So the sitch is I am coming back to work in SF out of a downtown office adjacent to Embarcadero BART. It's a three or four year assignment, but I am eligible to retire after two years, and it makes huge financial sense to do so...picking up a reasonably big retirement annuity as early as possible while also freeing me to get a job in which I either work a lot less or make a lot more, or both. Plan is to spend at least the four years of kiddo's high school years there, then open to remaining or re-evaluating another living situation as best suits.
Soliciting any advice on living. Last time I was on the outskirts of Walnut Creek next to Pleasant Hill BART. Made for a good train commute. But I had no child and very little stuff. Now, have kid and a dog that needs at least a little outdoor fenced space.
What's most important is a worthy school district in a place I can afford, period...over my own convenience or access to riding or whatever. The place we end up will probably need to offer an assured school based on living geography...we arrive just before school and can't trust to any kind of lottery or whatever. Got relatives and friends in Oakland, would be nice to be near them, but that's also a hell of a gamble on schools to be in Oakland, from what I see, so it's sort of out.
Alameda is tempting for price/commute options/schools but as hardened as I am to prospects of natural disaster, the earthquake outlook for the island kind of terrifies me..."liquefication" is not a good word.
Gonna consider some North Bay options but $$$$...people in Sausilito, Mill Creek, and San. Rafael all report good commutes, though. Berkely is a good high school but seems kind of staggeringly expensive for what you get. Most likely going to be out in Walnut Creek/Concord/Pleasant Hell again, I suppose.
Luckily I also have a cousin in Davis with a 14 acre ranch, former race driver who has full car maintenance and resto facilities, so he will take the Land Cruiser and the motos and all my tools for as long as I need them there, so I won't be selling off all the stuff I like immediately for lack of space.
What really sucks is that I don't get a pay bump for being out there... theoretically I do have like a 40% differential or something, but I hit a pay cap immediately so I never receive any of it. Hoping I can get the wife to work some, too. She's looking at substitute teaching at $300/day, flexible schedule.
Thoughts? Ideas? I know the area has gotten even more expensive and crime is definitely an issue to consider.
Soliciting any advice on living. Last time I was on the outskirts of Walnut Creek next to Pleasant Hill BART. Made for a good train commute. But I had no child and very little stuff. Now, have kid and a dog that needs at least a little outdoor fenced space.
What's most important is a worthy school district in a place I can afford, period...over my own convenience or access to riding or whatever. The place we end up will probably need to offer an assured school based on living geography...we arrive just before school and can't trust to any kind of lottery or whatever. Got relatives and friends in Oakland, would be nice to be near them, but that's also a hell of a gamble on schools to be in Oakland, from what I see, so it's sort of out.
Alameda is tempting for price/commute options/schools but as hardened as I am to prospects of natural disaster, the earthquake outlook for the island kind of terrifies me..."liquefication" is not a good word.
Gonna consider some North Bay options but $$$$...people in Sausilito, Mill Creek, and San. Rafael all report good commutes, though. Berkely is a good high school but seems kind of staggeringly expensive for what you get. Most likely going to be out in Walnut Creek/Concord/Pleasant Hell again, I suppose.
Luckily I also have a cousin in Davis with a 14 acre ranch, former race driver who has full car maintenance and resto facilities, so he will take the Land Cruiser and the motos and all my tools for as long as I need them there, so I won't be selling off all the stuff I like immediately for lack of space.
What really sucks is that I don't get a pay bump for being out there... theoretically I do have like a 40% differential or something, but I hit a pay cap immediately so I never receive any of it. Hoping I can get the wife to work some, too. She's looking at substitute teaching at $300/day, flexible schedule.
Thoughts? Ideas? I know the area has gotten even more expensive and crime is definitely an issue to consider.
