Moving to the Bay Area, how does Orinda compare to Palo Alto or Cupertino?
My family is contemplating moving to the Bay Area. Hubby will work from home and I'm a stay at home mom. I used to live in San Jose but I've lived in NYC for the past 10 years. I have 2 kids in elementary school. We want to move to a neighborhood with an excellent public school system but also want to get a nice, spacious, modern looking home. I've been looking at Palo Alto and Cupertino but my 2m budget will only buy a small home that is in need of a lot of work. I recently came across Orinda. It seems like I can get a bigger and newer home (compared to Palo Alto and Cupertino) given my budget in a place like Orinda. My question is, how do the Orinda schools compare to Palo Alto or Cupertino? Also, I've seen some posts about Orinda being too materialistic and competitive... NYC is very much like that so I think I can handle it but wondering if other people can elaborate or explain some differences. Other than Palo Alto, Cupertino and Orinda, are there any other neighborhoods that I should consider? TIA.
Parent Replies
Orinda is definitely no more materialistic and competitive than Palo Alto and Cupertino, and it's probably a bit less so. It's also way way more mellow and pretty as a place to raise children. House prices are better, and you're in a fantastic school district. Consider Lafayette too, and possibly Moraga if your husband doesn't need to commute every day. Danville is another area that is wealthy and privileged, but also has charm, community and great schools. But it may be more expensive than Lamorinda - Good luck!
After living in Oakland for many years we moved to Orinda and couldn't be happier. Schools are ranked #1 in the state, the weather is perfect and basically everyone who lives there also used to live in SF or Berkeley - but also wanted more space and good schools.
I have a lot of experience with both areas. I went to high school on the Peninsula, my sister teaches at Palo Alto High School, and I live in a town next to Orinda. Given that you don't need to worry about a commute, I would vote for the Orinda area. The schools are comparable and I believe that the API scores reflect that.
The neighborhoods near the Orinda Country Club (Sleepy Hollow Elementary) have some of the highest priced homes in the area and it has a reputation of being pretty snobby. Hard to generalize - it is an area with a lot of wealth but I do have friends there. Honestly, it's no different than the Palo Alto area.
If you are looking for a modern-style home, you may also want to look in Lafayette. I am specifically thinking about the Happy Valley area. All of the schools in Lamorinda are good (Lafayette/Orinda/Moraga). Good luck!
I live in Lamorinda and although I have not lived in Palo Alto or Cupertino I did work there. I see both populations as being similar. Yes Orinda is materialistic, competitive, very exclusive and homogeneous but I believe Palo Alto to be the same. The Orinda schools provide a competitive academic environment with many extra curricular opportunities. Like Palo Alto self imposed parent and student academic and social pressure is very high.
This is quite broad - I wonder what other things might be important, such as ability to walk downtown or weather (Bay Area is a micro climate) or ethnic community etc.
Re Cupertino, personally, I would skip it as my impression (having grown up in Palo Alto and spending many years in Mountain View) is that it has that bland, 1960s concrete suburban vibe that is a little deadening and while their schools are highly ranked, kids find them extremely stressful. Even kids who would be top students at other schools can feel inadequate and discouraged going through the school system. And Cupertino is expensive too, you'd end up with the same problem as Palo Alto, very little to show for your 2 million. Of course Palo Alto has a similar reputation for the schools but at least it has a "there there" a little sense of culture. Personally I would choose Los Altos if deciding between these communities but it is just as expensive.
Orinda is very pretty but hilly and more isolated. Re if the schools in Orinda are as good as Cupertino, I think they are good enough. I would really caution you about these top schools that are filled with kids from extremely ambitious smart and wealthy families, even if your family is the same. It is often NOT the best educational experience, sometimes it is more advantageous to be in a quite good but not the top schools.
In the East Bay, my favorite city is Walnut Creek. They have done an amazing job with their downtown, just a charming mixture of walkability, shops and restaurants. It's still able to support a few big department stores which is rare in these suburban cities so it actually has a tiny urban feeling despite being very safe and well, well-off. But more modest than Palo Alto where the entitlement can get annoying. Go get coffee in Walnut Creek, it would be great to live walking distance of the downtown.
Have you looked into other Peninsula cities - San Mateo or San Carlos will be a little cheaper than Palo Alto, good schools but aren't as high status. They also won't have summers as hot as Walnut Creek which you may or may not like. Danville is also supposed to be really nice. Or maybe something in Marin?
Your budget will certainly get you more in the East Bay then the Peninsula. Good luck!
Do you want to live someplace walkable? Then you would be better off in Palo Alto or San Mateo. If that matters (and it will for your children, eventually) check the walk scores before choosing a place to live.