FlowerGirl

It is not super fancy but it does have a pretty good array of choices in terms of dining options. Restaurants worth visiting here include Cafe Brioche (a French place great for Sunday brunch), Palo Alto Sol (a Mexican place), Mediterranean Wraps, Jade Palace and my favorite among them Baume. Baume is an amazing French restaurant right at the end of the street--by the Amtrak station. I think this is actually a Michelin grade restaurant. Last time I went I had the lamb, which I would highly recommend.

But it is not just about the restaurants, the bars aren’t too bad either--in specific I would recommend Antonio’s Nut House which believe it or not, is a true blue dive bar in the middle of Palo Alto. I know it is hard to believe, but if you step inside this place you can almost imagine a Charles Bukowski type sauntering in and making his way to the end of the bar. And, of course, everyone’s favorite, a sign in the men’s urinal that reads “Please Don’t Throw Cigarette Butts in the Urinal; I Makes Them Soggy and Hard to Relight.” (Don’t ask me how I know what the sign say in the men’s urinal.)

Of course, these are not the only places along North California Ave. You get the usual kind of places you might expect, like a chiropractor and massage therapist, an office supply place and an optometrist--basically the usual sorts of places that you need to get your daily work done.

Overall a pretty good spot--totally my fav in Palo Alto.

You really feel like you are in a big city on this section of the San Francisco. I haven’t really been to a lot of other cities having been born and raised here in the Bay Area, but this is probably one of my favorite sections of SF--a part of the city where you really feel like you are in the midst of the hustle and bustle.

Mission starts just one block south of the Ferry Building, feeding off Embarcadero. Much of this stretch of the Mission is packed with high rises but what brought me to this place was not the high rises but the Americano, a first floor cocktail bar and lounge right on the end of the Mission. (You can actually see the Ferry Building clock tower from through the Embarcadero side windows.) It is very cool and stylish and great place to bring in the New Year if you can manage it.

The other great restaurant here is Boulevard, the French restaurant right across the street. Be sure to try the filet mignon. There are also some other joints like Mixt Greens and even a Subway along this stretch but by far the best restaurants are down by the water.

I don’t know all the companies that have businesses in these offices but I know a couple of the big ones are Marin Software--some kind of big wig in the business software world, and the Forex Capital Markets.

Anyway, for me this place is all about the hustle and bustle and fun that is nearby. Even when I work nearby I used to more pass by the rest of the area rather than actually stay here. But you definitely need to make the big bucks to come here often.

Romolo Place is right off the heart of San Francisco’s Red Light District. Think of it as a little aneurysm. Okay, so that metaphor doesn’t quite work.

Romolo Place is basically an alleyway that climbs up off Broadway--less than a block from the corner with Columbus. If you know this section of San Francisco at all, you know this is where you will find all the strip joints.

Why is this alley worth a mention?

Because it is also home to two pretty cool places: the Basque Hotel, a really cool bar that feels a lot like a speak easy. If you happen to be in North Beach and want to get away from the crowds, this is a good spot to hide away for awhile. Unfortunately you will still get your share of drunk ass fratboys all hopped up from having seen T&A down by the Hungry Eye.

Overall kind of fun every so often though. Worth a visit.

I am surprised no one has reviewed this section of Berkeley before. The Panoramic Hill section of Berkeley is basically Frat and Sorority row. It is just to the southeast of the college, located right up against the hills and the now old football stadium (it was the stadium when I was there).

In addition to Sigma Pi and Alpha Delta Pi and the like there is also the Oscar Wilde House which is not a museum to the famous author but a residence specifically for LGBT students--a pretty cool idea I think. This is also where you will find the Clark Kerr Campus with it amazing looking Spanish style architecture. There are tennis courts and a big Olympic size pool up there.

Just above the fraternity houses there are large older homes, many of which are about a century old. These homes are along narrow winding streets and have street level garages and a tight feel that is more European than North American. You can see Coit Tower from here and I assume you get some pretty good bay views from the upper balconies and windows as well.

This is great spot to live if you are student since you can be on Campus within 5 minutes and since you are so close to action. I suppose I would love to be in one of those big homes as well. A pretty nice spot.

Anyone who knows me knows how I love College Avenue. I’ve talked fondly of the stretch that you find in Berkeley and I’ve talked about how much I love Rockridge too. So what could be better than College Ave in Rockridge. And the answer is, not much!

