SF Bay Area

[keska]

We would consider other areas, though this is obviously the closest to DH's work. He can actually walk to work from there. We've seen the traffic during games when we'd drive from Potrero into SOMA, so I know what it will be like. As long as there are places nearby we can walk to, it doesn't really bother us. DH is fairly set on living as close as we can to his work, though we wouldn't mind any of the inner neighborhoods. Truthfully, the long distance searching is what is limiting us. It's hard to do this all via email and digital photos.

[justHB]

We looked at a lot of condos and lofts in the SOMA area and nearly bought there, so I can vouch for it being great, just okay, and downright scary on a street by street basis. An absolutely adorable loft that we fell in love with was across the street from a park that looked okay during the day, but at night became a crack den. There are a lot of lofts on Lansing (we looked at at least 4 of them on that street alone) and some were built really well and others had serious sound issues. Like chortles mentioned, it's not really the best neighborhood for a family, but for singles and married couples without kids it can be great. Personally, I would be thrilled to live near the SBC (or is it AT&T now?) Park since everything down there has been cleaned up and there are a ton of eateries to choose from.

[LRL]

Keska-

In addition to the really good neighborhood advice already posted-

I am one of the commuters that would cause an enormous problem for you near 1st street. Sorry. It is the main way to get from the financial to the Bay Bridge, as someone mentioned before, and traffic is usually god awful. It can take me from 15-1 hour to get from California street to the Bay Bride on-ramp. The average I would say is 20-25. Considering we aren't talking about that long a distance I would definitely consider this... If you want to walk everywhere and never drive during traffic hours, then I think you might be ok.

[justHB]

Keska-

In addition to the really good neighborhood advice already posted-

I am one of the commuters that would cause an enormous problem for you near 1st street. Sorry. It is the main way to get from the financial to the Bay Bridge, as someone mentioned before, and traffic is usually god awful. It can take me from 15-1 hour to get from California street to the Bay Bride on-ramp. The average I would say is 20-25. Considering we aren't talking about that long a distance I would definitely consider this... If you want to walk everywhere and never drive during traffic hours, then I think you might be ok.Along those lines, I used to work in the financial district and live in the Haight. When we began looking for places in Oakland, we'd have to go to open houses mid-week. DH would pick me up from work at 4:30 p.m. and we wouldn't get ON the bridge until 5:15 p.m. sometimes. It was a nightmare.

[keska]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I really appreciate it.

[irish74]

keska - I don't live in SOMA, but my mom and other friends do. Like someone else mentioned, some blocks are great and others are not. Definitely stay off 6th Street. As for the noise and traffic, it wouldn't bother me much because a lot of the noise is during the day because of the construction and I'd be at work during that time. I also don't commute by car so the rush hour traffic would not effect me at all. Like your husband, I would love to live closer to downtown and walk to work.

[keska]

Thanks! We took the place. We're not so concerned with noise as the building's walls are solid concrete and the windows are double-paned. We used to live next to a freeway, so we're accustomed to traffic noise and are willing to live with it in order to have the advantages of being so close to DH's work.

I'm excited because it's a 3 level loft with a spiral staircase. I always wanted one of those, though I don't know how we're going to get our furniture up it. Thank goodness for movers. :p

[laura]

I'm late, but I live in San Mateo and we love it. We rent right now, and we are thinking of buying, but I'm not sure we could afford to buy in our town and we don't want to leave it. The proximity to other towns is great, and we can walk to downtown, which is pretty cute and has tons of great places to eat. I highly recommend it. Our friends live in Redwood City (actually Shores), which I don't like as much. A lot of people at my work live in Menlo Park or Palo Alto. I think if you lived near downtown Palo Alto (University Ave.) or California Ave., you could avoid the feeling of isolation, but it is pretty "out there" from SF and not for everyone.

[irish74]

We have a 50lb lab mix and are going out of town on Christmas Eve, back on Christmas Day. I've always had family be able to stay with him, but they are coming too. Any recs on a kennel or someone you REALLY trust that could stay with him? If it is a kennel, I need to find one that doesn't keep the dogs in a chainlink cage as my dog will stick his nose through until he cuts his face and lips. Thanks in advance. We are in SF if that helps.

[ejs]

We use a vet tech from our vet's office as our dogsitter/housesitter. It is great knowing that our pups are in such good hands. She told me that a lot of vet techs do petsitting. So I'd recommend that you call your vet's office and ask if any of their techs do it.

[irish74]

ejs Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give the vet a call. Did they keep your dogs at the pet hospital or did the vet tech stay in your home?

