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[-]ok I'm in NYC have no idea about San Jose (I posted earlier)...what is 101, noe valley, and is it different from palo alto? advice for getting an apt in San Jose/palo alto? (do they have public transportation?) which one is better for driving? thanks all!
23 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreNoe Valley is a lot more dense than Palo Alto, but Palo Alto does have a cute downtown. Plus it has a warm summer. Downside: college kids.
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depends on what you consider expensive, I guess: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/2820076216.html
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Noe Valley is very expensive right now- blame google, facebook shuttles. Think 3k for a 1br. A bad 1br, with no parking! Plus 20 people will all show up at the open house, wanting it.
[ Reply | More ]or more than 20. We've been to open houses with 50+ people lined up outside just to take a look. A lot of them fill out applications, and you have to pay an application fee, which is probably money down the drain because 200 other people have also all applied and there's no way they're reviewing them all. I've also heard from SF agents that they're getting tech people offering to pay for a year's rent up-front. It's crazy out there these days, and doesn't seem to be slowing.
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Are you for real? What do you do for a living that you would uproot your life and just move to a place sight unseen in order to try to land a man?
[ Reply | More ]Seriously! I am originally from Los Altos Hills and I have a lot of friends who still live in the area (I left for greener pastures--NOT NYC!--long ago) and they're all still single in their late 40s. The stories of the dorks and nerds they've met over the years are quite amusing. Good luck to you. It's a very expensive place to live and you had better be pulling down some serious cash to make it worthwhile.
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Okay here is the 411 for you! 101 is the "main artery" between silicon valley and SF. Think of it as I-95 throughout New England or the Garden State Parkway in NJ. Taking 280 is better, it's wider, made of cement not asphalt so has a smoother ride, less traffic, prettier views. Noe Valley is where uppity moms who mow you down with their stroller live. It's like the suburbs, but in a city. But it feels like being in a suburb. To get an apartment in Palo Alto, search on craigslist, on a FRIDAY. People post Friday afternoons for their open houses on Saturdays and Sundays.
[ Reply | More ]If you want to move to San Francisco to catch a man, don't move to Silicon Valley. It's suburban hell and grody. Noe Valley is a great place, but all the men here are attached to their wives and dogs, this place is all families. If you want to catch a man, the only place in San Francisco to do it is The Marina, unless you're a hipster, then the Mission.
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[-]Which neighborhoods in SF proper are family friendly and semi-hip, but more affordable options than noe valley? Would like to send kids to public if possible. We don't live there, just starting to research.
4 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreWe LOVED the Inner and Central Richmond. Extremely family-friendly. Good luck finding a place, though -- the rental market is brutal. More affordable than Noe Valley, though, and not nearly as irritating. Good public schools there, too, although there's no guarantee you'll get a spot even if you live in the area (although the lottery system has been updated so you'll have a better chance.)
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[-]San Fran post: So...I was thinking of moving from NY to Silicon Valley to meet a guy, but if I stay where I am for 1year 4 months, I get a huge pension incentive ($500 a month) - I am 32 turning 33, should I stay or go? I really want to have a family someday so I worry about waiting to have kids...
9 replies [ Reply | Watch | Moreop: Also - does it change that - if I leave, I'll get a cash equivalent of $15k up front?
[ Reply | More ]They don't call it Man Jose for nothing. that said... the $500 a month will pay for a lot of cat food in 2052!
[ Reply | More ]Do you love living in NY? Or do you crave a suburban lifestyle and easy access to nature? That should be your first question because the lifestyle will be VERY different. Where are your friends and family? Do you need to be near them? Don't choose where to live based on the possibility of meeting someone. Don't we all meet someone when we aren't looking? I did (at 31)...and you are certainly not too old....gl!
[ Reply | More ]I grew up in NYC but met my husband in San Francisco. I have another girlfriend who left SF to move to New York to meet a guy because she swore that the "markt" in the Bay Area was impossible. When she moved she was 29, and now she's 37, but she refuses to move back home to SF until she has a husband. She's had more nibbles in NY than she ever had here in SF. This is what I would do if I were you, stay in NYC for the next 16 months but date online and cast your net far (far to SF) and say you're moving there in a year, so just looking now. You might get yourself a boyfriend before you move here, and still get the extra cash.
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[-]Have you had any experience with Birthways in Berkeley or Loving Arms in Albany? This is my first pregnancy and I am looking to take some classes.
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Very few Bay Area ladies on here. That said, I took the 1 day class at Alta Bates and thought it was solid and plenty of info. I planned to (and did) go unmedicated and the information helped, although you might want a more thorough experience if you're nervous. The teacher was very positive and supportive of everyone's expectations on that front, and we had a range.
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[-]Are there any elementary or even preschools in the SF Bay Area that offer an extensive technology curriculum? For example, kids are learning coding?