Whether it is having brunch, meeting friends for drinks, getting some good eats to bring home, shopping for clothes or browsing books, this stretch of College from Claremont to Broadway has you covered. In fact, there is hardly enough time to do justice to all of the cool little joints there are here on College. And that is just what is here currently. If you have been coming back to College Ave for years on end like I have you probably now have a mental map not only of the current establishments but of all the memories you have of the places that used to be here.

But I will resist the pull of nostalgia and try to stick to what there is on College Avenue now. So let’s start with eats. Here are just a handful of restaurants you will find here: the Claremont Diner; Barney’s Burgers, the Crepevine, and Zachary’s Pizza of course; A Cote, a French place; Flavors of India, Wood Tavern and Rikyu, a sushi place.

You can also find some pretty good watering holes as well such as Barclay’s, McNally’s, George & Walts, and of course, the Graduate (which apparently is a mandatory bar name for every college town). I want to give a special shout out to the Conga Room, which has a Tiki bar decor and a good corps of loyal regulars that make sure it is always well attended and has a cool vibe.

And as far as places to shop for cool women’s clothes, you can go to Iniam, Fit, Chic, Crush or Bella Vita to just name a few. And if you’re just looking for a good book, be sure to try Diesel or Pegasus Books.

Does all this make you want to live here?

Well, first you should consider what it costs to rent here: a one bedroom around here will run you around $1500 and a two-bedroom around twice that much.

Of course you can’t beat it for the commute. College has its own BART station, which makes it a great spot for commuters--just in case you can’t get enough food and fun living here.

Put simply, College Avenue in Rockridge is just as great as it is in Berkeley. One of the best lanes in the world imo.

This is the section of Oakland people head out to to take care of business. And I don’t just mean the kind that brings in money--I also mean the kind where you throw back a few and unwind some of the stresses of the week.

I worked down here at a temp agency for awhile and sometimes after work we’d head down to the Bar Three Five Five, which is a cool divey sort of hipster bar with a classic saloon look to it; or to the 19th Street Station, a slightly more business class bar. There are also a ton of little hole in the wall eateries and stores around here that feed off the local businesses.

19th Street is pretty ugly and not the sort of place that you want to loiter after dark unless you are looking for trouble. But it is also a very active stretch filled with high rises. You could literally work in a building for years without meeting or even seeing half the people in your building.

Part of what makes this a popular location for businesses and organizations is that it is right by the 19th Street BART station, which makes it easy for commuters from as far away as Pittsburg and Daly City to pop over without worrying about facing rush hour traffic. Driving is also not convenient here because of the parking situation--basically you have to pay for parking, and though not as expensive as SF, is still pretty expensive.

They other nice thing about this stretch of 19th Street is that though not in the Lakeside neighborhood it is still within walking distance of the Merritt Lake and the nearby park, a good spot for a walk or for lunch during the day.

The weather is fairly cool and there is a lot of activity, but there are also a fair number of homeless folks around. It is the big city, and if you aren’t used to it and can be a little intimidating.

And in case you think that it is all suits here, this is also the home of Oaksterdam University, whose central topic of research is cannabis. This is basically one of those streets where you feel the pulse and flow of commerce of all kinds.

I wouldn’t want to live around here, but I definitely miss working in a place like this.

The big attraction to this section of 8th Street in Oakland is the Trappist Bar--good eats, nice selection of beers and a good place to chill with friends. It is one of those pubs that actually looks like a pub with brick walls and nice mahogany bar, except that they have an amazing selection of beers and pretty cool bartenders as well.

If you happen to live in the area you also might like the Go Sports Bar--which is not really my scene but I can imagine other people liking. You are also close enough to Chinatown that you get some East Asian businesses here, such as Kai’s Japanese Restaurant and the New Star Chinese Restaurant. There are also a number of offices and other businesses here.

Mixed in with these businesses and often housed in the floors above the storefronts are apartments and condos. Many of these are the typical 3-story Victorians that anyone who lives in SF or the East Bay is quite used to and some are those new fangled 3-story buildings in dark stucco pastel colors. (These newer constructions have become emblematic of the gentrification that has been taking place in Oakland for the last 20 years.)

I took a quick look at one of these newer condos one block over on 9th to see about what one costs and this what I found. A 770 ft. one-bedroom will run you $1800. At those prices you almost are better off living in the city.

