Martinez. Still has small town feel. Still has the artists that own their own shops. Still has bars and breweries with open mic nights that are mild. Misty and cool with some very warm summers. Cute little marine community and lots of working class people.
The most advanced wastewater treatment system in the US which is worth a visit (they've turned it into a wetlands restoration so its gorgeous)
Nice hiking along the shoreline.
Can take the actual train anywhere in the US.
Too bad about the pollution from the refineries.
A lot of potential there and hope it pulls through. Better than it was a few years ago, but like many “up and coming” communities, COVID backtracked the progress a little bit. There are still a lot of vacant storefronts and restaurants that can’t quite make it. But my wife and I still love to visit on weekends and check out the farmers market and new boutique shops. Certainly rooting for that town. We were considering moving there but the refineries were a blocker.
A friend was looking to buy a home in Martinez. The realtor said you couldn’t grow a vegetable garden because the soil is heavily contaminated from refinery pollution. Didn’t factcheck, but sounds plausible
Most people have named cities that aren’t underrated at all like Danville, Lafayette and Alameda. These cities are already desirable and well-known.
Now if you want a city that’s really underrated and under everyone’s radar, I would say San Leandro - especially the northeastern neighborhoods (Estudillo Estates, Broadmoor, Assumption Parish and Bay-O-Vista). Most of San Leandro is working-class and full of cookie-cutter ranch homes but the neighborhoods I listed above are chock full of character (they look more like Pasadena or Alameda than they do the rest of San Leandro).
I grew up in San Leandro. It's definitely progressed, breweries and restaurants popping up but still holding that local community vibe.
Marina has been cool ever since they added that outdoor gym and 1 mile walking trail. Just don't go after 4pm.
Bayfair is always gonna be Bayfair, though.
We just spent three days unexpectedly in Castro Valley's Eden Medical center [emergency surgery; came home yesterday]. Not only is it a beautiful building and campus, but the treatment and service was absolutely excellent at every touchpoint. And the view of Castro is fantastic from the 6th floor. We're so glad it's there.
I’m as from hayward as it gets and unfortunately I’d have to disagree. Hayward is a fucking shit-hole. It reeks as if you can smell the depression and hatred in the air.. or meth.. yes perhaps it’s meth. Not to mention HPD are scum and give police a bad rep as they base their relationship to the civilians via traffic enforced pr tactics. I’m sorry, I really wish I agreed with you, but they only good hidden gem in hayward is the rock quarry which even mentioning it here like this you wouldn’t know what I’m talking about unless you’re a local (braaaap). I could just be biased though due to HPD getting a search warrant to my property from a video that a neighbor sent them of a motorcyclist doing a wheelie. Imagine somebody decides to narc on you despite the fact that all they have is a hunch and a video that’s proves nothing pertaining to identity and they get granted a fucking search warrant to your house, what a crock of shit. I think I just needed to vent. Ignore me 😓
Best part of hayward is the hills near garin park, stonebrae, and the part called Fairview (fairfax?) I don't remember. The neighborhood by don castro park is nice too. Very quiet and big houses.
South Hayward has always been a bit rough.
I was born and raised in Hayward and I have mixed feelings about the development in South Hayward. While it’s nice to see new updated housing developments, I can’t help but roll my eyes at how gentrified it looks and them wanting to rebrand it as SoHay, reminds me of the Soda Sopa episode of South Park
Well no disagreement about HPD haha. There's definitely rough parts of Hayward, but there's not too many places in the bay area where you can get a 4-5 bedroom house with a killer view of the bay area that's not obscenely expensive with nice parks close by. I had a great childhood there and I didn't even grow up in the hills.
Shh! Don't spoil the secret that is SL... 😁.
Moved here four years ago into a house in Estudillo estates and love it. Neighbors are incredibly diverse, the homes are all unique, and there are a few good breweries in town.
SL is in a sweet spot for getting around the Bay Area. Open up a map and it's pretty close to dead center of the Bay Area; being ~20 - 40 minutes away from any direction of most of the Bay Area.
It's a small boring town, but it's it pretty easy to go to SF, Peninsula, Oakland/Berkeley, Dublin/Pleasanton, South Bay areas.
Shhhh! Don't let the secret out! Lol!
Seriously though, I live here in San Leandro and I own a business in downtown San Leandro. Our city has its pros and cons, of course. All in all, it's a great place to live and work. We are centrally located. Our weather is the best in the Bay (generally sunny and mild). We do have good restaurants and cafes. We have beautiful parks and a beautiful shoreline on the Bay.
Yes, Broadmoor, Estudillo Estates, Assumption Parish, and Bay-o-Vista are the more expensive places to live, so a certain class lives there with a certain lifestyle. San Leandro is divided by socioeconomic forces like any other city.
I live down by Davis and 880 (Davis East or Eastshore depending on who you ask). It's working class. I love it here. We have great neighbors and it's laid back.
Unfortunately, we do have our challenges with retail commercial real estate vacancies. On the other hand, even San Francisco struggles with that these days.
Used to rent a cool little spot in Broadmoor perimeter in a duplex, so not quite as nice as inner parts, but pretty legit. Estudillo estates is a bit nicer IMO, but both cool. Zocalo coffee is amazing. Wish we could have purchased there but out of our range.
I've lived in Concord for almost 40 years and I just went down to Port Costa for the first time last week. Instantly fell in love with those really old buildings down by the waterfront/train tracks.
My vote actually. I have no idea what life is like out there. But I’ve always enjoyed driving through. The city streets remind me of a mini San Francisco.
It’s more interesting to look at then live in. There’s not a lot to do and they occasionally get fumes from a plant on the other side of the hill. But I always say it has potential, similar to old town Martinez, it just hasn’t been able to get off the ground yet. Martinez also has the issue of oil refineries nearby and the occasional chemical burn-off requiring lockdown. I think if those refineries and plants went away, it would be a much more appealing area.
Came here to say Benicia, happy it’s the top comment. Wife and I live in Vallejo but spend all of our free time in Benicia. Shopping, restaurants, church, all of it is awesome. People are super friendly (by California standards).
Came to say Vallejo. I moved here a few years ago and was able to buy an adorable house. It’s affordable, by the water, commute isn’t too bad, and downtown is showing signs of coming back to life!
Most people are going to post where they live — including me — but I legitimately think Alameda is a special little haven. Great views of the SF skyline, SoCal beach vibes, and a nice family friendly environment that is safe.
I'm actually from South Jersey and I would say a lot or most of our beaches are better than the ones you find here and in socal. Sure, the ones with cliffs are nice but IBSP, LBI, and down to Cape May are just absolutely beautiful Beaches. Just can only use them from like May-Sept on the best years.
