Moving from SF to the East Bay

2 parent questions ▼
Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Parent Q&A

Select any title to view the full question and replies.

  • Move back to San Francisco from the East Bay?

    –
    Dec 13, 2017

    Hi, 

    Any parents out there that have moved back to San Francisco from the East Bay with kids? We have to move soon to get more space for our baby, and started realizing pricing in East Bay has kept pace with SF in some areas. We are debating the commute as prices continue to climb in Berkeley, and accessible / safe area in Oakland. Thanks!

    Dec 13, 2017

    I can't answer moving back to SF, but have you checked out other less expensive communities in the EB?  It seems like prices have skyrocketed in Berkeley and Oakland more than anywhere else in the EB.  Alameda can still be affordable and is likely much more family friendly than SF.  We love it here.  San Leandro is also a great place to raise a young family.  Also, do you plan on sending your child to public school eventually?

    Dec 20, 2017

    If both of you are commuting to SF for work and it would save you a ton of time to live in SF, then maybe this makes sense? - but I have a hard time believing that quality of life with kids in SF is going to better than in east bay. Also - SF public schools lottery is a mess - have you talked to SF parent friends going through this? Even if your premise is right, that cost of living in SF is the same as here (which seems hard to believe in desirable neighborhoods for families, like Noe), I'm not sure this is a good plan. We used to live in SF and loved it but SF has turned sort of - awful - in the last 10 years. Oakland and Berkeley are, for all their faults, still quirky. If one or more of your jobs are in the east bay, I would stay here. Curious of course for others' thoughts. Good luck. I know this housing market is miserable.
     

    Dec 20, 2017

    I don't have a suggestion, but we have also considered this, so looking forward to others' responses. We lived on the east coast for about a year and a half, and then returned to Oakland. We're happy to be in California, but we miss our much more walkable and urban lifestyle in the previous city. From what I can tell, the school lottery system in SF is worse than in Oakland, but I lived in the city before our first child was old enough to be in school, so I don't know how accurate that is. 

    Dec 20, 2017

    We moved from SF to the East Bay just a couple of years ago and have many friends with young children who are in SF and have their kids in public school. The lottery sounds stressful but surprisingly all the families got their first or second choice and are really happy at their schools.  One change is that there is some sort of preference to your neighborhood school in the lottery now. 

    We spent the past year house hunting in Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda and Piedmont.  What struck me is how few neighborhoods are pleasant and walkable.  The few that are, are very expensive and comparable to similar neighborhoods in SF.  So I think it does make sense to live in SF to avoid the bridge/tube. 

    Dec 27, 2017

    Thanks so much for the responses! Seems like the Berkeley lottery system became even worse recently so that also made us take another look at SF again. We lived there longer than EB, so we might just need to give EB more time to adjust. The commute from Berkeley is also not as easy as other parts of EB that have more BART lines. The areas in SF we were looking at are Richmond/Sunset, Portrero/Dogpatch seem to have families but are less expensive than Noe or anything like Pac Heights.

    Dec 29, 2017

    Also, we honestly didn't think the commute was going to get worse in EB going into the city. But the bridge traffic has become very tense over the last couple of years and the BART experience has been a bit nerve wrecking given the strikes and constant delays. Since we both work in the city we keep wondering if having a baby across the bridge will be harder if we can't make it to the nannyshare/day care in time. So our quality of life might just not be as great with those additional stressors. Would love to hear from any parents that work in the city still and take AC transit or BART. 

    Dec 30, 2017

  • Kid-friendly suburbs - moving from San Francisco

    –
    Jul 30, 2016

    We live in San Francisco but are thinking of moving to the suburbs as our son gets older. We are really looking for a suburb where kids play on the streets and bike to each others houses. Does that still exist? Where are we most likely to find it? Money isn't really and issue. We are thinking perhaps Orinda in the east or Hillsborough on the peninsula. Either would work for our commute. We would love some advice. Thanks. 

    Jul 30, 2016

    Orinda particularly the Ivy Drive and Glorietta neighborhoods.

    Aug 3, 2016

    I have friends in all types of neighborhoods. I see kids playing outside in Alameda and Pleasanton. Once you get into the more exclusive neighborhoods, you don't see the same freedom of movement.

    Aug 3, 2016

    We love living in Lafayette, and my kids play out front all the time. We live on a flat street with the cul-de-sac, and my son spends hours outside kicking a ball, shooting baskets, playing with the neighbors, riding bikes etc. I love this old-fashion childhood in the safe town. 