[ejs]

She does this as more of a freelance job, not as a vet employee. We had two choices: she would stay at our home with our dogs or she would stay at her home and come visit our dogs at our house to feed them and walk them. We have her stay overnight here. It seems to work well for everyone.

When you call your vet's office, you should ask if any of the techs do pet sitting in their free time. Or if you have a favorite vet tech, ask him/her directly.

[CityGirl]

curlywig - Thanks for the info. We realize it's busy but the building is actually on Lansing Street, close to 1st, so we're not actually facing 1st. Luckily, it's close enough to DH's work down on Pier 1 that we won't actually be doing much driving. I am worried about noise, though. I think I'll have DH ask one of his friends to go check out the neighborhood during a high traffic time.

It's so hard to find a place long distance. We almost took a place farther down toward 6th Street until we checked the crime statistics, which were insanely high. So, we've learned that area can be good or bad on a street by street basis.


I have good friends that lived in a building at 1st and Lansing. They liked the central location, but chose to drive everywhere since their building had parking. I loved their place, a very cool loft, which had a little deck on the back. I never noticed that it was noisy at all. That being said, they moved once they had a baby because of the neighborhood. Hope you like it!

irish74- This place is supposed to be fantastic. I haven't had to leave my baby there yet, but our friends have used it and their dog didn't want to come home.

http://www.citizencanine.net/

[tunibell]

My FIL is in town for a job interview in Redwood Shores. Any restaurant recommendations around there or the airport?

[laura]

There is a good malaysian food place - Mango Bay - in that shopping plaza off Holly St. in Redwood Shores. There's also Izzy's Steak & Chops right off 101 @ Holly St. Do you have a cuisine or a price range in mind?

[Bloomwood]

231 Ellsworth is very good. On the pricier side, but very good. It is located in San Mateo - get this - at 231 Ellsworth ;) right off either 3rd or 4th Ave - in the hoppin downtown area.

Viognier atop Draeger's market is also pricey and tasty. In the same area.

There is also a Kingfish right next to the big cineplex in San Mateo.

For all the SM places, just take the 3rd St. exit off the 101 and head West.

Less $$ is The Left Bank. French. It is in the Whole Foods Market shopping center at the Hillsdale exit.

[laura]

FWIW, I don't really like KingFish. Their food is just okay, and they're really pretty bitchy - especially the reception people who seat you (I am blanking on the correct term here). IMO, they think what they've got is a lot fancier than it is, and if you don't have a reservation, they act like you've won the lottery if they can "fit you in". Ditto The Left Bank, but that's just my experience. (I've been to KingFish 3 times and The Left Bank once.)

231 Ellsworth and Viognier are both very good, but I agree, pretty $$. If it isn't too late, we take a lot of out of towners to Kincaid's in Burlingame, right near the airport. It's always a big hit!

HTH!

[chortles]

I really like Pisces in Burlingame.

[maybebaby]

Hi, SF ladies,
I've got a question for you. Has anyone who lives in San Francisco had a good experience with Kaiser San Francisco, particularly in having a good labor/delivery experience?

Thanks in advance. I switched jobs and have a new healthcare plan this year, am pregnant, and have had a couple of bad initial experiences with nurses at Kaiser. I am hoping that this was just bad luck, but on the other hand, my husband suggested I ask around. If necessary, I could switch to a different HMO in May during the next open enrollment. Anyway, if by chnace, you do use Kaiser SF and are happy/unhappy with them, it would be nice to hear your experience.

You can private message me too, if you prefer.

Many thanks.

[jki]

maybebaby:
You might have better luck posting this question on Craigslist.

http://forums.craigslist.org/?SQ=kaiser&act=RSR&searchAID=1&forumID=39

[maybebaby]

Thanks. The Berkeley Parents Network also has some mixed opinions. If anyone has other thoughts or experiences, please post.

[CityGirl]

Maybebaby- I don't have any experience with pragnancy/delivery at Kaiser, but I was a member for about 5 years in SF. I never had any bad experiences, and generally liked the doctors I had there. Sorry this isn't much detail, but I just thought I'd offer a vote for "happy with their service".

[ejs]

maybebaby, I don't know anyone who has used them for Labor & Delivery, but I don't know anyone who has had a positive experience there.

An ex-bf of mine went to the ER there with horrific abdominal pain. They sent him home telling him it was gas. He went back three hours later, then sent him home telling him it was the flu. An ambulance took him back two hours later, the doctors did a scan and realized that his intestines had twisted and were about to burst. He had emergency surgery.