Or you could buy one of these newer condos for about $300,000. (The older ones are about $200,000.)

I don’t know if any of that is really typical--that is just what I found when I took a look at some of the rental boards.

For me, this section of Adeline is all about Nick’s Lounge. I don’t come to it all the time but every so often when I’m in the neighborhood I might drop in to chill a bit. They also have these pretty cool open mic nights that used to do local poets and that sort of thing--its a very college sort of atmosphere which sometimes makes me feel like I’m still an undergrad but lately more often than not makes me feel over the hill. They are actually doing an open mic for jazz singers which I am looking forward to this weekend.

The other nice thing about this stretch of Adeline is the it is right by the Ashby BART station, which makes it great for commuters. There are a butt load of cool places here too, including the Black Repertory Group, which you can think of as the Berkeley Rep with a focus on African Americans arts; Turtle Island Integrative Health, one of those New-Age Acupuncture massage sorts of places,and the really fabulous Mothership Hackermoms workspace--which is completely amazing. Mothership Hackkermoms is this place--with onsite childcare--where moms can come and explore their creativity and entrepreneurship. Very cool and very, very Berkeley.

There are also stores like The People’s Bazaar--a semi-furniture/antiques shop where you can come across some really cool stuff if you take the time to look hard enough.

As far as places to eat be sure to check out Chen’s Garden, the local Chinese food joint and Vault Cafe, the place to go for breakfast.

Overall this is pretty good stretch and far enough of the UC campus where rents are pretty reasonable. Also with BART nearby, commuting is a cinch.

Came here to 10th Street in Downtown Sac to go to the Parlare Euro Lounge, it is one of those classy dimly lit joints with couches you can lounge on and bottle service. It’s one of those joints that has a dress code: you know, no baseball caps or saggy jeans. Basically, no gang-banger types. But they seem to enforce the dress code very selectively. There is no cover to get in so this place was totally packed and the dance floor was like a sardine can.

Enjoyed it anyway. As to the rest of 10th Street in Downtown, it has lots of other things going for it as well. It stretches from Highway 50 (W Street) to F Street, so it crosses over a lot of blocks. Other notable watering holes along 10th include The Fox and Goose, an English Pub/Restaurant that definitely trends older, and The Social Night Club, which is great dancing fun if you can get by the door and don’t mind waiting for a bit; and a couple of restaurants.

You also have some hotels here--the Shasta and the

Like most of this western part of Sacramento, there are a lot of pre-WWII homes here--lots of bungalows and those older wooden planked buildings. There are also a lot of barred windows and metal screens on doors, so crime is probably pretty bad. Although I should say that when I lived down here I did not really feel particularly in danger.

If you prefer newer looking places, you might try around Discovery Park, where you will find a number of apartment buildings that were created more recently. A one bedroom along 10th can run as little as $625/month. A 2-bedroom would be about $1000.

Also along 10th is the California Museum, a big and fairly dull museum about California. This is also where you will find Capitol Mall and City Hall, so you should expect to have occasional traffic from protests and other kinds of gatherings.

Overall this is nice spot to go clubbing or stage a protest, I am not so sure it is a great place to live.

There is one main reason to come to this 2-block stretch of Durant Avenue in Berkeley: the Beta Lounge. The Beta Lounge is a very cool, slick looking little watering hole with a real modern look to it. Like every else near campus, it is pretty low key and laid back. (Yeah, that’s right both--it is also chill, so there redundancy police!) But it is packed with Cal students out on dates so you are just as likely to hear Heidegger brought up in casual conversation as Paris Hilton--just my kind of place to get my buzz on.

But it is not the only thing worth visiting on this two block stretch. You are right on Shattuck and just around the corner is Venus--a great place to go for breakfast. On the corner with Shattuck you will also find Pegasus Books, which would be a good place to browse for books if it were not so messy. There is also a Staples there if you are looking for office supplies. Okay those aren’t that exciting.

The main part I would stay away from is the Berkeley High end of the street--especially just when they get out; that’s when you get your occasional out of control street brawl. Ahhhh, high school in the big city, such sweet memories.

Overall though this is nice place to go for dinner and a drink. (Maybe even go over and catch a movie at one of the many movie theaters. or a play at the Berkeley Rep.)