     When we were looking, we were considering both Orinda and Lafayette (Moraga is another good option, but my husband thought the commute was too far ). I found that Orinda didn't have many flat streets, as it has more hills. There are hilly part of Lafayette as well, but there are also many areas with flat streets and plenty of kids outside! We also live near the trail, which is very convenient. We can walk to school and to town. 

    I have friends who live all around the bay area, and many are envious of our neighborhood. I pinch myself every day and feel grateful to live in such a wonderful spot. 

    Good luck with your search, and moving to the suburbs can be a great decision. 

    Aug 3, 2016

    I know what you mean.  I grew up in Oakland hills and Berkeley and we played in the streets, rode bikes everywhere.  One of the "kids" I grew up with years ago just sent me a letter saying how much fun she had in those days.  In Oakland there would be 5  to 10 kids all playing together in the street.   I think times have changed and that's defiantly something that's rare in Orinda.  The streets are narrow, cars drive fast, lots of hills and few sidewalks.  Downtown is only 2 blocks long and it's filled with real estate offices.  Kids are too busy with organized sports, hanging out at the country club or  involved in  other activities.  There is an occasional lemonade stand on the corner.

    You might want to take a look in Santa Cruz.  I've been taking my daughters there for basketball and volleyball games for a couple of years and I see kids riding bikes and playing together in the yards and in the street. 

    Good luck finding a Disneyland Main Street USA in the US.

    Aug 3, 2016

    We don't have school-aged kids yet (first child due to arrive any day now :)), but we can speak quite highly of West Contra Costa County; we moved to Pinole almost 3 years ago and there seems to be quite a strong community of families here. We frequently see kids playing in each others' yards, and there are also a lot of public play spaces like parks and sports fields that are always well-used without being too crowded. For older kids, the city's pretty bikable although a bit hilly. The city's also very clearly putting in an effort to make itself more "community-friendly"; there is a winter holiday festival, a 4th of July parade and other activities that are increasingly well-attended. And both the houses and general cost of living are cheaper than you'd find in the eastern part of the county, and the temperature swings are not nearly as crazy either :)

    Aug 3, 2016

    We moved from San Francisco to Berkeley nine years ago when our children were 11 and 6. Maybe it's less of a suburb than you're thinking of, but my son shoots baskets on the street in front of our house and has been walking around the city and traveling by public bus since he started middle school. I was a reluctant transplant - loved the city - but life here is much more family oriented. Parents are very involved in the schools and there are lots of things for kids to do. 

    Aug 3, 2016

    Orinda is a great community with wonderful schools and lots of families but I wouldn't describe it as somewhere kids bike and play in the streets.   Frankly the lots are too large and spaced out and the roads are not pedestrian or child friendly.  It is a very car-centric community.  In the LaMorinda area your best bets for that are in Lafayette (the ranch homes near downtown and perhaps Upper Happy Valley).  

    I have friends in Hillsborough and it is another great community with great schools and lots of families.  That's said the families are typically very wealthy and the community politics can get a little too Desperate Housewives for some.  Whether kids play in the streets or not likely depends on the specifics of your neighborhood but the few families I know there tend to stick to themselves and their yards.   

    Two neighborhoods you haven't mentioned:

    Piedmont - some parts, particularly near the parks, can give you this old time, family friendly vibe.  Also good public schools. 

    Alameda - people overlook this one.  I know we did when considering where to buy.  But the East End and Gold Coast fit this description to a tee.  Kids run in packs, roam free at the local parks, parents practice "free range" parenting without the worry someone will call CPS If your kid walks to the corner market alone, families bike together on the streets, to the beach, to the local wineries, etc.   Alameda is home to many ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds which is good for kids and was an important factor in our decision. The homes are more affordable, you can commute by ferry to SF and you are minutes from Oakland and Berkeley's great restaurant scene (also true of Piedmont).  

    Best of luck in your decision!

    Aug 3, 2016

    My son goes to school in Danville, and the kids there have a ton of freedom (in a good way). Several of my friends have moved to Castro Valley recently, and have encountered the awesome environment you described, but if money is no object, you may not like it (it's cheaper and less charming than the areas you mentioned). Living on a cul-de-sac is key, wherever you choose.

    Aug 10, 2016

    Albany is another good one, kids are pretty much free-range around Albany Memorial Park from the age of 9 or 10.

    Aug 18, 2016

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Moving to the East Bay from SF - where to live?