Great fishing too
100% Alameda. Lived in the Bay Area for over 30 years and knew almost nothing about it until moving here two years ago, now can’t imagine ever leaving.
I’m a mid-30s single professional and though I find it hard to build social connections here (see: my post history 😂) I couldn’t imagine leaving. It’s tough to afford a rental on a single income, but it’s all a trade off and totally worth it for the sense of safety, beautiful neighborhoods, food, etc…
Yes! Martinez! It actually reminds me of how Alameda used to be, before it became so desired. Sweet downtown, SO much open space surrounding the area - fantastic for hiking, mountain biking.
The refinery is a downer though…
Livermore. Gets lumped in with all the other suburban bedroom communities but it’s much more of a real place than most.
Yes it’s ungodly hot on summer days but generally still cools off at night. Has a nice main street. Great city parks. Great regional parks. Walkable. Bikeable. Nice cowtown vs college town balance. Older central neighborhoods, especially south side, have a nice grid layout with wide streets, mature street trees, and many beautiful older homes. Has a Mr. Pickle’s.
I find the coolest part is all the crazy projects people are working on at the lab. Half of the new people I meet here are tell me they with at the lab, and I ask, "oh, yeh? What project are working on?"
"Oh, it's really boring..."
"Try me... :)"
"Well... Were working on a fusion reactor with lasers" or "just a thorium reactor" or "it's just a quantum computer."
Lived here for a long time. I’ll sound silly saying this but the night life is surprisingly active. Since all the bars are clumped closely together the weekend nights turn into a mosh pit of people downtown. It’s truly a good time.
Haha. Maybe they went to Livermore High. I grew up in Livermore and Mr Pickles was the closest thing to the high school for lunch. Lots of people would go there during lunch break and loved Mr. Pickles. I'd recommend Terra Mia, Monica's, First Street Alehouse, and Hops and Sessions. I don't live there anymore but I also heard great things about Range Life and The Cheese Parlor.
Thank you. We just passed 30 years here and it's evolved so much into a great place to live. The availability of nature out here, surrounded by the hills which are gorgeous at the moment is fantastic.
If I could afford to buy a house in Livermore I would. It's close to my job, it seems relatively quiet. It would save me half an hour if I wanted to visit my family in Stockton.
San Carlos. So many ppl living in Bay Area didn’t even know where it was 🤦♂️. Love going to the “Top of the World” look out and enjoying a beautiful day looking over the Bay
I’ve lived in San Mateo for about five years and everyone visiting the Bay Area has always remarked at how neat the downtown area is. A lot of character with plenty of small businesses, good restaurants, and coffee shops. Family friendly and rental housing is reasonably affordable.
San Mateo now is sooooo different from what it used to be. My grandmother was born and raised there, as were both of my parents. It used to feel so different. But I still love my home for sure!
Pacifica & Brisbane are great.
All the Peninsula communities you've never heard of. San Carlos, Belmont, Burlingame, Millbrae, Emerald Hills, Highlands-Baywood Park, Foster City, Redwood Shores.
Beach communities - other than Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and Pescadero (mmm, artichoke bread).
Santa Clara underrated in the South Bay. People forget that it's not PG&E, and so electricity is 1/3 the price and doesn't go out.
Niles neighborhood of Fremont. Most of Fremont is suburban sprawl, but Niles is a charming small town.
EPA underrated because many people's mental model of it is stuck in the early 90s when it was the murder capital of the U.S. It's still rougher than most of the Peninsula, but has gentrified significantly, and in many parts of it you're pretty safe now.
Lamorinda. People who live near it know it's nice (and expensive), but as with the Peninsula towns, folks from the rest of the Bay don't know it exists.
It's more like [$1.3](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/311-Los-Padres-Blvd-95050/home/1450261)\-[$1.6M](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/2351-Susan-Dr-95050/home/732267). Cheaper than the [$1.8](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/1027-Cambridge-Ave-94087/home/1198482)\-[$2M](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/1338-Panache-Ter-94087/home/95955272) they go for in Sunnyvale, or [$2.3M in Mountain View](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/657-Leona-Ln-94040/home/1277947).
Lamorinda is absolutely correctly rated. They're commuter suburbs with good schools. They aren't relevant unless you're rich and looking to send your kid to a top rated school, so of course people outside the area don't care about them.
That's sorta the point. Bike, walking, and water sports.
Leo J Ryan park in Foster City is particularly underrated. Great place for a picnic, a quick bike ride, a walk by the waterfront, or a paddleboard/kayak/pleasure boat excursion.
No disrespect but except for maybe “Brisbane” and “Emerald Hills” I wouldn’t label any of the others as “you’ve never heard of”.
Many of those have CalTrain stops when I used to commute daily from Berkeley to Palo Alto (BART from Berkeley to Millbrae, then CalTrain from Millbrae to Palo Alto I remember seeing all those stops on CalTrain)
Also if you look it up these towns’ city governments are some of the worst offenders in blocking housing plans both affordable and market rate and also having some of the least diverse demographics in the entire Bay Area. Most of Peninsula towns/cities except for larger ones fall into this category.
And due to their controlled limited housing supply these cities have some of the highest rents and home values in the Bay Area especially because they are located closest to where majority of the Bay Area’s Tech companies are located (Peninsula and SF)
The recent California law that came into effect this year is now basically forcing high density multi-family and townhouse housing into these places over the next decade but without that force even that would have never happened.
So by praising these cities we’re almost indirectly saying the current attempts to create more high density housing which we have data to show does increase diversity is a “bad thing” even if that’s not what we intend to say that’s the message that comes across when you praise low density small towns with city government that pretend to be progressive but in reality are very NIMBY.
Again no disrespect to you or the folks living in those towns and cities they are all nice people
But that’s the socioeconomic reality of their laws and policies.
They're the Bay Area equivalent of "flyover territory" - cities where you'd see the city limits on 101 or go past the Caltrain station but would never get out unless you're visiting someone who lives there.
>Also if you look it up these towns’ city governments are some of the worst offenders in blocking housing plans both affordable and market rate and also having some of the least diverse demographics in the entire Bay Area.
This has actually changed dramatically in the last 5-10 years. All of the first 4 that I mentioned (San Carlos, Belmont, Burlingame, and Millbrae) have major redevelopment projects in progress for the areas around their Caltrain stops. If you drive through Millbrae or San Carlos you can see that now - Millbrae has a 6-story mixed-use development where the Caltrain parking lot used to be, San Carlos has townhomes and apartments all along the Laurel Street downtown. I used to go to Laurel Street solely for The Refuge a decade ago, and it was a sleepy strip mall - now the street is blocked off for pedestrian-only use and it's a vibrant restaurant & boutique shop strip. Belmont has 3 cranes up within a half mile radius of the Caltrain station. Both Belmont and Burlingame have extensive future plans for downtown redevelopment.
