apartment recommendations in Saratoga (San Jose, Mountain View: cheap apartments, renter, buy)

[NatalieS]

I was wondering in anyone had any apartment/rental recommendations in Saratoga area? Depending on storage and layout I'm willing to look at anything from a large studio to a 2 bedroom. (Y'all have an Ikea up there -if it doesn't fit I'll just buy some more shelves ) I'd like something under 1500, but I'd be willing to consider higher rent (1800-ish) if the place is truly outstanding. I've check several rating places, but I was just wondering if anyone on the forums had any suggestions.

[sonarrat]

Nearest IKEA is in East Palo Alto, about 15 miles from Saratoga. As to rentals, we're not allowed to advertise in this forum. You can try the classifieds forum or, even better, Craigslist. There are very few apartments in Saratoga due to zoning laws and the ones that exist are almost guaranteed to be out of your price range. I would recommend living in a nearby part of San Jose or Cupertino which are more renter friendly.

[t_thibaud]

What are your needs regarding commute, nightlife, recreation etc?

[bigdumbgod]

Might want to check out Mountain View (to the north) or Los Gatos (south). 'Apartment' is a rare thing in $aratoga, though there are some around Big Basin Way.

[NatalieS]

Sorry, didn't realize recommendations were out of line. I previously posted what I was looking for in another thread -basically something reasonably affordable around 600 square feet minimum (pref larger) with a short commute to Apple. We're somewhat boring people with no kids, so schools and nightlife don't matter as much as libraries and parks. We're also probably going to be attending church in Palo Alto, so I'd rather not be too far on the other side of things. Someone recommended Saratogo to me, so I thought I'd try to learn a little more about housing in that area.

[t_thibaud]

Originally Posted by NatalieS

-basically something reasonably affordable around 600 square feet minimum (pref larger) with a short commute to Apple. We're somewhat boring people with no kids, so schools and nightlife don't matter as much as libraries and parks. We're also probably going to be attending church in Palo Alto

For my $ I would either stay right next to Apple in downtown Cupertino or else go south, toward Saratoga or better, Los Gatos. Given that you're into parks and books-- green thoughts in a green shade, so to speak-- you probably want to fix on one of the nicer parks within a 10-mile radius of Apple and find a decent place within biking distance.

Those places are likely to be in the south, in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Don't worry about your Sunday trek to Palo Alto from Saratoga or LG; there's no traffic on 85 or 280 to speak of, and 280 esp is simply gorgeous. A lot pretty IMO than anything you'll find in the cramped, old, run-down flat parts of the Pensinula near 101, which is the only place you'll find cheap apartments (se habla chollo?).

My favorite parks and walking places are:

LG: Vasona Park off Blossom Hill Road; also the Kennedy Trail in the Sierra Azul Open Space (google "15205 Kennedy Road, los gatos" for a map to the trailhead)

Saratoga: Villa Montalvo grounds (free of charge), Hakone Gardens (paid admission), hikes off of Sanborn Road

Re the commute, if at all possible try to live within reasonable distance from the scenic, green, lovely Los Gatos-Saratoga Road, which runs from LG in the south to Cupertino / Apple in the north, becoming De Anza in Cupertino after it leaves Saratoga. Probably best off in Saratoga near 4th Ave or else LG apartments in the hills west of downtown.