Looking for info on Sunnyvale area

[old_man]

I am a contract engineer and I am looking at accepting a contract at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale.

1) Any idea on where to find a cheap place to live. Will commute up to an hour if needed.

2) Any places to stay away from? Is there much of a crime problem? I'm thinking of driving my rig out instead of my daily driver.

3) Are there any places to wheel on weekends, especially during the winter?

Anybody got a room to rent or a place to park a trailer? Doesn't need to be fancy. I'm a pretty fair fabricator and could help someone build their rig.

Tom Houston
[email protected]
970-391-8927

 

[MikeMc]

Any place in the southbay or peninsula will be SUPER expensive. East bay where I live is a little cheaper. Over the hill in Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore is nice but there's only 1 commute route which is a nightmare and takes people 2 hours to get 30 miles. I would not go more north than Fremont/Newark. It starts getting sketchy up there.

Hollister offroad park is about 1-1.5 hours south and open year around and the place to go for day-trips. We don't really have a winter or summer here.

 

[zachandandy]

Traffic can be a pain, but 2 hrs to go 30 miles is an exaggeration. I've commuted to various parts of the Bay Area for the last 15 years from Patterson and that 80+ mile drive takes about 2hrs. If there is a major accident on 680, I've gone all the way over mount Hamilton in 2 hours. Hollister is more reasonably priced and usually an hour to 1.5 hours and then you're already there for wheeling on the weekends.

 

[Jeep450r]

I'd say Sunnyvale is a nice area. My grandparents have lived there for years, and my dad was raised there. I like it, but just like any area I'm sure there are places to stay away from.

However, the Sunnyvale/San Jose area has been ranked as the 7th highest area in the nation for car theft, behind Modesto, Fresno, SF, Stockton and a few more. Just be smart and safe and I'm sure you'll be fine. Just something to think about.

I'm from Pleasanton, just over the hill. It's very nice there. Little theft, but high prices. We have a nice ridge on the edge if town that is a popular hiking/biking place.

Livermore is right next door to Pleasanton. I like it there as well, and there is a nice lake (Del Valle) nearby for camping, fishing, backpacking, biking etc. Carnegie SVRA is local to Livermore but is more geared toward dirt bikes.

Dublin is next to Pleasanton as well. Another nice area. I've heard the new Bart station has brought some crime in to the outskirts of town, but I can't say much about that.


And the closest wheeling to the Sunnyvale area is probably Hollister Hills SVRA. If I had to guess, I'd say it's about an hour from Sunnyvale. Lots to do there, and there is an associated dirt bike/atv park that is a lot of fun if you're into that.


EDIT: Pleasanton, Dublin, and Livermore are often referred to as the "Tri-Valley". Prices there will likely be higher than the Sunnyvale area, but there's less crime, and is a nicer area in my opinion.

 

[moparmansfield]

I've lived in Hollister my whole life. its a nice getaway from the bay area, yet still close enough to where the commute doesn't kill you. The best part about it is housing is still relatively affordable, and of course Hollister hills is 5 mins away from downtown. The southeast part of town is the desirable area, with very low crime. If you are "well off", Ridgemark is the golf course/country club/nice houses that is gated with 24 patrol, and is pretty damm nice.. Hollister still has the small town feel but you are less than an hour away from San Jose, Santa Cruz, Monterey...

Unfortunately, my new employer is requiring me to move to Morgan hill in 5 months. I would much rather live in Hollister, as I can rent a 4 bedroom 2000sqrft house for the same price as a 2 bdrm apartment in morgan hill..

 

[Hoooper]

is that an hour commute under normal circumstances or maximum of an hour? Cause what is a 1 hr commute 75% of the time will be 1.5 hrs 25% of the time.

Its pretty unlikely unless you rent a house or trailer parking spot that you will have a place to park a trailer

 

[old_man]

Any body in the area want to rent a room? I'm a 60 year old non smoker/drinker, been married 38 years and have a home and family in Colorado. I am allergic to most cats. I'm also a pretty fair cook and have won awards for my bbq.