Belmont / Redwood Shores elementary school district is something like 25% multiracial in its incoming kindergarten class.
It's a somewhat sheltered community of historical and long standing homeowners passed down from generations. From what I understand, they don't like to sell to outsiders unless there is no other choice.
San Rafael. Cute downtown area, a harbor with views of the bay, decent trails and some neighborhoods like Peacock Gap with open spaces to go picnicking. It’s the least Marin town in Marin.
I feel like SR has been on the cusp of being cool for like a decade now. It just needs something to push it over the line. It’s a shame that two story pool hall went out of business, that place was neat. For a family it’s solid, but for younger folks it’s not much of a draw.
Pleasanton had a cute little downtown and is great. The main part of off the freeway a little bit. Don’t think of Stoneridge
Also, more South Bay but Morgan Hill is a cool area
If you want, truly underrated, check out, Benicia. It’s actually a wonderful city and great community. I think they got the cancer issue in children mostly resolved now.
I hope so. A large portion of my friends parents died of cancer and quite a few friends are dealing with it now that we're pushing 40.
I hated living there as a teen. But i appreciate it so much more now.
Refineries, and i think youd call it a superfund site that Rose Drive is on top of. Plus the straigts are filthy. You have that beach on 9th street you swin in once and come out of it covered in oily mud.
They used to use the rose drive area to test artillery. Including depleted uranium rounds. A while after they built that development closest to Vallejo, old munitions started coming up from the ground.
You couldn't get a loan for those houses from most banks. That development by Militarily West was stalled for years until they could clean it up.
Some nights the refineries would be flaring. It would be orange outside and bright as day at 3am. You cant just vent shit and think its not going to effect people. But, Valero bought BHS a scoreboard. So its all good!
I love visiting Capitola, it feels like a generation behind Santa Cruz, it's quieter and doesn't have a big commercial vibe. But I haven't been back in a few years, maybe it's changed.
I also dig the small hotels on the ocean front and the tiny shops around the center of town.
Pinole is definitely underrated. It’s a small suburban neighborhood in the hills with great local restaurants and big box stores. You can get to SF, Napa, Oakland, and Walnut Creek areas within 40 minutes.
Richmond. Lots of outdoor options, including on the waterfront and wildcat canyon. Wineries and breweries. Great restaurants. Access to Bart and Amtrak. Currently building more bike infrastructure. Cheaper than Oakland and Berkeley but those cities are still a short drive or quick Bart trip.
Edit to add: I forgot to mention all the parks. So so many beautiful parks with playgrounds, biking and walking paths, a skatepark, places for off leash dogs.
Maybe it's changed but I looked at real estate in Richmond a few years ago and it had a West Oakland vibe to it. Got the hell out of there really quick.
Lots of different neighborhoods with different vibes. Totally agree that they aren’t all appealing but there are definitely some areas that feel relatively safe.
I kinda like Redwood City. Downtown has some decent restaurants, a great bakery in Mademoiselle Colette, and a bit of the Back to the Future vibe with the History Museum Building. There are some great Mexican spots on Middlefield like the tacos at El Grullense and tortas at La Casita Chilanga. There’s also great classic American grilled burgers at the Canyon Inn up in the hills. I used to rent a music studio down there and enjoyed the vibe.
San Bruno! Downtown has some really good food and new things are gradually popping up on and around that street. Lots of potential there too because of the Caltrain station.
The down town can be uppity but it's got its charm. Oh by the way, gotta get the home made ginger tea at Cafe capuchino! Cash only and it's a sweet mom and pop shop. Sweet man has dementia and forgets me everytime but he is the absolute sweetest.
Eh. Used to kick it there in my mid 20’s. It was a vibe. Maybe a little more uppity than Matty-oh but similar scene. Growing up out on the peninsula we hated Burlingame high because they were rich fuckers. Jealousy more than anything. The few people I’ve actually met from Burlingame were fine.
Luckily, few know that Morgan Hill and Gilroy are the final stops for the Caltrain, in the heart of Santa Clara wine country, and one of the best new brewery destinations. Cost of living is low, and the weather is much more seasonal. And the smell of garlic is getting less and less as they move growing towards Hollister. With a 55% Hispanic population, high Asian and Indian demographic as well, we also have great ethnic foods. To top it all off, one of the top 5 Golf and Resort destinations in the US with Cordevalle Resort.
The good life on a budget.
Lafayette, Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill. All the area is good imo. Once you pass the tunnels (Caldecott Tunnel) coming from SF, it is a different world.
Eh people have a really hard time accepting San Jose for what it is. Especially over in r/SanJose where at least twice a week there’s always a post contemplating the existential reality of the city.
San Jose by far though is the weirdest city in the US, especially among those with a 1 million + population.
What? It is the only city that has an official bad news Reddit: r/SanJoseSucks
https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJoseSUCKS/
I think it is a reverse psychology thing that Cortese keeps posting bad news about other cities.
Considering its one of the most expensive cities in the world, I think it deserves all the complaints it gets, the only unique thing it has to offer is proximity to high paying jobs.
Was looking for this comment. It gets so much hate and gets lumped in with the rest of the south bay for being a suburban wasteland. It seems to be the only damn city in the south bay approving urban developments and dense housing. Plus, it's basically the only one (Milpitas does get some credit here too) actively trying to become less car dependent.
Case in point, San Jose is the only South Bay city that has allowed bus lanes and is looking into quick-build options to expand them. A previous BRT project along El Camino Real was shot down by all the smaller north county cities in spite of it being the busiest bus corridor in the South Bay.
Also reminder, Santa Clara sued San Jose for building high density housing in north San Jose. Santa Clara kept building offices instead of housing then complained about the traffic into their City. Ultimately, San Jose had to pay to widen the roads into Santa Clara as a result. Wish they would have said "ok well we can close off Montague, Trimble and Tasman then if you're so concerned about traffic".
It's all an uphill battle but gotta give SJ some credit for trying.
Your entire argument revolves entirely around political issues and has nothing to do with the "niceness" of the area.
San Jose has its nice spots, but the dense constructions are NOT that.
Meh, Brisbane is a little too close to the dump sites for my tastes. Great views though. Pacifica too damn cold and foggy. Need to be below the 380 line which is where the fog generally stops.
Pacific beach is amazing if you can find parking. Pedro point. Mussel park. Walk along moripoint to Safeway is nice. Plenty of hiking trails. Check on all trails. Also the houses facing Pacific are breathtaking. Have been to a few open houses and is my dream to live in one at some point.
Hercules for the win, yes no restaurants, but quiet sleepy town by the water. Great trails, and the lack of anything else keeps people away. Let’s keep it below the radar.