Townsend Street is in the SoMa neighborhood where I used to work for a while. Me and the BF came here to go to District, a wine and tapas bars that caters to the Yuppie types which populate this part of SF. The wine selection was amazing and the food too! We loved it.

Marlowes is also on Townsend. I would love to try it, as I hear it has “the best burger in SF.” I am reserving judgement until I get the chance to go there and try it out.

Townsend however is mostly about the hip businesses that have their headquarters here. I am talking about a place like Playdom, a video game maker with titles like Avengers, City Girl and Armies of Magic. They are a little like Zynga, with games that are made for mobile. There are also a couple of radio stations here: Star 101.3 and KMEL.

As far as living here, there are some pretty cool looking modern apartments and the typical SoMa lofts--for which this area is known. Prices are way out of my (and most people’s) price ranges. I took a quick look to see what prices were like these days and this is what I found: a 2-bedroom condo around here will run you about $4000/month.

Yes. This is where you live if you are within reach of the 1%. So if you are the founder of a successful start-up, you might live here. Your workers, however, will have to commute up from The Mission or even farther. Luckily for you with BART and MUNI, SF has a pretty good public transportation system.

This is a pretty busy, urban street so it is a bit on the noisy side and you will get a fairly big number of homeless folks. Overall, it is prety cool though, as far as I am concerned anyway.

Came here with the BF to dance the night away at the Matrix. It had been a little while since I had really gotten down to a night of fun and booze quite like this. I was really happy to be back in the city after a being stuck in the East Bay boonies for a while.

Here’s what to love about Fillmore Street in Cow Hollow. Let’s start of course with The Matrix--it is one of those cool couch be-clad lounges where the SF young people go to party down and work off the week’s work stresses.

But Matrix is only one of the beacons that draw people to this section of Fillmore. If you are hungry after working up a sweat at the Matrix, you can get burgers at the City Tavern, crepes at Castagna (a French place that is currently closed due fire), a very pricy night at the Atelier Crenn, or the hearty meals at the Balboa Cafe.

If you have the disposable income, there are also a number of boutiques on Fillmore, including Simply Chic, Bubble and a Child’s Delight. And if all that shopping wears you out, you will also find a one or two spas here just to re-charge your spirits. There are also all the usual things you would want in a neighborhood, a corner grocery, a notary, paint stores and all that kind of good stuff that you might want if you were making a life for yourself here.

And if you are an architecture buff, this is also one of those gorgeous San Francisco streets packed with old Victorian walk-ups whose bay window stare out at the street and well, at the bay--more specifically the entrance to the SF Bay just past the Golden Gate.

What would it be like living on Fillmore in Cow Hollow. Well, you should know that Cow Hollow is generally known as a young couple neighborhood. Lot’s of SF corporate climbers here, often in the early stages of marriage or just having had their first kids (think of it as a jr. Pacific Heights which is just up the slope to the south).

Of course, that means high rents and cost of living. I took a quick look and a two bedroom on or around Fillmore will run you between $2500 and $5000 per month. (One bedrooms seem to go for around $2500 as well.) So basically, you can expect to spend at least $30,000 on rent if you live here.

What about buying? I took a quick look into that as well. Basically any little condo here starts at $1 million. You might be able to shave off a hundred thousand from that if you get lucky.

Put simply, if you aren’t some kind of business executive type, you are not going to be able to afford living here. Heck, I felt outpriced just looking at the listings.

If you can afford it though, you can’t beat the fun. And for those of us who can’t we can always visit once and awhile and pretend to be one of the classy up-and-comers.

People who know me, know I am no big fan of tourist traps and would normally not be caught dead on the Wharf. It is like if you live near Disneyland and have to go every time a relative visits. The first couple of times you are caught up in the wonder of the Magic Kingdom, but by the fourth or fifth time you go you start to just be bored by the same rides and long lines. That’s the Wharf. If you are just visiting SF for the first time it might be like going on Space Mountain, but if you grew up here like I did, there are are only so many times you can hear the Peruvian flute players and chalk faced mimes.

That said, there is a reason to visit Jefferson Street in the Fisherman’s Wharf and that is the Winery Collective. If you don’t want to head up to Napa but want to go wine tasting and then enjoy the city with a bit of a wine buzz on, you can’t beat this little joint. It basically has the widest selection of wines that you could hope for. And even though you have to brave the touristy crowds to get there it is worth it.

