lhodson

Hi All

After relocating from the UK to NYC in January of this ear, then finding out I was pregnant in April, my husband has now been offered a position in Palo Alto, CA. Not that we like to do things by halves!

We are hoping to take a trip there next month to scout out a place to rent over there, but I was just hoping for any insights into good areas to live around there. I have had a search on here but there is so much information it can be hard to wade through it all!

We are looking for a house rather than an apartment, 2-3 beds, with a yard up to $3000 per month. As I said, hubby will be working from Palo Alto (although has just been told the office may be moving closer to San Jose) and so there areas I have considered are Half Moon Bay, San Mateo, Sunnyvale, San Jose and Fremont. He doesn't want his commute to take any longer than 40 mins in traffic by car.

Anyway, any advice would be appreciated, also on how to go about the move - removal company etc would be great.

Thanks in advance!

sir_eccles

I just did a move from NYC to AZ last year. I can heartily recommend Joyce Van Lines.

Whomever you end up using to move your stuff check them out on http://movingscam.com

Nutmegger

Do you have a zero missing (in dollars, that is) -- this isn't going to go too far.

Bill_S

Bob

£300? about $500 a month?

You couldn't rent a toilet for that money.

As for previous threads, city-data.com is another good place to start.

Good luck and welcome to BE

Poppy girl

In Palo Alto triple it and then you might get a studio

This will give you an rough idea http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/a...alto&bedrooms=

Bob

Tell be about it.

What's funny, got a friend who said he found a bargain in Boston, decent sized apartment, only paying $600 a month...I was well impressed until he told me he's sharing it with 6 other people

Rete

That comes to $436.6177. I don't think you will find an outhouse to rent for that amount per month in CA. Try somewhere over $2,000 a month

lhodson

I meant $3000 a month, obviously $300 isn't going to get me very far!

SDDep

Purely for location I would pick half moon bay...

And any nice parts of the entire bay Area are expensive, But i loved it when I lived in the east bay...loved it..

Giantaxe

I wouldn't want to live on the opposite side of the San Andreas fault from where I worked

Practically speaking, I'd try the commute east on 92 over the hills before committing to it - that road really is the only practical option.

penguinsix

I like Half Moon Bay too, but only if I'm working from home. It's a 45 minute drive from HMB to most of the Valley. You might get lucky one day and do it in 30 or something, but really, it's at least 45 minutes. A famous tech blogger (Robert Scoble) lives in HMB and occasionally blogs about life there and commuting to the Valley (he's told me that's it's nice out there, but it is a drive to basically everything he needs to do).

If you are living in Manhattan, don't really expect a great cost savings by moving to Silicon Valley. Housing stock is quite old (1960s 'ramblers' as they are known) and very, very expensive. You can look in some places like Sunnyvale or Mountain View which will be cheaper than say Palo Alto or Los Altos Hills.

Palo Alto has a nice central business district with some restaurants and stores, kind of walkable. Of course you have to pay a mint to be within walking distance of that area, but it's a nice thought.

I recommend City-data, and a search through this forum for San Jose (we had a discussion just a month ago). Also, PLEASE use Google Maps. Just call up say Sunnyvale, CA and drop the 'Street View' man anywhere (really--it looks so similar throughout). I ended up at 1224 Susan way, Sunnyvale, CA which is pretty representative of the type of houses around there.

p.s. you will need to budget for two cars. One for hubby and one for you to do the errands all day. Most of the Valley is NOT walkable and with limited public transit.

mayhemuk

All those neighbourhoods you mentioned have nice parts.
What I would also suggest is once you have one in mind do some commute time driving.
I used to work all over the southbay area and saw a lot of waiting at a junction to make left across the traffic from their residential street onto an through fare. People must loose so much time each day just sitting there.
That would drive me insane.
Also try 101 during commute and then choose somewhere handier for 280.
Live north of your work location so you head south. 85 North from Campbell etc is stuff of nightmares.

Good luck!

jackattack

Actually I live in HMB and commute 'over the hill' to work in Cupertino. It takes about 40-45 minutes and rarely any shorter or any longer thanks to highway 280 being the dream highway (stunning and not much traffic).
The only times that traffic is an issue is:
*pumpkin season weekends
*christmas tree buying weekends
* summer weekends when it is stinking hot in the valley and everyone wants to come to the beach

Basically during those times we plan to stay on the coast over the weekend and never bother getting into our car (we walk to the county park and the beach). Traffic is also an issue when Highway 1 is closed since 92 is the only exit from the coast to the rest of the Bay Area. It gets REALLY busy and the commute would take me up to 2 hours, but since the Devils Slide Tunnel is going to be opened sometime next year hopefully that issue will disappear.

Quality of life, cheaper housing than most of the peninsula, the beach, the mountains, and the space are great on the coast. Loving it here.

MaxineRyder

That's so funny, i will relocate from CA to NYC. Incidentally, anyone know of a good moving company that won't rip me off
M xx