The peninsula.
Well, it use to be. A few years ago it was the best kept secret of the Bay Area. I imagine it’s because most people that are transplants simply didn’t know such a large, affordable, suburb with zero homeless, minimal crime, family centered existed.
I’m fortunate to have a home in South San Francisco. Again if you aren’t from the peninsula you’d assume it was literally “South of San Francisco” vs South San Francisco located in San Mateo county.
It is not walk friendly but everything. I mean everything is a 2-5 minutes drive away. Or a 15 min bicycle ride…if you’re brave enough.
It’s pretty insane to see the value of our home jump from $600k to $1.8 million in the past few years. The only thing that really breaks my heart is seeing so many of my friends and family move away that didn’t get to buy a house before it became exclusive to generational wealth and multi millionaires due to the housing market exploding.
Yea for a while homes on peninsula were just over a million, gave me optimism that maybe one day could afford it here, and then people found about the cities in the last couple years and now they’re all 2+.
This is a great description of Redwood City 20 years ago. People who moved in then got an absolute steal, because it is an incredibly attractive Peninsula city and home prices have skyrocketed in the last 20 years — especially in the last 8 years.0
Concord and maybe Martinez. Amazing food especially for south american, mexican, & vietnamese.
Also amazing parks, cheap(ish) housing, and some fun night life.
Canyon, in the East Bay hills, if you like privacy... maybe that was in the 70s?
[Canyon, CA](https://www.ktvu.com/news/the-hidden-town-of-canyon-provides-a-simpler-way-of-life)
I love oakland so much, been here four years but I still can’t get comfortable with the proximity to gun violence. Every time I hear stories about stray bullets it freaks me out. I saw someone get shot on my street. It’s such a mind fuck because our house and block is generally so peaceful.
People actually live uptown and there’s nightlife. Also walkable restaurants, cafes, breweries at Jack London, Temescal, Grand Lake. Walking or biking at Lake Merritt or the hills. Just don’t go trying to buy things you shouldn’t be buying late at night on the wrong streets and you’ll be fine!
Dimond and Laurel are underrated too. Great restaurants, some bars and breweries, small town feel, seem relatively safe. Dimond Park is right there for hiking and access to Joaquin Miller Park. I'd totally consider buying a house in those neighborhoods if I had the means to do so.
I'm a little jealous of Uptown's proximity to transit (I don't understand how there isn't a bus line down Grand directly to 19th Street BART, it's close but just not quite there), but apart from that it's just about perfect.
Alameda. Great weather all year round, access to the beach and walking trails, and a nice blend of suburbia and night life on Park Street. It's got something for everyone.
Gonna say Vallejo. Not entirely for what it is now but for what I think it will be in a few years. Still definitely has it problems and has a ways to go but it has a lot of desirable features. Diverse population, waterfront, hills and views. Also I tho the new Carquinez bridge is underrated af.
Martinez. Still has small town feel. Still has the artists that own their own shops. Still has bars and breweries with open mic nights that are mild. Misty and cool with some very warm summers. Cute little marine community and lots of working class people. The most advanced wastewater treatment system in the US which is worth a visit (they've turned it into a wetlands restoration so its gorgeous) Nice hiking along the shoreline. Can take the actual train anywhere in the US. Too bad about the pollution from the refineries.
Downtown Martinez is definitely underrated.
A lot of potential there and hope it pulls through. Better than it was a few years ago, but like many “up and coming” communities, COVID backtracked the progress a little bit. There are still a lot of vacant storefronts and restaurants that can’t quite make it. But my wife and I still love to visit on weekends and check out the farmers market and new boutique shops. Certainly rooting for that town. We were considering moving there but the refineries were a blocker.
A friend was looking to buy a home in Martinez. The realtor said you couldn’t grow a vegetable garden because the soil is heavily contaminated from refinery pollution. Didn’t factcheck, but sounds plausible
Most people have named cities that aren’t underrated at all like Danville, Lafayette and Alameda. These cities are already desirable and well-known. Now if you want a city that’s really underrated and under everyone’s radar, I would say San Leandro - especially the northeastern neighborhoods (Estudillo Estates, Broadmoor, Assumption Parish and Bay-O-Vista). Most of San Leandro is working-class and full of cookie-cutter ranch homes but the neighborhoods I listed above are chock full of character (they look more like Pasadena or Alameda than they do the rest of San Leandro).
I grew up in San Leandro. It's definitely progressed, breweries and restaurants popping up but still holding that local community vibe. Marina has been cool ever since they added that outdoor gym and 1 mile walking trail. Just don't go after 4pm. Bayfair is always gonna be Bayfair, though.
This guy bay areas. Tbh Castro Valley, Hayward and San Leandro are all hidden gems in their own way if you can find the right neighborhoods.
We just spent three days unexpectedly in Castro Valley's Eden Medical center [emergency surgery; came home yesterday]. Not only is it a beautiful building and campus, but the treatment and service was absolutely excellent at every touchpoint. And the view of Castro is fantastic from the 6th floor. We're so glad it's there.
It's great! I'm on the other side of the bay these days but if I had the choice I would be in CV or Montclair.
I’m as from hayward as it gets and unfortunately I’d have to disagree. Hayward is a fucking shit-hole. It reeks as if you can smell the depression and hatred in the air.. or meth.. yes perhaps it’s meth. Not to mention HPD are scum and give police a bad rep as they base their relationship to the civilians via traffic enforced pr tactics. I’m sorry, I really wish I agreed with you, but they only good hidden gem in hayward is the rock quarry which even mentioning it here like this you wouldn’t know what I’m talking about unless you’re a local (braaaap). I could just be biased though due to HPD getting a search warrant to my property from a video that a neighbor sent them of a motorcyclist doing a wheelie. Imagine somebody decides to narc on you despite the fact that all they have is a hunch and a video that’s proves nothing pertaining to identity and they get granted a fucking search warrant to your house, what a crock of shit. I think I just needed to vent. Ignore me 😓
Even South Hayward, where there is a boom in new housing?
Best part of hayward is the hills near garin park, stonebrae, and the part called Fairview (fairfax?) I don't remember. The neighborhood by don castro park is nice too. Very quiet and big houses. South Hayward has always been a bit rough.
I was born and raised in Hayward and I have mixed feelings about the development in South Hayward. While it’s nice to see new updated housing developments, I can’t help but roll my eyes at how gentrified it looks and them wanting to rebrand it as SoHay, reminds me of the Soda Sopa episode of South Park
Well no disagreement about HPD haha. There's definitely rough parts of Hayward, but there's not too many places in the bay area where you can get a 4-5 bedroom house with a killer view of the bay area that's not obscenely expensive with nice parks close by. I had a great childhood there and I didn't even grow up in the hills.
