There is a main street, called First Street, that is the location of the town's main restaurants and lots of little shops and boutiques. #5. If you dont have a car, public transportation is the breeding ground for all the above. The community is warm and friendly, the schools are very good, there are many (!) Although I have never lived there, I have visited Davis a lot, and suspect that on a daily basis, it's more like Berkeley/Oakland/Albany than either Benicia or Vallejo. We lived in California in the past two other times, once in Lompoc and other in Monterey. I know some folks who live in Benicia and have spent a good bit of time there. I am sure things have changes since I left permanently in 1996 but Sacramento has so many suburbs so there maybe a neighborhood that is similar to Berkeley? Our oldest grandson (who is 20 years old) graduated from Benicia High School and is doing extremely well in college. Well I live in Placerville California and Ive lived in Yosemite and weed and a lot of different places and let me tell you that not all parts of the state have mild Winters or constant sunshine or High cost of living or poor performing public schools. Davis makes the most sense. It really shows when you are out around town. If you want to save some cash by ditching the vehicle, then San Francisco has you covered with its public transportation system. One of the reasons why the housing market and rental costs are so high in San Francisco is because the economy is strong, diverse, and consistent. Ive never found it easy to get from Point A to Point B using public transportation, which is why I wouldnt even consider moving to California without a car (with the exception of San Francisco). Not sure which area would be best. My biggest concern is the social aspect. You can find work with Netflix, Google, Facebook, Apple, Tesla, and others if you have the correct skill set. I was born and raised in the Monterey Bay area and forced by parents to move away. San Diego alone is home to more than 7,000 restaurants, and the Hispanic cuisine is considered the best in the country thanks to the citys close proximity to Mexico. And if you're looking to be as remote as possible, there are plenty of opportunities to live in the mountains without any neighbors in eyesight. The year over year appreciation rates in Redding were 4.4%, and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 6.4%. In Benicia there are a lot of parks. If I need Berkeley or SF fix, we just drive down and can be on the Bay Bridge in 20mins with no traffic. Therfore just to visit weekend ok but not to live in Cali. Calculated annually per 100,000 residents. I like it a lot and it is definitely walkable and has a lot of charming small businesses on 1st street. So youre moving to California with the intention of buying a home? Santa Rosa is at least an hour's drive from Vallejo. 1. 2c. You can walk to the local park, but everything else is about 1.5 miles away. I appreciate any info/input you have. Good luck on your move! Even if you want a studio apartment, youre going to be paying more than $2,000 per month to live in the city. By the 1870s, the first cable cars began to operate, providing a public transportation option for a city that reached a population of 150,000 people. Very valuable information. Does anyone have any negative or positive experiences with the above, especially the refinery. My husband and I were starting to plan a move there at one point when we thought he'd be working in Sacramento; alas, that didn't come to fruition, but we were geared up and excited for Davis - you might want to check it out. We will be renting. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions. Regrettably for Redding, there are some categories for which it does not score well, this includes: crime (F), cost of living (F), education (F), employment (D) and housing (D-). California would have the fifth-largest economy in the world if the state were an independent nation. There is always the threat of an earthquake to consider in the city. The majority of Redding residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Asian and American Indian and Alaskan. Windemere has all the desired conveniences-including shopping, dining, freeways and BART. Amy, Re: Kid friendly neighborhoods in the East Bay Benicia may be a bit too far North for you, but it is an amazing little treasure. Crime is crazy and cut backs on law enforcement has made it worse. And it's one of the most underrated, which means it's not as full of tourists as other places, like Montreal and Vancouver. Benicia is in Solano County. If you do get the urge to take a day trip, then you can head over to Yosemite, enjoy the sunshine on the peninsula, or take the four-hour drive (with good traffic) to Lake Tahoe for world-class skiing. Benicia or Martinez for commute to Oakland? If youre planning on moving to California, heres a quick recap of the pros and cons of living in California. When weighing the pros and cons of living in Dallas, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Pros of Living in Australia One of the many benefits of living in Australia is its healthcare. Select any tags that apply to this area. Benicia is looking like where we might land. If youre considering moving to California and settling further from the coast, understand