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[-]Need a recommendation for a jogging stroller please, to be used primarily for running. Bob revolution or bob ironman or other? thanks
6 replies [ Reply | Watch | Morecheckout the mountain buggy stroller at www.thedapperbaby.com
[ Reply | More ]I have the Bob Revolution. It's really smooth and it rolls over the "terrain" in Central Park. I don't run, DH does. Unfortunately, my DD didn't like going running in it so he never uns with DD. But we use it on weekends sometimes -- it's a pain in stores or for public transportation but good for walking, very smooth.
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Do you mean for a visit or to live? Either way, it really depends on your neighborhood and your needs. We lived there without a car (in the central Richmond) and just rented one when we wanted to make Target runs or go on weekend trips. There's also the car share places everywhere. In some other areas I think it would be tougher. Most of the families I knew DID own cars. And I did hate taking MUNI with my then-toddler; the buses are always packed and the riders can be really rude. We're moving back and still won't bother buying a car (we just won't get enough use out of it to justify the hassles and expense), but will join City CarShare this time around.
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[-]Going to live in redwood city, work in sunnyvale, ca - do I need a car, or can I get to most places via caltrain?
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[-]Private school admissions on the West Coast: accept/reject letters went out yesterday. We've received a letter that says our child is on the 'priority waiting list'. Does that mean anything, or is it a polite brush off?
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[-]East Coaster - why do people keep saying that San Jose is a h*** hole? From everything I've read about it - it seems to be pretty good - nice weather, good incomes, jobs, cheap groceries...? thanks
19 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreI liked living there in west San Jose. Who's saying that? There was an "LA or San Jose" post recently that skewed toward LA, but wasn't down on San Jose particularly, as I recall.
[ Reply | More ]Reading about a place and actually living there are two very different things. San Jose is pretty much suburban hell. Go visit and decide for yourself.
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I lived in the Bay Area for 15 years and while I liked it quite a bit, you have to know that people are pretty provincial about their particular area. Bay Area more or less has 4 different regions and mindsets that go along with it: San Francisco, the peninsula, Marin County, and the East Bay. The peninsula is flat and pretty ugly and lots of people hate it, but it's where the jobs are so begrudgingly it is accepted. People I know who live there like it fine; people who don't live there seen to quickly reach a consensus that it sucks. It's not a terrible area - but it lacks the natural beauty and bon vivant quality of Marin, the old elegance of SF, and the quirkiness of the East Bay; it's kind of a big extended "burb" with a million tech j...
[ Reply | More ]It's not that bad. Just boring. Not horribly so, just not bustling and exciting. If you have a job there I'm sure it's a fine place to live. It just always strikes me as rather bland. There's plenty to keep you busy, though, and you can't beat the day trip options. It's just no NYC, but then it's not pretending to be.
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[-]repost in CA forums: also - how do we feel about living in Sunnyvale, CA? (vs san jose, palo alto, mountainview?) thanks
24 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreSunnyvale has some really nice middle income homes. It boarders Cupertino and Mountain View. It is not as nice at Los Gatos or Palo Alto, but it is very close to all the semiconductor companies. Also, be careful of San Jose. There are pockets of bad aread in San Jose.
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Eh, not much difference between a fine neighborhood in Sunnyvale and a fine neighborhood in Mtn View or west San Jose. Will probably be a little less expensive and more down-to-earth than Palo Alto. A tiny bit more convenient for the East Bay, if that matters to you; a tiny bit less convenient for San Francisco. Nice town.
[ Reply | More ]I'd choose Pasitempo near Scott's Valley. One of the high schools in the district is rated top 10 I the country
[ Reply | More ]I would hate it if I had to live in Sunnyvale. I think the only redeeming quality is that it is near a Ranch 99 and you can get cheap seafood there. I would happily live in Palo Alto, and if Mountain View's downtown improves, I wouldn't mind living there.
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[-]32 year old single woman - I hear 2 different things about SF, intersted in Sillicon valley 1) its a great place to meet single men 2) forget about meeting single men there are 5 hot young women for every man - which is it? thanks
54 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreThe tech industry is male dominated and the heart of Silicon Valley. Thus, there are likely more men to date but not so sure they are the marrying type. A lot is going to depend on you.
[ Reply | More ]Silicon Valley mom here- I am 5 minutes from the Googleplex. There are tons and tons of single men here and there are no women. The women all live up in San Francisco. San Jose is 50 miles from SF and there is no higher ratio of men to women than in SJ.
[ Reply | More ]^^ so what I mean to tell you is that if you really want to meet an eligible man- don't fall for some cute apartment in Noe Valley. Suck it up and go down the 101 at least to Palo Alto.
[ Reply | More ]Single 38yo DF moved to SF two years ago (sick of the single life and all friends married and she needed a change). She met her DH a year later (FWIW he works at Google).
[ Reply | More ]Same thing just happened to my cousin. She moved here and met an engineer in Livermore. They met at a running club. People do more goofy organized activities out here (road biking, geo-caching, sushi-making, etc. etc.), so I think it is easier to meet (especially if you're over age 30).
