Moving to California / Silicon Valley - with a newborn. Help!

[InMyPrime]

Any advice from anyone who is living out there or who has moved long-distance with a young baby generally (our DS will be 3 months when we move)? DH and I are moving out there in Jan '12 as he is taking up a really good offer with a firm he's always wanted to work for. We'll be based in San Francisco initially but then have the option either to move to the 'burbs to be closer to DH's work (San Jose / Palo Alto) or to stay in SF with him commuting (company provides a shuttle for its staff).

My main concerns are on the lifestyle out there - is it really a cultural desert with strip malls and SUVs or are there pockets of civilisation? I know SF is a great city and has lots going on but don't know how much we can enjoy that with a young baby in tow. It's a very youth-oriented city, I think. Would I die of boredom living in the suburbs or are there things going on outside of SF as well?

I won't be able to work due to visa restrictions and will have DS to look after anyway so am wondering if anyone can give advice on how to meet other mothers / parents in the context of moving abroad / to the US in particular? Has anyone else moved with a baby this young? I would rather have waited until DS was at least 6 months and worry that we're nuts to move when he's this young. Also, any tips on long-haul flights with a 3 month old?

Hello! Can't give you any advice re SF, but am keen to hear of any ideas re meeting other mums in the US too. Am moving to Baltimore early next year with DDs 5 and 2 and DS 10mths, and am facing the future as a SAHM in a strange place...daunting on so many levels.

As far as flying with a tiny one, don't worry. I took all of my 3 across the Atlantic at 4mths and it was by far the easiest time. They sleep, they fit in the skycot so they can lie down flat, you can boob feed to keep them happy (if you are doing that), they fit on the pull down changing tray in the toilets..

AND best of all they won't spend 8hrs running or crawling up and down the aisle like mine do

Thanks for the advice on travel with a young baby. I have heard other people say that travelling with babies at under 6 months is easier than afterwards although that goes against the grain where you would think that the younger the baby, the more difficult it will be. Good point though in that they can't really get up to much mischief at three months compared to, say, three years old! Our LO suffers from reflux a bit so am mainly worried about him puking all over some fellow passenger, especially as the company is paying for us to travel business class so I have visions of some corporate exec getting puke all over his Armani suit and suing us or something

I think I'll add my request re ideas on meeting people / advice on SF to the 'Living in America' thread to see if any current US-dwellers might respond there...