A family friend saw her doctor (and ER doctors) for unexplained pain in her abdomen. After ten months, she finally encountered a doctor who ran the appropriate tests and discovered she had a 17-pound cancerous tumor. Sadly, her cancer had spread. She died within three months.

My aunt, who was a nurse at Kaiser, had back surgery there. She woke up during her surgery and wasn't able to communicate that she was awake.

[CityGirl]

Oh my gosh ejs, those are horrible stories. I guess I will consider myself lucky.

On a side note, my mom went to several Kaiser doctors with a lump in her neck. Two or three told her it was a swollen lymph node due to cold/illness, and would go away on its own. The fourth doctor did a biopsy just to be safe and found it was cancer. At the time, that doctor didn't feel Kaiser had the knowledge to treat her specific kind of cancer. He sent her to Stanford for all her treatments, and it was still paid for by Kaiser. Go figure.

[irish74]

maybebaby - I'm not a Kaiser patient myself, and I've definitely heard horror stories, but I have a good friend who has had 3 babies at Kaiser SF and was completely happy with it. She in fact came over from Hayward as she doesn't trust the Kaiser Hayward.

[cc8]

This may be a biased opinion but as the daughter of 2 MDs, I've only heard negative things about Kaiser. Generally, PPOs are a lot more comprehensive and patient-friendly than HMOs. Within the HMO family, though, I've heard that other providers are better than Kaiser (ie Aetna).

On a semi-related note, my friend works for Kaiser in their FINANCE department and she constantly tells stories of how her job is basically to analyze costs and recommend ways that the hospital can (in her words) "cut corners" to save $. Another friend of mine is a doctor who recently interviewed for a job at Kaiser. My doctor friend tells me (do not know if this is true) that K's physician staff is very well compensated and that it's an industry 'secret' that K is able to funnel a lot of $ to MD salaries because they routinely order the very MINIMUM when it comes to health tests (esp for preventative care).

Disclaimer: I have no idea if this stuff is really true.

[alisong]

I'm a happy Kaiser member, and delivered my baby at Kaiser Walnut Creek early this year. While it was crowded, the care I received was great, the rooms spacious, and I can't think of a single corner that was cut. I think the key to being a happy Kaiser member is being really proactive about your care. My doctor says she loves being a Kaiser physician because she can order whatever tests she wants and doesn't have to worry about whether they'll be approved, so she can practice medicine rather than run a business. There are always horror stories, and with an organization with as many members as Kaiser, it can seem like an overwhelming number of disasters are associated.

I used to see an NP in San Francisco, and she was fantastic. I'll PM you her name if you'd like.

That said, if I lived in San Francisco, I'd definitely choose to deliver at UCSF. Could be that I'm biased (I work there).

[maybebaby]

I wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted about Kaiser SF. I really appreciate the responses.

I had one bad experience with a nurse practitioner there (who misdiagnosed something). My husband is in his last months of medical school so he caught the mistake and I saw a new Kaiser doc the next day who immediately ran the appropriate test and agreed with my husband, but the experience was upsetting. That said, I realize all hospitals/doctors/nurses can make mistakes and bad stuff can happen anywhere. Since then I've been able to find an ob/gyn I like at Kaiser SF so I am planning to stick with that...

If something else goes wrong, I think I could switch to Blue Cross/Blue Shield in May before I deliver, but it's late in the game to switch and I am hoping everything continues to be fine with Kaiser.

My only conclusion really from talking to folks and reading the reviews on this board and on Craigs List is that people's experiences have been mixed. Thanks again to everyone who posted. It is very much appreciated.

[jewamese]

Last year, my cousin was pregnant and a 4th year resident at Kaiser SF. She had the option to deliver at UCSF where her husband (an OB) works or at Kaiser SF and chose to deliver at Kaiser bc she has strong faith in her fellow doctors and thought the nurses to be great.

Just saying. :)

[tunibell]

That said, if I lived in San Francisco, I'd definitely choose to deliver at UCSF. Could be that I'm biased (I work there).

This made me smile, as UCSF is where I'll be delivering my first child :)

[SiValleySteph]

Must not be much going on in SF Bay Area... :)

We had dinner at Parcel 104 (http://www.parcel104.com/) in Santa Clara on Friday.