[ Reply | More ]Google Bus leaves from Noe and Marina I believe. Now, you really want to find someone..work at one of these big companies where you sit on the bus for 45 min a day with eligible coworkers. There are many other companies. Better do you research :)
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I agree with this..Mountain View, Los Gatos, Menlo Park is where you want to be. But, honestly, move to Alaska if all you care about is numbers.
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hot women....san francisco.............hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahhahaahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa
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I think this city is filled with cute nerds. A lot of them are single and looking to settled down. The PROBLEM is once you do "settle down" you can't afford to live here anymore, and don't want to anyway because the school system is so wack (seriously, it's worse than NYC with the lottery and busing around town). I'd say somewhere like Belmont, Mountain View or Woodside would be a great bet for you. Or San Jose. Los Gatos is kinda gold-digger-y.
[ Reply | More ]Just to warn you, it's next to impossible to find a rental in SF or Silicon Valley these days. Thanks to a complicated work situation we recently went through an apartment search in NYC and then now in SF, and it is far, far, far tougher to find a place in San Francisco than in Manhattan. We're moving back because of work (and do like SF, although not the Silicon Valley), but if you don't have any reason to be there I'd just pick another, easier city. Or find a roommate somewhere like Mountain View who already has a place.
[ Reply | More ]thank you all for your responses - if you knew how many lonely nights I've spent in NY - you would know I really need this...=)
[ Reply | More ]Visit before you decide. I can understand wanting a change, but I would not move to Silicon Valley just because you want to find a man. Then again, maybe you'll discover that you love it there or land a great job, but you'll be spending a fortune to live in what is essentially one big suburb, and where many of the single men are (at least the ones I know) pouring all of their energy into their work, not into developing relationships. Sure, you can find someone, but you can do that right where you are now, too. Or in some other city with a lower price tag and a much easier, more relaxed, affordable lifestyle.
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[-]ok another question: if Silicon valley has a lot of single men and san francisco has a lot of women, why don't the men just drive over for 55 min? TIA...
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[-]WWYD? Our neighbors who became our good friends are going through a divorce. Now, the wife is constantly critiquing my marriage, my kids, how my husband is, etc and it is driving me crazy. What would you do?
9 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreCreate some distance! Does she think you are favoring her ex-husband? Our neighbors also went through a divorce. We were friends with both of them. The woman was cheating on the man and then refused to go to counseling... husband was heartbroken. They had just finished building a home together in the country! Woman moved out of the apartment, so we would have the husband over for dinner. He was so lonely, we weren't trying to take sides or anything. Made the wife furious though.
[ Reply | More ]I have no idea-they are lovely people but frankly DH and I could never figure out what they had in common. She's kind of attacking everything-said my DS trashed her DD's room (he didn't), my DH has trouble saying "NO" and she said that is bad, crap like that-no one has moved out yet. This is awful.
[ Reply | More ]Living through it, I just don't think it is as clear cut as one is cheating and won't go to counseling. There are two sides, always.
[ Reply | More ]Oh I don't doubt it. They got married young (mid-20s), got thrown into the hell of building a home from the ground up, and the wife still liked to go out and party. I think she just felt tied down to early--and her dh wanted to start having kids. I don't think she is "bad" or anything. The DH was just kind of stunned when he found out about the cheating and that she was leaving.
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Why would she critique YOUR kids or YOUR husband..I can see talking down her own, but yours? You need to stop talking with her about anything but weather until she gets her head back together. If she wants to discuss her broken life, fine, you are all ears, if she needs to shit down on your parade, tell he, sorry but I am all out of time today!
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[-]Living in Piedmont vs Lafayette...compare/contrast...DH would be commuting to downtown SF, me = SAHM of 3 small boys
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[-]We live in London right now. We're considering a move to San Francisco but are unlikely to be in a position to move before DS would be starting first grade. Will this likely make it impossible to get him into a good public school or easier because of movement in/out of the city?
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I read that you get over 7 choices of pub school on the application. They do not use a random lotto for seats. They weight it based on Race, ethnicity, and language spoken. This is how they purposely make sure the classes are diversified and not reflective of a particular neighborhood. Many of the "good" less crime schools are usually wait listed. You will receive a school no matter what but it could be across town. Google. There is a good radio recording of an interview of the director and a active parent.
[ Reply | More ]NP: neighborhood counts for something now, although there's still no guarantee you'll get a neighborhood school (neighborhood school is one of the "tie-breakers," or whatever they call them now). To the OP: there's always movement in and out of the city, so while I think you'd be at a disadvantage, there's still hope.
[ Reply | More ]I guess I was hoping that spots free up b/c people in a city like SF would move a lot. Sounds like maybe not? Hmm... I'm a bit confused about how the whole system works. If it's a popular school and you like in the school district are you very/reasonably/no to likely to get a place? Also are there areas you can live where you'd be able to select from more than one very good school?
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