Which Neighborhood for South Asian/Indian Family?

If being around a large Indian community is important to you, I heard outside of Fremont, the Ruby Hill neighborhood in Pleasanton has a large Indian population (neighborhood Diwali parties, etc.). When we were house hunting last year, I think it was clear that San Ramon also has a large Indian population and lots of new Indian restaurants and stores popping up. Sunnyvale and Santa Clara too, if you're looking in the South Bay too. I'm Indian American and grew up in Fremont and now have a young child myself. We're actually moving to Castro Valley because we're seeking a little more diversity in the community.  

Hi, I’m indian (from india), husband is white - we have a 2 year old and live in Berkeley. I don’t know about what you mean by raising an Indian family but we like it here in Berkeley! Although not a lot old great Indian restaurants, viks and udipi and marigold are pretty ok. 

South Bay has a big Desi community:  Cupertino, Sunnyvale, San Jose etc.

I am a first time Mom, still pregnant. But I can answer as a second generation Indian-American woman who has lived in the East Bay since I was 11. 

It *really* depends on what you're looking for. I had the world's best mother, rest in peace, & one of the many  things I am grateful for is that she was both very Indian and religious *and* "all-in" about becoming Indian-*American*. She went out of her way to make friends with Americans from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and pursued hobbies that exposed her & us to a diverse group of people. In those days it was less optional because there weren't that many other Desi families, but still, I was always amazed at how insulated & isolated so many Aunties and Uncles managed to be from other Americans, and how shocked they were that we had so many "other" friends.  Now it's *really* possible, common, and probably tempting to have  all Indian friends --- and I would humbly request you to consider *not* pursuing that kind of life. If you strike a balance between having lots of Indian friends and a lot of other friends, your kid will get the best of both worlds. And not just a lot of white and other Asian friends. Please try to meet more groups. 

That said, it is nice to have some Desi friends nearby. This NYT map gives you a pretty good idea of where we all live.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/08/21/us/asians-census-us.html

As you can see, the whole South and East Bay has a fair amount, but the greatest density is in the South East Bay ( Fremont, Union City, Newark area) and "Tri-Valley" area: ( Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Danville, Walnut Creek) . Personally I know most young families that live in Dublin, mostly first generation oarents. For a kid upto teen years, it seems like a great place to grow up -- plenty of parking, family oriented store, Indian stores, parks, playgrounds, good schools. Once your kid is a teenager and wants to get out and do stuff on their own, they may *profoundly* resent how hard it is to get around without a car....and how boring and suburban it is.  I grew up in the  Concord area, almost every Desi kid I grew up with fled to Berkeley/Oakland/West Contra Costa when we grew up, and we all still live here, even with kids and smaller houses.  So at least try to live a short bus ride away from a BART station---not just for now, though less driving is always great, but for when your kid is a teenager. Like a lot of second generation parents, I think  Oakland/Alameda/Berkeley/WCC is a great place to raise an Indian family. Lots of cultural resources, art, shops, restaurants, musical events -- and diversity. 

If you're not religious, probably the easiest way to keep your kid engaged with Indian culture (and meet others) is through music, and  the centers of gravity are the South Bay ( Milpitas through Sunnyvale) and Berkeley ( and also San Rafael, where the Ali Akbar school of music is). If you are religious and Hindu, Iskcon Silicon Valley is the most engaging temple I know for Indian-American youth and a good place to meet other families. Many of the congregants live in Dublin, some in Pleasanton. I have heard from Muslim friends that the Islamic Cultural center on Madison street in Oakland has a lot of great programming too, and it's very beautiful. If you're Sikh, there's a Gurdwara in El Sobrante. 

Good luck!

Dublin has a great Indian community 

Hi, Moraga has great schools and has a fairly large Indian population. We’ve had Indian friends move to San Ramon.