Best place to live in the Bay Area

watch out for those Marina chicks. Protect yourself.

Willow Glen

temple terrace

If you can afford it, and don't mind driving to go run, I would check out Palo Alto/Mountain View.

You have got to be kidding me - shallow alto as the best place to live in the bay area???

holy hell, you people need help...

it depends on what you are looking for, if you want a little excitement and business obviously there is sf - some of the neighborhoods around north beach are alright, maybe nob hill, pac heights or even potrero hill is pretty cool

if you won't out a little bit but not too much and you want a college town, berkeley is fun, close to some cool trails and has tons and tons of culture... check out rockridge

if you don't mind rich soccer moms and smug people but love beauty and hundreds of miles of some of the best trails in the states move to mill valley, ross, or anyone of the cool towns in marin... east bay's version of these towns is piedmont which is also pretty sweet

last places to live in the bay area... palo alto, fremont, walnut creek, most parts oakland (for obvious reasons), the sunset district in sf (way too foggy and uneventful)

in comparison to the rest of the u.s. these places aren't bad but when you compare them to the places i first mentioned they look like pits

I've lived in the East Bay and here in San Francisco. As someone else said, it depends what you're looking for.

Good running - Marin, Oakland, Berkeley. Trails, trails, and more trails. Fine little cities too, but they get boring fast if you're in your 20's and want to have fun.

Good social life - San Francisco. Anywhere in the city is better than anywhere outside of it. Trust me on this. Oakland may look close to SF on the map, but there's a world of difference between living IN the city and living NEAR the city. Making friends, walking to (lots of) fun bars, not having to drive (ever), not having to worry about BART, etc. Dating, doing social activities, joining groups. Ten times easier if you live in SF.

What if you want both..? I say live in the city. Run on roads and in the Presidio and GG Park during the week, then make trips out to the East Bay and Marin on weekends for runs. But if you are young, you want to live in the city for social reasons. It's like night and day.

Live in Pittsburg (no, not the PA one). I hear the social scene is real good up by the Delta. Bencia is good as well if you can't afford Pittsburg.

i hope you are kidding

cottom ball fleet wrote:

Live in Pittsburg (no, not the PA one). I hear the social scene is real good up by the Delta. Bencia is good as well if you can't afford Pittsburg.

How are old are you? Family? Need more info before we can give you some solid advice. Do you want to rent or buy?

Thanks for all the info. Mid 20s, currently own but would look to rent for a bit probably. Not so interested in the bar scene, but would like good restaurants, shopping, culture. I'd be interested in hearing more about Berekely, as well as about running groups in the area, particularly for the marathon.

Thanks again!

I live in Walnut Creek. It's a snore as far as the social scene goes, but it does have some decent restaurants...also, it's easy to drive to a lot of trails...

I'm going to move to Berkeley or the city next year...

"it depends what you're looking for"

He said what he's looking for:

"Considering only proximity to good running/good training partners, good restaurants and shops, "

Does anyone read?

Anyway, Palo Alto does meet criteria above. I live in SF and while my neighborhood does not, Richmond District would definitely qualify.

Sunnyvale. Doesn't it sound like a nice place?

Marin has the best trails, excellent paved paths and a multitude of all-weather tracks. The Eastbay and Southbay have decent trails, but nowhere near the quantity and variety of Marin. The training scene in Marin is mostly masters, although a few good PA open runners live in Marin as well.

Restaurants in Marin are ok, but SF proper is where you want to be if eating out is your number one priority. Berkeley would come in second restaurant wise. The social scene in Marin is not so hot for someone in their twenties, obviously SF is the place for that.

You really need to go to the Bay Area and spend a long week-end checking out the various areas, or move someplace in the Bay Area with a short-term lease and find your area that way.

Actually, I posted much the same question, but had no replies:(?? I am also looking for good marathon teams. Right now, I may have a place near Civic center lined up. However, I was wondering how right on the North tip of Lake Merritt seemed as an area. I will be working in San Bruno.. Seems like the commute from the East bay or the city is better than coming from S. of the peninsula. Just had my interview today and looks like I'll be moving in a week or two.

Anyone?

i'm actually kinda busy at the moment but...near civic center? i don't know how much money you have but depending upon where near civic center it can get very rough there... some of the roughest parts of sf are near civic center... give me an intersection and I can give you a better ideaok on the north tip of lake merritt, let me think... ok yeah some of that isn't bad... although if i were you i would want to be awful close to the lake... the closer to the lake (i mean within a block or two) the nicer... if you really want to go that route checkout neighborhood right around rockridge bart stopumm, from civic center... not much running, you would a bit to go to get to presidio and gg park and marinalake merritt, actually not bad, redwood regional and joaquin miller aren't far awaydriving to San Bruno... tough call. lake merritt probably 30 minute drive... 880 can be stressful, i would guess the same deal from sf to san bruno although that would kinda be a reverse commuteat lake merritt you are close to freeways and probably will have better parking but there is way less going on in downtown oakland then in downtown san franciscoare you young? well-off? married? what things do you want out of a place to live

Ms Acras wrote:

Actually, I posted much the same question, but had no replies:(?? I am also looking for good marathon teams. Right now, I may have a place near Civic center lined up. However, I was wondering how right on the North tip of Lake Merritt seemed as an area. I will be working in San Bruno.. Seems like the commute from the East bay or the city is better than coming from S. of the peninsula. Just had my interview today and looks like I'll be moving in a week or two.

oh yeah and just how fast are you?

if you are pretty damn fast then you could probably train with adidas transports if you live in lake merritt

i think those guys in general are at the least 33 minute 10kers

If you're a woman join the Impalas in San Francisco.