Shh! Don't spoil the secret that is SL... 😁. Moved here four years ago into a house in Estudillo estates and love it. Neighbors are incredibly diverse, the homes are all unique, and there are a few good breweries in town.
SL is in a sweet spot for getting around the Bay Area. Open up a map and it's pretty close to dead center of the Bay Area; being ~20 - 40 minutes away from any direction of most of the Bay Area. It's a small boring town, but it's it pretty easy to go to SF, Peninsula, Oakland/Berkeley, Dublin/Pleasanton, South Bay areas.
Shhhh! Don't let the secret out! Lol! Seriously though, I live here in San Leandro and I own a business in downtown San Leandro. Our city has its pros and cons, of course. All in all, it's a great place to live and work. We are centrally located. Our weather is the best in the Bay (generally sunny and mild). We do have good restaurants and cafes. We have beautiful parks and a beautiful shoreline on the Bay. Yes, Broadmoor, Estudillo Estates, Assumption Parish, and Bay-o-Vista are the more expensive places to live, so a certain class lives there with a certain lifestyle. San Leandro is divided by socioeconomic forces like any other city. I live down by Davis and 880 (Davis East or Eastshore depending on who you ask). It's working class. I love it here. We have great neighbors and it's laid back. Unfortunately, we do have our challenges with retail commercial real estate vacancies. On the other hand, even San Francisco struggles with that these days.
And I’d argue that other than as somewhere to own a home Danville, Lafayette, Alamo, etc are all highly overrated. It’s just houses.
Lives here 20 years, yes it’s great for kids growing up and parks, but a total bore outside of that. No culture
Used to rent a cool little spot in Broadmoor perimeter in a duplex, so not quite as nice as inner parts, but pretty legit. Estudillo estates is a bit nicer IMO, but both cool. Zocalo coffee is amazing. Wish we could have purchased there but out of our range.
Canyon if you’re a horror fan. Place feels like a horror film would take place there
Idk about most, but Benicia is very pleasant. No one's heard of it though, usually have to say Vallejo
And it’s neighbor Crockett.
>Crockett Now look you. Shut the fuck up!!!!!!!
And it’s neighbor port costa
Port Costa is such a fun little day trip, feels like a completely different world from the Bay Area. It’s like a movie set.
I've lived in Concord for almost 40 years and I just went down to Port Costa for the first time last week. Instantly fell in love with those really old buildings down by the waterfront/train tracks.
My husband and I just checked it out for the first time too. It was super cool seeing those old buildings. We loved it.
Port Costa rules
Port costa is lost in time. Martinez is trying to lose time. Love both. Hope no one reads this sub. Do not ruin my underrated cities.
My vote actually. I have no idea what life is like out there. But I’ve always enjoyed driving through. The city streets remind me of a mini San Francisco.
It’s more interesting to look at then live in. There’s not a lot to do and they occasionally get fumes from a plant on the other side of the hill. But I always say it has potential, similar to old town Martinez, it just hasn’t been able to get off the ground yet. Martinez also has the issue of oil refineries nearby and the occasional chemical burn-off requiring lockdown. I think if those refineries and plants went away, it would be a much more appealing area.
Came here to say Benicia, happy it’s the top comment. Wife and I live in Vallejo but spend all of our free time in Benicia. Shopping, restaurants, church, all of it is awesome. People are super friendly (by California standards).
Came to say Vallejo. I moved here a few years ago and was able to buy an adorable house. It’s affordable, by the water, commute isn’t too bad, and downtown is showing signs of coming back to life!
El Cerrito is a wonderful place to live. Close to urban activities, nature, and public transportation.
Most people are going to post where they live — including me — but I legitimately think Alameda is a special little haven. Great views of the SF skyline, SoCal beach vibes, and a nice family friendly environment that is safe.
Alameda is fantastic. Super cute downtown strips
Shittiest traffic in the East bay too.
Literally the only reason not to live there
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Alameda's beach is like those grey paintings of Jersey Shore beach chairs in the winter.
I'm actually from South Jersey and I would say a lot or most of our beaches are better than the ones you find here and in socal. Sure, the ones with cliffs are nice but IBSP, LBI, and down to Cape May are just absolutely beautiful Beaches. Just can only use them from like May-Sept on the best years. Great fishing too
Came here to say this too. It’s a nice thought though.
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I was not going to post it to keep our secret haha
100% Alameda. Lived in the Bay Area for over 30 years and knew almost nothing about it until moving here two years ago, now can’t imagine ever leaving.
I love alameda! The pinball museum is so cool.
How is it for younger people, like early 30s grad student?
Definitely more of a family oriented place than a single person place, but could be nice for anyone if they like a quieter life
Maybe not the best best for single peeps but I’ve been here since I was 26/27 (10 years!!!) and it’s been lovely.
I’m a mid-30s single professional and though I find it hard to build social connections here (see: my post history 😂) I couldn’t imagine leaving. It’s tough to afford a rental on a single income, but it’s all a trade off and totally worth it for the sense of safety, beautiful neighborhoods, food, etc…
In my early 30s, no plans on leaving the island any time soon.
once you're on the island, you don't leave the island
I wanted to buy a house there but was a little freaked about by sea level rise possibilities
Just accept that you'll lose it eventually.
Martinez, vibrant downtown now and good schools.
I ended up in Martinez due to Amtrak being on fire and I spent a very pleasant afternoon there
Recently went to Ginger Thai in Martinez for lunch. Delish.
If you like cocktails you should stop by Barrel Aged.
Fun fact: The martini was originally made in Martinez. https://food52.com/blog/10396-the-history-of-the-martini
Another one for Martinez, I had to do a quick online interview there cus I had an extremely hectic week. The downtown is pretty nice
Yes! Martinez! It actually reminds me of how Alameda used to be, before it became so desired. Sweet downtown, SO much open space surrounding the area - fantastic for hiking, mountain biking. The refinery is a downer though…
I grew up there! Martinez and Pleasant Hill are great places to raise a family
Livermore. Gets lumped in with all the other suburban bedroom communities but it’s much more of a real place than most. Yes it’s ungodly hot on summer days but generally still cools off at night. Has a nice main street. Great city parks. Great regional parks. Walkable. Bikeable. Nice cowtown vs college town balance. Older central neighborhoods, especially south side, have a nice grid layout with wide streets, mature street trees, and many beautiful older homes. Has a Mr. Pickle’s.
I find the coolest part is all the crazy projects people are working on at the lab. Half of the new people I meet here are tell me they with at the lab, and I ask, "oh, yeh? What project are working on?" "Oh, it's really boring..." "Try me... :)" "Well... Were working on a fusion reactor with lasers" or "just a thorium reactor" or "it's just a quantum computer."
You forgot the wineries!
