you could take Crow Canyon Rd. to the 680 in San Ramon and avoid the 580. Castro Valley also has good schools but weird school boundaries. As I understand it the areas north of the 580 go to Castro Valley schools. I would check with the school district before signing any lease. Dublin also seems like an obvious choice to avoid the back and forth with the kid.

[jade408]

Dublin or Pleasanton will feel more like WC. Traffic on 580w gets worse and worse as you head to the bridge. He might want to hop off around Harrison and take the streets from there for the last 2-3 miles.


I am on my phone, please forgive the typos.

[04kL4nD]

Originally Posted by capoeira

mod cut.

There are worse places than Hayward.

There are?

[ttocs99]

Pleasanton is a nice town. I worked there for 8 months, so I used to commute from there to WC where I lived. It was like a 20-25 minute drive. Not a bad drive at all.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

There are?

Oakland has a much higher crime rate than Hayward. However I do not recommend Hayward for the OP because of the schools.

[04kL4nD]

Yes, I'm well aware of that.

I've also spent enough time in Hayward to know that aside from the Hayward hills, there really aren't any 'nice' parts of Hayward.

Oakland is a vibrant city, warts and all. Hayward is pretty much the armpit of the Bay Area...

[linuxchick]

Thanks y'all. I'm from Sacramento proper and have lived in some areas that aren't quite like WC so I'm definitely okay with a little neighborhood grime (that's grime, not crime ). I just want to know that my son can safely walk home from school and that I can feel comfortable walking outside at night - that sort of thing, you know?

I realize it's sort of silly to be like, "heyyyyy, I'm relocating from WC to Dublin - help!!" when they're like 20 miles apart, lol - but for real! That traffic sucks! I have never been stuck in it like that before. I work at 5:45AM so even for me, hopping on 680-S at 5:30AM is hardly nothing, and most of that traffic trails off to 24-W at that time of morning. I guess my work shift has spoiled me since I usually miss the traffic both in the morning and the afternoon. It's my boyfriend that has to deal with it mostly.

Is my budget ($2000 for a 3-bedroom, preferably a dwelling that has a garage) doable in Dublin/Pleasanton? I'm finding what feels like just a handful of results in all of those areas (Dublin/Pleasanton/Hayward/Castro Valley) for my search criteria, which worries me because usually if there's only a few, it means that they're not exactly the pick of the litter.

[kttam186290]

Dublin/Pleasanton is your best option. San Ramon may be an option too.

Avoid Hayward. Castro Valley is too close to Hayward.