It was really good. We had the 6 course tasting and 1 wine pairing to share. It was really nice because it's not too crowded and we were able to make plans at the last minute and it's convienent to us. I think we'll go back. It was a bit weird because it's in walking distance of my office. I don't like to associate going out in the evening with work. :p

The 6 courses were:
butternut bisque in an espresso course (the amuse bouchant)
crab cake with lemon sauce
andouille sausage, roasted veggies... can't remember the exact description
steak with tempura veggies and miso broth (so good!)
cheese course - cheese, brioche, dried fruit, nuts (the cheese had a cinnamon rind and was delicious)
dessert - tapioca cream

Itwas really good and fun and I really enjoyed having the wine pairing. It was 1 sparkling, 1 white, 2 red, 1 port and 1 dessert wine.

Anyways, just wanted to throw out my recommendation!

[keska]

Yum. That sounds delicious. DH and I haven't been to Santa Clara yet. What is out there?

[chortles]

Ooh, if we're going to start restaurant recommendations in this thread, I'm totally down! (I'm also down for the count right now - exhausted and going to bed, but will be back to post more!)

But the main thing is- only 2 weeks left in www.sfdineabouttown.com ! :)

So far I've done it at Roy's, La Suite, and Bix (although we didn't eat off the DAT menu @ Bix). Good food in all locales, though!

[jewamese]

I'm going to Roy's for DAT this Saturday! I'm so excited. Haven't been out for a real dinner in a while (since baby--almost 2 years ago :p).

I love Bix! Haven't been there in a couple of years, but the food and the atmosphere is wonderful, IMO.

[chortles]

Ruh-roh, Jewamese - I think DAT is only Sunday through Thursday. Or, it is for most restaurants. I know Jonesey went to Bacar on a Saturday and was bummed it wasn't offered.

That being said, if DAT is offered, I thought it was =great= at Roy's. I've never eaten there before because it's super expensive for moderate food (IMNSHO) :D but this was great!

[lelee17]

A friend of mine just forwarded me this article.

For all you East Bayers...The Best Part: This H&M will have a Baby Department. :D

Fast-fashion forward
Cheap-chic H&M a success in S.F. -- East Bay is next (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/20/BUGLAGPT2S1.DTL)

[Kristibell]

Does anybody know any technical designers (designing office space) that are looking for work? My company, an office furniture dealership, is on the look out.

PM me if you'd like more info.

[jarocha]

Any Bay Area moms have a good referral for getting a 3D/4D ultrasound?

[justHB]

Ruh-roh, Jewamese - I think DAT is only Sunday through Thursday. Or, it is for most restaurants. I know Jonesey went to Bacar on a Saturday and was bummed it wasn't offered.

That being said, if DAT is offered, I thought it was =great= at Roy's. I've never eaten there before because it's super expensive for moderate food (IMNSHO) :D but this was great!A couple of years ago, we were able to do lunch at Postrio on a Saturday but they were not offering dinner on Saturday. I think the list of restaurants that participate on the weekend is somewhat small.

I didn't hit up DAT this year because I was sick and missed dinner with jonesey and chortles. Maybe next year.

We did, however, finally get to Chez Panisse this past Thursday night and in a word, it was extraordinary. I was so impressed, from beginning to end. The only question is, when can I do it again?

[justHB]

While I haven't used any of SF's medical facilities for having a baby, I've been to a couple of the ERs on various occasions and found UCSF to be the best in terms of my actual physical care and the way I was treated.

[justHB]

Thanks! We took the place. We're not so concerned with noise as the building's walls are solid concrete and the windows are double-paned. We used to live next to a freeway, so we're accustomed to traffic noise and are willing to live with it in order to have the advantages of being so close to DH's work.

I'm excited because it's a 3 level loft with a spiral staircase. I always wanted one of those, though I don't know how we're going to get our furniture up it. Thank goodness for movers. :pI'm late in saying this, but Congrats on the loft!

[chortles]

Ya, ditto on the congrats - there is a thread on 'open floor plans' - you should post photos! :)

[SunnyDaze]

Hey everyone, I moved out of the city a few years ago but will be spending next weekend there for a "girls night out" deal. Any suggestions for some fun bars with a laid back atmosphere? Nightlife in SF is constantly changing and since I don't live there anymore it's hard to keep up! Thanks in advance for your help!

[keska]

HB

Thanks! It's been nice. We really can't hear the traffic in our place and we're so close to everything. The loft has some weird quirks (like no closets) but it does have two huge decks, so I'm not complaining.

[cc8]

This might be a weird place to post this but here goes ....:p

I would like to get in touch folks who work in the pharmaceutical, medical device and/or biotech industry. I would like to informally talk to you
about your experiences, specifically transitioning into that industry.

I am currently in marketing for financial services.

