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[Muse_Of_Fire]

So... Mr. MoF and I are preparing to relocate. Next week we will narrow down our List of Potential Cities to Inhabit, and begin searching for jobs and sending out CVs.

Northern California, particularly the SF Bay Area, is pretty high on our list. I know, I know, the cost of living is nuts out there--mostly because everyone else wants to live there too. A few years ago I got a job offer out there (which I didn't take because of cost of living differences), so I have an idea of what the cost of living is out there and how much money buys how much apartment, etc.

There are many other cities on our list, and we will move to wherever the jobs are, specifically to wherever Mr. MoF gets an offer, but as mentioned we're really keen on the SF Bay Area. My question to those of you who live there or have lived there is basically what the area is like. Specifically, we're wondering which communities to focus on. Living in SF proper is definitely right out for us. However lots of the communities in the area look doable for us. I've done some searching for jobs and have found quite a few in the SF metro communities, but they all sort of look the same to us in terms of quality of life.

Any suggestions? I'm willing to teach in an "urban" school; neither of us is digging too much on a huge commute, but we'll do it if we have to. Among the communities in Marin, Santa Clara, or  San Mateo counties, is there anything we should know about as we decide where to live and work?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and expertise, and your time.

[melack]

I recently moved to the area from Seattle. Right now I'm staying in Half Moon Bay (in San Mateo County), which is about 20 minutes to a half hour south of SF on the coast, but I intend to move to the city itself in the near future. It's kind of a small town, but pretty scenic with the ocean right there. A lot of fog and tourist traffic to deal with, though. I haven't been here for that long, so I guess I'm not the greatest source of information.

[littlefallsmets]

I know almost nothing about northern California.

However, I do know that Nocalian sounds like some sort of brain medicine.

Possibly treating, like, ADHD or The Depression.

[jaydub]

I will reply, at length, when my personal chemistry is more aligned with helpful thought than irritation that I'm still awake.

[Teatime]

Oh Christly Christ I hope you have done your research very well. Everywhere worth living in in Norcal is absurdly expensive. Every teacher without a wealthy SO I know lives in San Jose, which is pretty much a hell-hole.

Once this is clear, I recommend checking out Mountain View and Sunnyvale, as both have a reasonable housing-cost:pleasantness of life ratio, and are also within close enough distance of a fair number of cities. Like jaydub, I will try and compose a more helpful comment when the powerful yearnings to watch Gosford Park wear off along with the cannabis.

[melack]

Cannabis, huh? So that's what the "tea" in your name means!

[linnea]

I adore the Bay area. I would love to live there. I applied to graduate school at Berkeley but didn't get in.

[Arachno-capitalist]

I used to live in Monterey Bay. It was the most beautiful time of life (when the fog lifted). It was also ridiculously expensive and filled with drugs. Enjoy!

[jaydub]

I've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area (college years excepted) for the majority of my life.  Returning to the States in 1981, we lived with my grandmother in Santa Clara for a year or so, then moved to Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County until 1987.  Returning to the nest briefly post-graduation - I eventually moved in with college buddies & my future wife in Fremont (Alameda County, pretty much next door to Santa Clara in the South Bay), where I've been for the last 12 years.
Starting with San Francisco City & County, then moving clockwise around the bay the counties run
Marin
Sonoma
Napa
Solano
Contra Costa
Alameda
Santa Clara
San Mateo

Within these, Solano, Contra Costa, and Alameda have the most "affordable living" options.  Any of them provide a wonderful, rich, multicultural and relatively progressive atmosphere for living.  In Solano, there are new developments at Mare Island, and near Benicia/Vallejo that would give a reasonable commute to the City and support families with kids in need of education.  In Alameda, well, I'm partial to Fremont, and the general Tri City area of Union City, Fremont and Newark combines central access to Silicon Valley and the City with relatively affordable housing.  In Contra Costa there are a lot of options, with relatively longer commutes.  Beyond the 9 immediate regions there is the "Greater Bay Area", with Santa Cruz, San Benito, San Joaquin and Monterey counties having a good proportion of people who (IMO) really trade in the better parts of their days for commutes for truly low-cost housing (which will still make your mid-western heart drop).
Pretty much anywhere you go around here, you'll pay a kings ransom for a house made of shockingly bad materials with shoddy worksmanship.  On the other hand, days like today make it more than worth it.  I felt today like I had gone on vacation to a warm, sunny, vacation spot - but it was just a standard weekend hiking trip 3 miles from my house (the Coyote Hills regional park right on the Bay).  There are some pics on my Flickr page, which you can get to through the TOUAMB group page (click on my name)

[Muse_Of_Fire]

Thanks so much for this, jaydub! This is really helpful information, and just what we're looking for as we start this process. I know what you mean about "days like today making it worth it." Spring has just arrived here in the Middle, so for the past few days it's been between 50-70 and sunny/mostly sunny. As such, poor Mr. MoF has been hearing almost daily from me in a dreamy, hopeful voice, "If we lived in Northern California, it would be like this almost every day!"

I realize I'm making a huge generalization but even if I'm only half right it would be better than the oppressive gray we get 9 months out of the year.

In any case, your information is really helpful. This is exactly the thing we're wondering about. The Bay Area being nothing more in my mind than a collection of internet pictures and maps, I'm having a hard time getting a sense of things like the housing cost/commute time ratio, or where a good place to live might be in terms of decent housing, crime, etc. A lot of apartments look okay on the internet, and seem affordable, but I'm always afraid that their affordability mostly comes from the fact that their location is in a part of town where I wouldn't want to live. So your post is quite useful.

A can for you, sir, as a thank you.

[Nabubrush]

Well, I was keeping the light on for ya, but I guess I'll extinguish it.

[Muse_Of_Fire]

Huh? Nabu I don't get what you mean.

[Nabubrush]

Huh? Nabu I don't get what you mean.

I was holding out a faint, vain hope that you would consider the Pacific Northwest for your needs. I even made a bit of a case for it in your other thread. I went and found the relative rainfall page and proved (with science) that it's not as wet here as everyone thinks - but to no avail.

[Muse_Of_Fire]

Ah, I see. I am still considering the Pacific NW. It's a beautiful area: my parents live in Portland and I grew up in Salem. The issue isn't so much rain as it is cloudiness/grayness. The SF Bay Area is top on our list, but as we dig deeper into practical, real-person things like job opportunities and housing, it may prove to be impossible for us and we'll continue working along our list.

So... extinguish the light if you wish, for the time being, but be ready to throw the switch if need be. I sincerely appreciate your willingness to help out.

[Nabubrush]

Ah, I see. I am still considering the Pacific NW. It's a beautiful area: my parents live in Portland and I grew up in Salem. The issue isn't so much rain as it is cloudiness/grayness. The SF Bay Area is top on our list, but as we dig deeper into practical, real-person things like job opportunities and housing, it may prove to be impossible for us and we'll continue working along our list.

So... extinguish the light if you wish, for the time being, but be ready to throw the switch if need be. I sincerely appreciate your willingness to help out.

Dude, if you come visit your parents I am always up for a beverage with my dearest and yours.