That said, I would really not want to be on Jefferson for any other reason. Parking is terrible and even in the off-season it is packed with tourists. And don’t even bother trying in the middle of the summer in the height of the season. It is just terrible then.

I love Grant Ave. on Telegraph Hill! (Even if I have always thought of this as North Beach.) If you want to feel the pulse of the city and be around a bunch of young up and comers, come here on a Saturday night in the summer. It is just packed with people--from twenty-somethings just out of college to tourists looking for the more adult pleasures the city has to offer.

It starts for me with The Saloon, one of the oldest bars in all of SF. (Dates to the Civil War.) This is just a super cool bar with live music and lots of old burnouts. Tope Cocktail Bar is also a good alternative if you are looking for more of a mixed drink sort of a vibe, as is Tupelo and Maggie McGarry’s. There is no shortage of places to get sloshed here. (I told you I loved it!)

There are also a ton of restaurants like the Greek joint right by Columbus, Estia; Ristorante Ideale (an Italian joint obviously) and Mo’s Burgers (if you want to keep it nice and simple) are also good choices as is North Beach Pizza as well. (Overrated imo, but you can decide for yourself.)

Of course, you can’t mention Grant Ave without giving a shout out to Caffe Trieste, one of SF’s most famous coffee houses. (You may have seen it in movies like 40 Days And 40 Nights.) The Steps of Rome (another famous North Beach eatery) is also right there on the corner with Columbus.

And it is not just the eats here, you also get great shopping delights like Ruby’s clothing store, Alla Prima Lingerie (for your special BF occasions gals) and Lola’s of North Beach.

There are also a lot less interesting places that are still vital if you happen to live on the second or third floors above these places along Grant. (Had friends who did that--it’s a blast if you can afford it!) There is a cleaners, a grocery store, a pilates place, a barber shop, nail salon and a mechanic’s shop.

North of Filbert (where Coit Tower and Pioneer park loom), Grant becomes purely residential with three story Victorian walk-ups with great old bay windows that look down on the street. Parking sucks but if you don’t have a car or store it in a garage you won’t miss your wheels--despite the hills, this is one of the most walkable places on Earth.

A block up from Filbert you hit the top of Grant and from there you get nice views of the bay as Grant drops down to the Wharf. Most days you get a cool ocean breeze and even the occasional scents of bakeries and restaurants. Despite the summer crowds it is the kind of place that you can’t help but be in love in.

Came here to me old stompin’ grounds for a little trip down Amnesia Lane--sometimes called San Pablo Avenue. Specifically, we came to visit the Albatross--ye nice old dive bar on this part of San Pablo. Oh the memories I would have of this joint had I not been far too drunk to remember most nights.

San Pablo is not generally my favorite part of Berkeley in terms of appearance--it is a bit on the dumpy side, even for Berkeley. It also just has way too much traffic and is a bit out of the way from all the other fun parts of Berkeley. But this particular section of San Pablo is an exception to the rule, mainly because of the Albatross, whose claim to fame is being the “oldest bar in Berkeley.”

Of course, being that this is where University meets San Pablo there are a fair number of stores around including a Pet Food Express and a Midas Tires. There are a number of auto body shops and repair shops and check cashing places.

Which is not to say that the only highlight of this strip is the Albatross. (It is only the most salient given my particular inclinations.) It is also where you will find Acme Bread--the perfect place to go early in the morning for some truly fresh bread and a cup of joe. You can also find some pretty good barbecue joints here.

Oh yeah and there is also a pilates place that one of my friends went to for a while and says is pretty good.

Are you into Edward Fitzgerald? You know, the whole Omar Khayyam thing? “A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and you, my love...”--well with Acme Bread, the Albatross and a significant other, this is definitely the place for it.

Came here with the BF and friends to have some fun. There’s not much to the part of West Stockton Blvd that I saw. We came here to go to the Hookaholics Hookah Lounge. Now, this is not really that much of a hookah lounge--at least not of the kind that I have been to. Most hookah lounges that I have been to are little hole in the wall places with the kind of drinks that you feel pounding in your head for a few days afterwards. The Hookaholics Hookah Lounge is pretty big and more of a dance place than anything else. Not that I am complaining. Me and the BF really got down. Loved it!