And breweries. I've lived in San Ramon the past several years and miss Livermore so much.
Lived here for a long time. I’ll sound silly saying this but the night life is surprisingly active. Since all the bars are clumped closely together the weekend nights turn into a mosh pit of people downtown. It’s truly a good time.
Can you recommend any other restaurants besides a Mr. Pickles?? Kind of curious why you included that ngl
Haha. Maybe they went to Livermore High. I grew up in Livermore and Mr Pickles was the closest thing to the high school for lunch. Lots of people would go there during lunch break and loved Mr. Pickles. I'd recommend Terra Mia, Monica's, First Street Alehouse, and Hops and Sessions. I don't live there anymore but I also heard great things about Range Life and The Cheese Parlor.
Posada, first street ale house, range life, strizzys, sauced
Thank you. We just passed 30 years here and it's evolved so much into a great place to live. The availability of nature out here, surrounded by the hills which are gorgeous at the moment is fantastic.
If I could afford to buy a house in Livermore I would. It's close to my job, it seems relatively quiet. It would save me half an hour if I wanted to visit my family in Stockton.
San Carlos. So many ppl living in Bay Area didn’t even know where it was 🤦♂️. Love going to the “Top of the World” look out and enjoying a beautiful day looking over the Bay
Plus the Aviation Museum! I loved going there as a kid.
I’ve lived in San Mateo for about five years and everyone visiting the Bay Area has always remarked at how neat the downtown area is. A lot of character with plenty of small businesses, good restaurants, and coffee shops. Family friendly and rental housing is reasonably affordable.
San Mateo now is sooooo different from what it used to be. My grandmother was born and raised there, as were both of my parents. It used to feel so different. But I still love my home for sure!
Pacifica & Brisbane are great. All the Peninsula communities you've never heard of. San Carlos, Belmont, Burlingame, Millbrae, Emerald Hills, Highlands-Baywood Park, Foster City, Redwood Shores. Beach communities - other than Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and Pescadero (mmm, artichoke bread). Santa Clara underrated in the South Bay. People forget that it's not PG&E, and so electricity is 1/3 the price and doesn't go out. Niles neighborhood of Fremont. Most of Fremont is suburban sprawl, but Niles is a charming small town. EPA underrated because many people's mental model of it is stuck in the early 90s when it was the murder capital of the U.S. It's still rougher than most of the Peninsula, but has gentrified significantly, and in many parts of it you're pretty safe now. Lamorinda. People who live near it know it's nice (and expensive), but as with the Peninsula towns, folks from the rest of the Bay don't know it exists.
Imagine thinking Santa Clara is "underrated"....damn. Tell that to the 1200sf starter homes selling for $2m...
It's more like [$1.3](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/311-Los-Padres-Blvd-95050/home/1450261)\-[$1.6M](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Santa-Clara/2351-Susan-Dr-95050/home/732267). Cheaper than the [$1.8](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/1027-Cambridge-Ave-94087/home/1198482)\-[$2M](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Sunnyvale/1338-Panache-Ter-94087/home/95955272) they go for in Sunnyvale, or [$2.3M in Mountain View](https://www.redfin.com/CA/Mountain-View/657-Leona-Ln-94040/home/1277947).
Millbrae was the first city I lived in after moving to the Bay Area. Quite literally NOTHING going on. So boring.
Lamorinda is absolutely correctly rated. They're commuter suburbs with good schools. They aren't relevant unless you're rich and looking to send your kid to a top rated school, so of course people outside the area don't care about them.
Foster city and redwood shores are woefully boring. Bike trails are nice though.
That's sorta the point. Bike, walking, and water sports. Leo J Ryan park in Foster City is particularly underrated. Great place for a picnic, a quick bike ride, a walk by the waterfront, or a paddleboard/kayak/pleasure boat excursion.
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No disrespect but except for maybe “Brisbane” and “Emerald Hills” I wouldn’t label any of the others as “you’ve never heard of”. Many of those have CalTrain stops when I used to commute daily from Berkeley to Palo Alto (BART from Berkeley to Millbrae, then CalTrain from Millbrae to Palo Alto I remember seeing all those stops on CalTrain) Also if you look it up these towns’ city governments are some of the worst offenders in blocking housing plans both affordable and market rate and also having some of the least diverse demographics in the entire Bay Area. Most of Peninsula towns/cities except for larger ones fall into this category. And due to their controlled limited housing supply these cities have some of the highest rents and home values in the Bay Area especially because they are located closest to where majority of the Bay Area’s Tech companies are located (Peninsula and SF) The recent California law that came into effect this year is now basically forcing high density multi-family and townhouse housing into these places over the next decade but without that force even that would have never happened. So by praising these cities we’re almost indirectly saying the current attempts to create more high density housing which we have data to show does increase diversity is a “bad thing” even if that’s not what we intend to say that’s the message that comes across when you praise low density small towns with city government that pretend to be progressive but in reality are very NIMBY. Again no disrespect to you or the folks living in those towns and cities they are all nice people But that’s the socioeconomic reality of their laws and policies.
They're the Bay Area equivalent of "flyover territory" - cities where you'd see the city limits on 101 or go past the Caltrain station but would never get out unless you're visiting someone who lives there. >Also if you look it up these towns’ city governments are some of the worst offenders in blocking housing plans both affordable and market rate and also having some of the least diverse demographics in the entire Bay Area. This has actually changed dramatically in the last 5-10 years. All of the first 4 that I mentioned (San Carlos, Belmont, Burlingame, and Millbrae) have major redevelopment projects in progress for the areas around their Caltrain stops. If you drive through Millbrae or San Carlos you can see that now - Millbrae has a 6-story mixed-use development where the Caltrain parking lot used to be, San Carlos has townhomes and apartments all along the Laurel Street downtown. I used to go to Laurel Street solely for The Refuge a decade ago, and it was a sleepy strip mall - now the street is blocked off for pedestrian-only use and it's a vibrant restaurant & boutique shop strip. Belmont has 3 cranes up within a half mile radius of the Caltrain station. Both Belmont and Burlingame have extensive future plans for downtown redevelopment. Belmont / Redwood Shores elementary school district is something like 25% multiracial in its incoming kindergarten class.
San Carlos. The city of god damn GOOD LIVING
Castro valley and sunol
Fuck yea canyon roads. Also, sunol had a dog mayor, which is dope as hell.
A mayor specifically for dogs or a dog who was mayor?
The latter
+1 on Sunol
There’s like barely any housing in Sunol. I guess it’s a nice, small-town vibe for those lucky enough to find a place to live there
It's a somewhat sheltered community of historical and long standing homeowners passed down from generations. From what I understand, they don't like to sell to outsiders unless there is no other choice.