that the average summer temperature exceed 95F and 100F+ days are not uncommon. It might be a city of transplants, but no one really cares about that here. And even in mid-winter, the temperature during the day averages 16C / 61F. When I worked there, the people I knew who commuted to SF typically drove to Pleasant Hill BART, parked there, and took BART from there. Im 25 now and I guess I can say that its not the easiest for me to make new connections. He called the area Yerba Buena, and it became a popular destination for Americans in the 1840s. Gas is also usually $1-$2 more a gallon than most other states. We live next to Benicia, but technically are zip coded as Vallejo. I will likely take BART. Based on the proximity of local amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, librairies, etc., Benicia has received a higher than average score for its local amenities. Everyone loves it; its pristine coastline, picturesque vineyards, wineries, and snow-clad Sierra Nevada Range which maintains its warm weather perfectly. Having said that, in the state of California, there are many desirable places to live, so choose wisely! The Capitol Corridor trains run several times each day, although the latest one to Oakland leaves Martinez at about 10:30 p.m. Assuming that Benicia meets all of your requirements, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Benicia. 9. Fantastic schools, a good community, and much more affordable than the Bay Area. He arranges charts, rehearses and plays shows(mostly Cabaret and standards). The state has a fairly relaxed vibe to it, people seem to move at a slower pace. Neither town is great for commuting to Oakland. 4. I am a teacher in an adjacentschool district and know many, many teachers who work for Benicia Unified. Residents of urban areas may struggle with their mental health. Cons of living in Nevada 1. Between the lovely Mediterranean climate, the colorful architecture and the breathtaking nature, it seems that Californians take work-life balance seriously and we are all better for it. Im glad Im not the only one feeling this. It's 20 plus minutes to the Bay Bridge and 10 mins or so to Walnut Creek so it's not a bad commute and there is a ferry service into the city. Though it is a suburb of Vallejo, it is significantly different. 14 Pros of Living in Vancouver, BC PRO: YVR is a fantastic airport Pro: Amazing schooling Pro: Shopping haven Pro: It's home to Stanley Park Pro: You'll always find food trucks Pro: Plenty of fun sporting events Pro: You don't need to know French Pro: The nightlife Pro: Relatively moderate weather Pro: Easy access to nature I'm wondering if being in Martinez would actually save that much time compared with Benicia. Like do people carpool from Benicia to BART? And almost anywhere in the city, you can see the water. Feel free to email me! If youre planning on relocating and making this area your permanent home, its nice to know that there is an ample amount of amenities and things to do within walking distance or a short drive. Get some big dogs and move to Benicia! If youre used to a temperate coastal climate, then the weather in San Francisco may not seem like much of a disadvantage. . Benicia fan. Many young professionals live in Benicia and residents tend to have moderate political views. When you do need to travel somewhere, using an Uber or Lyft is still affordable. Living in Benicia offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. It seems we can afford Benicia, Martinez and parts of Concord. We are from a small city in south florida. 1. Using data from crime, cost of living, weather, employment, housing, you will see a detailed breakdown of the most important information as well as comparisons to the California and national averages. Not others. Solano County overall is less liberal than the rest of the Bay Area. 6. Yes, Florida is much cheaper than California because the cost of living is just 1% higher than the national average. The crime rate is high; 20.3%, 3 times (in 100,000 people) more than the entire US itself. The Pros And Cons Of Living In Each State. People from Martinez drive, at least as far as my acquaintance goes. Hi! Savannah Savannah is one of the most popular cities in Georgia. Even though there was a lag in growth for the first time in forever in 2018, the rental market in San Francisco is insane and the housing market isnt any better. We're hoping for diversity, for a whole approachthat is not hyper focused on testing (art, music, theater valued as well as academics), and not huge amounts of homework every night. Benicia has a livability score of 76 out of 100 and is ranked #160 in California and #4,047 in the USA. Friendly people. it seems that everyone who lives here knows how special this place is and wants to take care of it. This goes hand-in-hand with the constant sunshine, but California has some of the mildest winters in the country. When James Marshall discovered gold in the area, a surge of people came to make their fortune. It would be fair to say that the Bay to Breakers festival is more like a second Halloween for adults to enjoy. Hi there. There is a lot of activities that you can do in the city. Others involve nothing more than the persons birthday suit. Many young professionals live in Benicia and residents tend to have moderate political views.