Possible move to San Francisco

[PeppaPigsMum]

hi there. i'm currently living in Sydney with dh and 2 dds (6 & 3) and we've just found out the firm dh works for is closing its Australia operation at the end of the year. this means we are basically going to have to up and move countries, as there are no more real options for him here. i am pretty upset as i had imagined we'd settle here - i love it and have made some really good friends and the kids are settled at school/pre-school etc. it feels like home, but it looks like its not to be, so i'm getting myself in a positive frame of mind for the move.

one option we have is to transfer within the company to their headquaters in San Francisco. i'm researching places to live at the moment and wondered if anyone had any suggestions? dh will be working around South San Francisco. i've looked at areas in Richmond & Berkeley - wondered what the best areas are here and what the commute is like across the bridge. would Alameda sink into the sea with a big quake??? a friend suggested Pleasanton, and it looks lovely, but think it might not be what i'm looking for (similar to where we are now).

also, what is the weather like? it looks a bit chilly in summer because of the fog - i have got very used to lovely Sydney warmth, and don't want to give that up if i can help it. i'm not going to be able to live near the water am i?!

finally, what is it like to live there? what is the cost of living like compared to the UK/Australia? have to say my immediate concerns revolve around guns and earthquakes. i've only been to the US once - Chicago for 5 days - so have nothing to base my worries on except tv, films and the news, and i know from my move to Oz how misleading those can be. i need to be able to make a more informed decision!

any info would be greatly appreciated - good and bad as i want to feel fully prepared. we've done big moves from the UK to Melbourne, then Melbourne to Sydney and i feel a bit overwhelmed about having to start all over again once more. and now i have to factor in schools etc...

We'll I've only been there on holiday, but it was a fab city and one I could happily see myself living in/around. I'll point my friend in the direction of this thread as she grew up there and knows more areas than I do. Good luck with your move

thank you - that would be great! everyone who's been there says how lovely it is. i think i've been away from big cities too long - i have to keep reminding myself i lived in East London for 5 years, loved it, and would go back there with now worries at all.

I think it's the fact that although it is a big city, it doesn't really feel like one, that appeals to me and it's very close to the water

thanks KM, lots to think about. so, Daly City not good - was one of the places i'd looked at! had heard about BART stations, so will check this out further. i really need to head over for a fact-finding mission - its difficult looking at places when you've got no idea what they're like.

hmmm, shite summer is not good. might have to concentrate my search on the East Bay - i can do hot.

going to miss the beaches - we've been really spoiled where we are now. i will need to remind myself not to compare places, but to take the best the city has to offer (and it seems there are considerable positives to SF).

right, we'll just have to travel to get to a better beach. will check out Marin as well (looked at Marin City and what i read wasn't positive, but guess there's lots more places around). commute is going to play a major part in where we live, so will have to look at that too.

i'm not wanting to be somewhere upmarket - would much prefer more of a mix of people. one of the positives about this move is that we'll be able to bring our girls up somewhere more diverse, something i have always felt was missing from our area in Australia.

more stuff to research this evening. thanks again for the info!

Okay so I do not know san fran but we moved to LA from uk and love it here- the americans we have met have been so lovely and friendly.

A friend says San Fran is the best city in the US to live in and just south of there you have the big sur and yosemite for great family holidays- we just returned and fell in love with it.
At the same time it seems many amercians fantasise about living in australia which i believe is a t cheaper than it is here.

But really to move from sydney to san fran ( which i have visited) is like swapping pavlova for meringue).

I would be excited about that prospect if you can find the right area to live in for your family.

She's not online much (if at all anymore) but SofiaAmes used to be a Mumsnet regular. She grew up in the Berkeley area, I believe and lived in NYC and London. I wish there was a way you could be in contact with her - she was/is (afaik) a huge fan of the area, and always was very helpful with information and resources.

Also, long time Mnet member Califrau moved from UK to Germany to California. She lived/lives (not sure, she no longer posts) in Milpitas (one hour south of San Francisco) which is near to San Jose and loved it. I recall that her ds was in school there, and it was an extremely good situation for their family.

FWIW - San Francisco is a city many Americans would love to live in. It is very desirable. As long as you have enough money to live reasonably well, would think that it would be a lovely place to raise a family.

But, I have only ever visited or gone there on business.

Good luck.

My dh's company HQ are in Milpitas and he says it is quite soulless, but then he grew up in a village with one street in Northumberland. He does say that San Francisco is lovely and I'm trying to convince him to take us for a visit at Thanksgiving. Have you tried the Living in America thread? Good luck!

I grew up in Northern California... we lived in Santa Rosa which is 45 minute drive to San Francisco on the 101... it would probably be an hour or more depending on what time you are commuting (it could be an hour and a half to two hours) to get to South San fran...

Sn Fran is lovely but to expensive to live... I have been in the UK for 11 years now and I still pine for Sonoma County (where I grew up) ... its much nicer area then south of the bay and I was never that impressed by Berkley either.

summers are hot.. but with occasional cool bits.. the fog only last the morning and they temperatures cant get quite hot...buts thats ok everywhere is air conditioned and open late... North of the Bay has smaller towns and people always seem friendlier there.. in face I have a close friend who has just moved to Santa Rosa from Seattle and she says its the happiest move she has ever made.

California is expensive to live compared to alot of other states but it does have alot going for it..its is an excellet place for kids and outdoor activities and most places are within an half an hour to an hour's drive to the coast (Bodega Bay and the beaches north of it are my favourite)

I say if you have the oppertunity go for it... if it doesnt work out after a year or so would it be possible to move somewhere else? its an excelletn opppertunity for making new friends and exploring new places.

If my husband would consider the idea I think I would move us there in a heartbeat as I love California so very much...damn my parents for moving to Idaho.

thanks everyone for the info - its great to hear so many positive things about San Francisco and i can feel a bit of excitement at the thought of moving, in spite of my sadness about having to leave Oz.

we are in a state of flux at the moment, waiting to see what happens with dh's redundancy and probably won't know if a move is on the cards for a while. i'm just researching, researching, researching, so that i feel prepared when the time comes. really need to get the area right...

for those of you living in California, just wondering how life is generally with the State being almost broke - are there lots of cutbacks in the public schools? what has the effect been on your day-to-day life?

i will pop over to the Living in America thread when i get a moment for some more general questions about life in the US - i'm sure i will have lots!