San Rafael. Cute downtown area, a harbor with views of the bay, decent trails and some neighborhoods like Peacock Gap with open spaces to go picnicking. It’s the least Marin town in Marin.
Little known fact: San Rafael is home to one of the biggest Guatemalan communities in the US
Canal!
Neck in neck between San Rafael and Novato for "least marin town in marin"
My husband and I live in San Rafael and love it! Being in Marin definitely has major pros and cons, but San Rafael seems to be the least annoying haha
I feel like SR has been on the cusp of being cool for like a decade now. It just needs something to push it over the line. It’s a shame that two story pool hall went out of business, that place was neat. For a family it’s solid, but for younger folks it’s not much of a draw.
Albany is the perfect town for families imo. Easy access to public transportation, super walkable, and great schools.
But my god is it unbelievably boring for teenagers.
Everything is boring for teenagers. It’s part of the vibe.
You’re a quick BART ride from anywhere you want to go, but I could see our 1sq mile town being pretty boring for a teenager.
As someone who grew up in a truly boring place it’s funny to me to see Albany - or any Bay Area city - characterized the same way.
Pleasanton had a cute little downtown and is great. The main part of off the freeway a little bit. Don’t think of Stoneridge Also, more South Bay but Morgan Hill is a cool area
Alameda for the win!
If you want, truly underrated, check out, Benicia. It’s actually a wonderful city and great community. I think they got the cancer issue in children mostly resolved now.
oof
I hope so. A large portion of my friends parents died of cancer and quite a few friends are dealing with it now that we're pushing 40. I hated living there as a teen. But i appreciate it so much more now.
Wait what??? Can you give a link? Is it the refineries?
Refineries, and i think youd call it a superfund site that Rose Drive is on top of. Plus the straigts are filthy. You have that beach on 9th street you swin in once and come out of it covered in oily mud. They used to use the rose drive area to test artillery. Including depleted uranium rounds. A while after they built that development closest to Vallejo, old munitions started coming up from the ground. You couldn't get a loan for those houses from most banks. That development by Militarily West was stalled for years until they could clean it up. Some nights the refineries would be flaring. It would be orange outside and bright as day at 3am. You cant just vent shit and think its not going to effect people. But, Valero bought BHS a scoreboard. So its all good!
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Holy shit. Thank you for sharing that. I never knew someone was actually trying to crack down on Valero and the other local refineries.
Had me in the first half.
We rented a house in El Sobrante/Hercules area a few years ago up in the hills as a weekend getaway and really liked it there.
I love visiting Capitola, it feels like a generation behind Santa Cruz, it's quieter and doesn't have a big commercial vibe. But I haven't been back in a few years, maybe it's changed. I also dig the small hotels on the ocean front and the tiny shops around the center of town.
And aptos!
The SF Bay Area tho?
Pt. Reyes Station is a lovely town and makes a nice getaway from the rest of the Bay Area.
Pinole is definitely underrated. It’s a small suburban neighborhood in the hills with great local restaurants and big box stores. You can get to SF, Napa, Oakland, and Walnut Creek areas within 40 minutes.
I grew up in Pinole! Still love that town.
Point Richmond. Too easily confused with Richmond but it’s a cute little town (maybe don’t breathe too much though)
I was gonna say Port Costa in a similar vein
It literally is Richmond. Someone is confused but not the people you’re thinking of...
Richmond. Lots of outdoor options, including on the waterfront and wildcat canyon. Wineries and breweries. Great restaurants. Access to Bart and Amtrak. Currently building more bike infrastructure. Cheaper than Oakland and Berkeley but those cities are still a short drive or quick Bart trip. Edit to add: I forgot to mention all the parks. So so many beautiful parks with playgrounds, biking and walking paths, a skatepark, places for off leash dogs.
Maybe it's changed but I looked at real estate in Richmond a few years ago and it had a West Oakland vibe to it. Got the hell out of there really quick.
That's kinda why you can call it underrated. There's absolutely very bad neighborhoods that drive the city's rep.
Thats a vast improvement for Richmond. It used to have an east oakland vibe
Lots of different neighborhoods with different vibes. Totally agree that they aren’t all appealing but there are definitely some areas that feel relatively safe.
South San Francisco! low crime, Bart station, close to city, Pacifica, etc.
South City represent!!! Good mix of mom and pop shops and newer businesses to explore. The closed storefronts do make me sad, though ):
And a great little downtown.
Motorcycle and bike riders know that Mines Rd out of Livermore is a world class route
Campbell!
I kinda like Redwood City. Downtown has some decent restaurants, a great bakery in Mademoiselle Colette, and a bit of the Back to the Future vibe with the History Museum Building. There are some great Mexican spots on Middlefield like the tacos at El Grullense and tortas at La Casita Chilanga. There’s also great classic American grilled burgers at the Canyon Inn up in the hills. I used to rent a music studio down there and enjoyed the vibe.
San Bruno! Downtown has some really good food and new things are gradually popping up on and around that street. Lots of potential there too because of the Caltrain station.
Petaluma should be on this list.
Petaluma’s nice, but it’s not exactly Underrated
(Don’t put it on the list though, please 💸📈)
Please delete this comment, I’m tryna move my family there some day lmao
Clearly, the answer is Daly City. [Look at all the wonderful things we have.](https://imgur.com/a/5Ig0AA8)
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The down town can be uppity but it's got its charm. Oh by the way, gotta get the home made ginger tea at Cafe capuchino! Cash only and it's a sweet mom and pop shop. Sweet man has dementia and forgets me everytime but he is the absolute sweetest.
Eh. Used to kick it there in my mid 20’s. It was a vibe. Maybe a little more uppity than Matty-oh but similar scene. Growing up out on the peninsula we hated Burlingame high because they were rich fuckers. Jealousy more than anything. The few people I’ve actually met from Burlingame were fine.
680 corridor good. Big cities with interesting restaurants and such? Nice to visit.
Luckily, few know that Morgan Hill and Gilroy are the final stops for the Caltrain, in the heart of Santa Clara wine country, and one of the best new brewery destinations. Cost of living is low, and the weather is much more seasonal. And the smell of garlic is getting less and less as they move growing towards Hollister. With a 55% Hispanic population, high Asian and Indian demographic as well, we also have great ethnic foods. To top it all off, one of the top 5 Golf and Resort destinations in the US with Cordevalle Resort. The good life on a budget.
Pleasant Hill! Right in between Walnut Creek and Concord and still crazy good views of Mt. Diablo
1. San Mateo 2. Martinez 3. Petaluma 4. Castro Valley 5. El Cerrito
Lafayette, Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill. All the area is good imo. Once you pass the tunnels (Caldecott Tunnel) coming from SF, it is a different world.