April 2012

I need to relocate from my current home in SF's mission district to someplace w/ more affordable homes (I would likely be renting, not buying) - presumably in the east bay, but not necessarily. I have a five year old son, a dog, and no car (could buy one, but prefer to not). My son is gets severely motion sick, so short easy commutes to school etc are necessary. I can't afford private school, so would want to live someplace w/ excellent public schools. I am a single mom, so a neighborhood with a good sense of community (and charm/character) is also highly desirable. Any suggestions would be so much appreciated - I am feeling completely overwhelmed by this move right now, and how to best give my little family what we all need & want! concerned mama

I highly recommend that you check out Lafayette . I am also a single mom with one child...it is lovely here...the public schools are excellent, there are apartments/rentals within walking distance of the school and downtown area which includes a Trader Joe's, Safeway, cafes, restaurants, parks, playgrounds, community activities, and the Lafayette Reservoir...BART is also centrally located in the downtown area. Good luck! fellow single mom

If commute issues are equal, I would go with Pleasanton (or San Ramon). As far as I know, the Tri-Valley area has little or no graffiti and no gang activity. In addition, they have top notch schools because the average income of the community is higher and families are highly encouraged to give $'s when registering for school each year which goes to support the schools (as well as fundraisers throughout the year). I grew up in Pleasanton many years ago and would move back to the area if my husband didn't work on the Pennisula. I would consider San Ramon as they also have top notch schools and you can get more house/yard for the money. anon

I highly recommend Lafayette . It has great public schools, a cute little downtown area with BART right there, lots of restaurants and some little shops, a Safeway, Whole Foods, Trader Joes AND another specialty market with stellar service (Diablo Foods), Plenty of very nice people (many of them are 'rich' and many of them are not, including me). The community is very welcoming, there's a new library, and a community center with lots of classes for preschoolers through senior adults (they share this with Moraga). Plus the weather is great. Not alot of fog, very hot in summer. love lafayette

Check out San Leandro ! My husband and I searched high and low for an affordable place to live that had a good commute to Berkeley and for a town that felt like home. We tried many different cities (Walnut Creek, Crockett, Pinole, Oakland, Albany, Alameda, etc) and what we were looking for was this: beautiful neighborhoods, a safe town, historical homes (pre 1950's), and an affordable cost of living. San Leandro fit all of our criteria so well. Great homes at really affordable prices, a quick and easy commute (our home is just 15 miles from my husband's work in Berkeley, 9 miles from my job in Oakland, and we both have 2 freeways we can use that rarely ever have a back up). We are so happy we just bought a house in San Leandro. It's sunny and warm enough to grow tomatoes in our garden, and people are laid back and friendly. We are especially looking forward to friendly neighbors. The town has a beautiful marina with a great jogging track along the bay with exercise stations and a huge park with great playgrounds. We've found a favorite cafe with excellent food, and downtown is a nice walk from our new home. We are excited to be learning more about our town and participating and contributing to our wonderful new community. Check out this often overlooked but wonderful little town. K M

You may want to try Alameda . From my home I can walk/bike to Trader Joe's, Safeway, multiple parks, and our great school (we live near Otis Elementary but there are many other fantastic schools.) If you don't have a car I would suggest living walking distance to Park Street which is the main commercial area, complete with fantastic movie theater, great bookstores, etc. Alameda is cheaper compared to nearby walkable cities. People have this idea that ALameda is so much father from SF compared to neighboring cities but that really just depends on where you live in Oakland/Berkeley. It takes us less time to get to SF now that we live in Alameda. I usually only end up driving once, if that, a day. Rockridge in Oakland is also doable w/out a car if you can find a place walking distance to Rockridge Bart. Good luck. Alameda Neighbor

Try Alameda ! We moved to Alameda for the great schools and active parent communities. There are a bunch of small elementary schools within each neighborhood so you can walk to school. It was a big factor in moving out here. We have been renting our house since late 2008. Most of the elementary schools are pretty good, even if some have lower test scores, parents who have their children there love their schools and are happy with the level of instruction. My kids went to the parks and rec preschool before attending Kindergarten and are now having a great school experience. Neighborhood schools means all the kids they know are within (mostly) walking distance. It's a lovely island city, flat for easy biking, the beach is great and I can't recommend it enough. Many families here have moved from San Francisco. The rents are a bit cheaper than Berkeley, a bit more than some areas of Oakland, but way lower than SF. Check out the AUSD website for a map of school zones, look into those before and than hone your search to school zones you would like to attend. There's also an alameda parents network on yahoo if you want more insight. It's not without it's issues (local politics, the newbies vs. the 3, 4 generationers), but I really really love it here. Alameda Lover