Hookaholics is right at the western end of West Stockton Blvd in Elk Grove. I lived in Sacramento for a while but I must say that I don’t ever remember coming here. It is located in a strip mall with a restaurant called Lollicup, a taqueria, a pizza place and a supermarket called Food Co (which I have never heard of).

From what I saw of the rest of the street there are some housing communities to the south of this where West Stockton runs parallel with Highway 99. I have no idea what these cost but given their seeming isolation and proximity to a noisy highway, I assume you can get them for a discount, though they do look nice and clean and relatively new. (Maybe built in the 80’s or 90’s?)

Farther down West Stockton before it just breaks into open fields you can also find a bunch of car dealerships: Honda, VW, Nissan, Dodge and Toyota. I guess this is where you come to buy some wheels.

I don’t know what it is like living here but it seems pretty nice.

I did look up the schools here and they all have API’s of 7, which is pretty good.

Okay, so until a couple of weeks ago when I stopped by here with the BF on one of our many rambles, I’m not sure I even knew that Galt existed. I may have but I could not have pointed it out on a map. I have only been here once, but I thought I would give you the skinny on what I found.

There is, as far as I’m concerned, one reason to go to Galt, and that it is to visit Brewsters. It is a very cool saloon-like bar smack in the middle of Galt. But this is not the kind of saloon you will find in your typical one-horse town (which Galt with barely a population of 20,000 definitely is). This is a big bar with really cool upstairs area with red velvet coated chairs and a ceiling high glittering back bar filled with liquors of all varieties. (I had a great Manhattan.)

They also have big meaty burgers.

Now I don’t know what it would be like to live here. You are sort of out in the middle of nowhere. Galt is in-between Stockton and Sacramento (on the southern end of Sacramento County). It is pretty much farm country.

The usual things that you would expect given what I said so far seemed to be true about Galt: home prices are pretty low. (These mostly looked like Ranch style homes--at least that is what I saw.) Schools look good and crime is pretty low these days.

Unless I worked here or in Stockton, I don’t think that I would choose to live here, however. I’m just too much of a city girl. But if you happen to be planning a visit to Brewsters, I am totally in.

The section of Bancroft Road in Concord goes from David Ave. to Hookston. On its southern end, Bancroft Road is mostly made up of Ranch Style homes. On its northern end as it curves towards Hookston you get some shoebox apartment buildings and businesses like Encore Gymnastics.

This is one of those wide busy streets that tempt people to drive fast and is a bit of pain for crossing if you are with old people or children.

Homes on and around Bancroft can’t possibly sell for too much given the neighborhood is in Concord and I bet you can get one of those condos on the northern end for less than $100K.

Unfortunately, you still get some pretty bad schools even if you are on the border with Walnut Creek.

Overall, not too bad a place to live, if you have a family.

You can sort of think of Morada as a pimple on the nose of Stockton. It is just to the northeast of its much larger neighbor.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying this in a negative way. This is actually a fairly affluent area. With large homes and even an outright mansion or two. The roads though have a sort of country feel to them and remind you that you are just a hop, skip and jump from farmlands to the east.

This is the case in most of Morada but you will find some spots in other parts of Morada near Hershey Lane where you get more Ranch homes on streets that feel more typically Stockton. Although homes around Hershey are sweetly priced at typical Stockton prices I’m told that the larger newer homes in Morada can run up to 3 quarters of a million dollars.

It kinda sucks that the schools aren’t very good around here, though. Most of them are average or slightly below. You probably also have to worry about crime living in this area.

Overall though it is probably one of the cheapest spots in California to buy a mansion. If that is what you are into. Most people would probably rather have an average house in Walnut Creek than a mansion in Stockton--but maybe that is just my big city gal prejudice.

Campbell Lane just off San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante is basically one of those spots where it is all apartments. Most people use San Pablo Dam Road as a shortcut to and from the Lamorinda area, but this is also a nice little spot to live as well. The rents at the apartments around here are fairly low--about a $1000.

There is some crime in the area from what I understand--the occasional assault--but nowhere near what you find to the wes of here. You are also pretty close to the Hilltop Mall and are not in too bad a position for starting a commute.

Of course, you also have to contend with the traffic on San Pablo Dam Road, which is fairly constant and filled with speedsters.

It’s also pretty cheap to buy a house around here, with nearby houses selling for between $150 to $250 thousand.

Schools are pretty bad around here though--De Anza High having a pretty reputation in terms of test scores. So families would probably not want to live here.