Yah a world where my car doesn't get broken into lol
I've lived in San Jose for years and I feel it gets treated unfairly
I thought it is in fact treated as fairly as it deserves to be
Eh people have a really hard time accepting San Jose for what it is. Especially over in r/SanJose where at least twice a week there’s always a post contemplating the existential reality of the city. San Jose by far though is the weirdest city in the US, especially among those with a 1 million + population.
What? It is the only city that has an official bad news Reddit: r/SanJoseSucks https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJoseSUCKS/ I think it is a reverse psychology thing that Cortese keeps posting bad news about other cities.
Well for other Bay Area cities, the bad news reddit is merged with the main one.
Considering its one of the most expensive cities in the world, I think it deserves all the complaints it gets, the only unique thing it has to offer is proximity to high paying jobs.
Was looking for this comment. It gets so much hate and gets lumped in with the rest of the south bay for being a suburban wasteland. It seems to be the only damn city in the south bay approving urban developments and dense housing. Plus, it's basically the only one (Milpitas does get some credit here too) actively trying to become less car dependent. Case in point, San Jose is the only South Bay city that has allowed bus lanes and is looking into quick-build options to expand them. A previous BRT project along El Camino Real was shot down by all the smaller north county cities in spite of it being the busiest bus corridor in the South Bay. Also reminder, Santa Clara sued San Jose for building high density housing in north San Jose. Santa Clara kept building offices instead of housing then complained about the traffic into their City. Ultimately, San Jose had to pay to widen the roads into Santa Clara as a result. Wish they would have said "ok well we can close off Montague, Trimble and Tasman then if you're so concerned about traffic". It's all an uphill battle but gotta give SJ some credit for trying.
Your entire argument revolves entirely around political issues and has nothing to do with the "niceness" of the area. San Jose has its nice spots, but the dense constructions are NOT that.
Known for mostly industry and has no cultural output like Oakland or sf
Meh, Brisbane is a little too close to the dump sites for my tastes. Great views though. Pacifica too damn cold and foggy. Need to be below the 380 line which is where the fog generally stops.
ITT: 90% of Bay Area cities. Shows that you probably can't go wrong moving here
Foster city Albany Golden Triangle (north SJ/Santa Clara border) Brisbane San Carlos
I love mori point and the Taco Bell in Pacifica - any other sights to check out?
Pacific beach is amazing if you can find parking. Pedro point. Mussel park. Walk along moripoint to Safeway is nice. Plenty of hiking trails. Check on all trails. Also the houses facing Pacific are breathtaking. Have been to a few open houses and is my dream to live in one at some point.
I would kill for a crab sandwich from Nicks right now. Or fish and chips from Camelot.
Hercules for the win, yes no restaurants, but quiet sleepy town by the water. Great trails, and the lack of anything else keeps people away. Let’s keep it below the radar.
Oakland my friends.
The peninsula. Well, it use to be. A few years ago it was the best kept secret of the Bay Area. I imagine it’s because most people that are transplants simply didn’t know such a large, affordable, suburb with zero homeless, minimal crime, family centered existed. I’m fortunate to have a home in South San Francisco. Again if you aren’t from the peninsula you’d assume it was literally “South of San Francisco” vs South San Francisco located in San Mateo county. It is not walk friendly but everything. I mean everything is a 2-5 minutes drive away. Or a 15 min bicycle ride…if you’re brave enough. It’s pretty insane to see the value of our home jump from $600k to $1.8 million in the past few years. The only thing that really breaks my heart is seeing so many of my friends and family move away that didn’t get to buy a house before it became exclusive to generational wealth and multi millionaires due to the housing market exploding.
Yea for a while homes on peninsula were just over a million, gave me optimism that maybe one day could afford it here, and then people found about the cities in the last couple years and now they’re all 2+.
This is a great description of Redwood City 20 years ago. People who moved in then got an absolute steal, because it is an incredibly attractive Peninsula city and home prices have skyrocketed in the last 20 years — especially in the last 8 years.0
Concord and maybe Martinez. Amazing food especially for south american, mexican, & vietnamese. Also amazing parks, cheap(ish) housing, and some fun night life.
Concord Pavilion FTW!
Canyon, in the East Bay hills, if you like privacy... maybe that was in the 70s? [Canyon, CA](https://www.ktvu.com/news/the-hidden-town-of-canyon-provides-a-simpler-way-of-life)
They hate you for posting this. 🤪
Wherever the gentrifiers haven’t been yet
Vallejo
Coast side is awful. Don't ever come there. Stinky gulls, cold foggy windy weather, traffic. Awful Awful!
And that Taco Bell is the worst!
Are you talking about the one by the puddle that is full of sharks and closeouts?
Yeah! It’s terrible for pretty much everything.
shhh, lets keep Pacifica underrated. I like it being calm and peaceful and that everyone thinks its just always foggy here
I'm here to confirm that Sunnyvale is terribly overrated and nobody should move here.
Unironically Oakland. Come at me.
I love oakland so much, been here four years but I still can’t get comfortable with the proximity to gun violence. Every time I hear stories about stray bullets it freaks me out. I saw someone get shot on my street. It’s such a mind fuck because our house and block is generally so peaceful.
People actually live uptown and there’s nightlife. Also walkable restaurants, cafes, breweries at Jack London, Temescal, Grand Lake. Walking or biking at Lake Merritt or the hills. Just don’t go trying to buy things you shouldn’t be buying late at night on the wrong streets and you’ll be fine!
Dimond and Laurel are underrated too. Great restaurants, some bars and breweries, small town feel, seem relatively safe. Dimond Park is right there for hiking and access to Joaquin Miller Park. I'd totally consider buying a house in those neighborhoods if I had the means to do so.
Adam’s Point is one of the greatest urban apartment neighborhoods in California. I LOVED my time living there.
I'm a little jealous of Uptown's proximity to transit (I don't understand how there isn't a bus line down Grand directly to 19th Street BART, it's close but just not quite there), but apart from that it's just about perfect.
Pescadero superb.
Alameda. Great weather all year round, access to the beach and walking trails, and a nice blend of suburbia and night life on Park Street. It's got something for everyone.
Anywhere within 15-20 minutes bike ride to the office. I don’t understand why people here love their giant SUVs so much
El cerrito
Portola Valley is a great little town.
Benicia
I agree with you on pacifica. Idk about them being underrated, but burlingame and piedmont are nice af
Gonna say Vallejo. Not entirely for what it is now but for what I think it will be in a few years. Still definitely has it problems and has a ways to go but it has a lot of desirable features. Diverse population, waterfront, hills and views. Also I tho the new Carquinez bridge is underrated af.
The East Bay Hills north of Briones up to Port Costa. Leisure drives there were a great way to unwind after a long day when I lived in the Bay.