Where
I live in Foster City, in a two-bedroom apartment that I share with Mauro, a friend from high school who moved here a month before me, and Felipe, a Peruvian personal chef. Mauro and I rent from Felipe, whose wife and kid just left to Peru. We got this place just a week after I came and we’ve liked it a lot. It’s right next to a beautiful lake, it has a balcony, a gym, a laundry, a pool (though it’s way too cold), tennis and volleyball courts, and lots of grass all around (with ducks!).
Foster city is also one of the nice, affluent parts of the bay so we definitely got lucky. Best of all, we’re very well located on a micro and macro level. Micro, the library, the beach, Safeway, Costco, and all sorts of malls (ethnic, fancy, and bland) are no more than 5-7 minutes away. Macro, we live close to the center of the Bay Area: Stanford & Palo Alto are very close, San Francisco is a half hour away, and even San Jose is some 45 minutes away. Parking is not a problem nor is it security.
On the negative side, though it’s worth it, it is somewhat expensive (we each pay nigh 600 dollars per month, utilities included) and so we’re moving the next 15th to a new place that’s very close but for which I’ll pay 500 dollars per month and I get to have my own room (while Mauro will get to live in the living room and enjoy the cheapskate life he craves :). Virginia Woolf famously talked about the importance of a room of one’s own for female writers but it applies just as well to programmers (as Joel Spolsky once argued to my then disbelief).
So things will be even better (and cheaper). The one thing I wonder is whether I shouldn’t be rather living inside the throbbing, bustling City itself instead of the bland yet convenient and charming suburbia. My chief concerns are cost and how to have a car in the parking-less city (I don’t want to end up isolated in San Francisco itself, many interesting things happen outside it). Any suggestions? Should I take the plunge into the overpriced, rough city or enjoy my cheap, gentle suburban life?
6 Comments
I’m glad you’re here in the USA! I still have never been to San Francisco. I spent one day in San Jose for an interview, but was flown right back.
I live outside the action—much farther outside of the action than you do. Tempe, the most exciting part of Phoenix, is a 30 minute drive away. I’m trying to save up so I can move. I want to move to Tempe or somewhere in California.I would live in the suburbs, but in a place that has public transportation (unlike where I live now) and a nice downtown. I seem to have a favorable view of Palo Alto. Not sure if that’s accurate.
I would want to have a car because it would make it easier for me to go mountain biking in lots of different places. I also would like to be able to go to places like Yosemite and Napa Valley.I would like to visit you in the bay area or have you visit me here in metro Phoenix sometime this year.
Good luck!It sounds like a lovely location, are you sure it isn’t worth the extra $100/month?
Perhaps I missed you mentioning it, but are you working in the US now too? :)So you left your retirement home???
I can totally picture an old lady on a scooter riding next to that lake! haha
It sounds like a great place however the place does not matter as long as you feel comfortable. If it is on the city or if it is in the suburbs does not matter, I am sure that you are going to be able to take great advantages of any of the two places. The good thing is that you will continue living with someone you know and if you live in the suburbs it seems that it is not too far from the city. Have a good time and I will see you over there on June.
Ben: I like San Jose too. Not everyone does but I did and I go there about once a week for a random event. And Palo Alto is nice too (though they say East Palo Alto is a whole different hood). You should definitely choose California man, San Francisco—or is there something that ties you to Arizona?
Volve: It is a lovely location, but the other place is great too (it’s just 3 minutes away). Plus, and this is a big, decisive, plus for me: I’ll get to have my own room there.Chemito: Ah, I know! Wikipedia calls Foster City Peninsula’s Wisteria Lane. There are a lot of seniors here, a lot of families, so yeah, it’s sort of bland… The thing is it’s just so cheap, charming, and convenient!
Sergio POWERS: Thanks for the vote of confidence man. And yeah, there is the important advantage of continue living with someone I trust, know, and like. Ultimately, as you say, both places are great launching pads, I think I’ll stay with the ‘burbs for now. See you in June!glad you made it up here ok and are finding it so much to your liking. congratulations