Mountain View, CA

“There is a very slight chance that I might be taking a job in Mountain View. I\'d love to get input from folks who are familiar with the area as to nice places to live that are within a reasonable commute. Looking at the real estate sites for Mountain View, it looks like I wouldn\'t be able to afford to live in Mountain View itself.

Fresno is nearby but it looks like the air is really bad there. Oakhurst might be an option?”

“Mountain View is a slummy suburb of Palo Alto. Well, not really, but you're right, it can be pretty expensive there. Sunnyvale is the next city, and I think it costs less. Some people have incredible luck finding cottages behind some of the nearby mansions in other towns, too, but I never did. I lived in a tiny little 1940s apartment for 3 years. Before that, I rented a condo with 2 friends (both places in Mountain View). If you're getting a professional type job, you should be able to find something to rent. Coming from Kentucky, you probably won't be able to buy for about 50 years....”

“If one were to move to Mtn View one better have cash coming out the wazoo. Mtn View is located just south of Palo Alto on the San Fran penninsula - Palo Alto is home of Stanford U and MtnView and the rest of the area is quite pricey. Fresno would be a long, crappy commute of 100+ miles; Oakhurst even longer.

Swallow your pride, take a crappier job closer to the mountains. Enjoy.

(edited because I really can spell!)
last edited: 11/20/04 1:26:33 AM”

“It identifies Mountain View as perhaps 15 miles north of Fresno. Heh, y, neither Fresno nor Oakhurst make sense once you get the correct location of Mountain View.”

“My company corporate hdqtrs are in Mountain View so I'm there all the time. If you're looking for a "nice" place to live, bring your checkbook, unfortunately you're in for quite a bit of sticker shock. The least expensive real estate would be over in the central valley, but there is no good way to drive there, there are traffic snarls at all of the major intersections headed that direction. Since Mtn. View is on the peninsula, you either have to drive around 680/880/101 & up thru San Jose which is frequently a mess, or, try to cross one of the bridges, Dumbarton or San Mateo. Either way you end up on 101 & in a lot of traffic.

Send me an email if you like & I'll get you whatever info you may want. I just priced a 3 BR, 2BA home w a 2 car garage for one of our software developers who was thinking of moving there from Dallas, it was only $650,000.”