Please PM me. I'd appreciate any insight!

Thanks!

[justHB]

Where'd you end up going for the girls night out, SunnyDaze? I'm awful about recommendations for places since it's been a couple of years now for myself. My favorite place for after work drinks was the Bubble Lounge near North Beach.

[Jenean]

Hi ladies! I'm an East Coast-er who will be coming to San Francisco for the first time ever in just under 2 weeks. I would love it if you could give me any recommendations for stuff to do and places to eat while we're there.

We know we want to spend at least a day in Napa, and take another day to do the Muir Woods and Sausalito. Other than that, we figure we'll just hang out in the city. We'll have 3 1/2 days together and then DH has to work the last 3 days of our trip, so I'll be on my own and will need stuff to keep me busy. We're staying downtown (?) at the Palace and then the Ritz (I love when DH's company pays for us to travel!).

TIA everyone!!! :)

[keska]

Well, there's lots of shopping downtown, which is what my MIL loves to do when she comes here. You can take the cable car down to Fisherman's Warf and wander around the shops there or take one of those Duck Tours, if you're the tour type of person. You could take a tour of Alcatraz. Or, the SFMoMA is downtown. I haven't been to either of those yet. If you get really bored, you could do a movie at the Metreon or ice skating or bowling at Yerba Buena Gardens (all downtown).

[keska]

Does anyone here in the Bay Area take any craft classes? Since I'm unemployed, I've signed up for a few things - sewing at the Stitch Lounge and soapmaking at the Nova Studio. I'm looking for some interesting ideas.

[ejs]

Does anyone here in the Bay Area take any craft classes? Since I'm unemployed, I've signed up for a few things - sewing at the Stitch Lounge and soapmaking at the Nova Studio. I'm looking for some interesting ideas.
I just completed a beginning knitting class at a place in San Jose.

[jewamese]

ejs--mind sharing the info on the knitting class?
TIA, Cindie

[ejs]

ejs--mind sharing the info on the knitting class?
TIA, Cindie
Sure, it was at a place in the Rose Garden area called Commuknity. www.commuknity.com I'd recommend taking the class from Sandie.

I know classes are also offered at Knitting Arts in Saratoga (www.goknit.com) and Uncommon Threads in Los Altos (www.uncommonthreadsyarn.com). A new yarn store has opened in Sunnyvale near Fremont High School, but I haven't been there.

[alisong]

keska - I've always thought it would be really fun to take a class at The Crucible (http://www.thecrucible.org/) in Oakland - they have glass, welding, ceramics, etc.

[keska]

Wow! That place has some interesting classes.

[Chicksinger]

Cindie Yarndogs (http://www.yarndogs.com/home.html) on Main Street in Los Gatos (by the high school) has a big schedule of classes. (It's also a darling yarn shop with a resident Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.)

[justHB]

keska - I've always thought it would be really fun to take a class at The Crucible (http://www.thecrucible.org/) in Oakland - they have glass, welding, ceramics, etc.They just did a "fire opera" not too long ago. We didn't go see it, but it sounded really interesting.

[bluhimmy]

ejs - Thanks for sharing info on the knitting class. I've been wanting to learn how to knit. I checked out Commuknity, and I think I'm going to sign-up for a session next month.

[maybebaby]

Paper Source has classes for making a variety of stationery items and photo albums. I always thought they sounded really cool but I've never taken one.

[slimer]

I'm helping to plan my friend's birthday and I was wondering if you have any suggestions of restaurants that have a good tasting menu, since she has never tried one before. Thanks for all your help!

[KarenInSF]

Hi Slimer -
I'm not sure I understand your question -- in what type of restaurant are you interested?

[slimer]

I am looking for a restaurant that has a tasting menu. Where you would pay a set price and it includes 5 courses, an appetizer, 3 entrees,and a dessert. I have only been to 1 restaurant before that had this, unfortunatly it was in Germany. So I was looking any recommendations in the Bay Area. I hope this clears it up.

[smiles33]

Hi Slimer! I love tasting menus, but the only ones I've had were for special events like our first wedding anniversary so we could justify spending $200 and up per person. Is that within your budget for your friend's birthday? If so, then the 9 course tasting menu at Masa was FANTASTIC (though the chef that was there when we had it, Ron Siegel, has left). I'm sure Michael Mina has a tasting menu, as would Fifth Floor and Gary Danko.

You might find a prix fixe menu (one appetizer, one entree, and dessert) for a more manageable price under $100, but it doesn't have the same variety.

Good luck!

ETA: I just found a review that says Masa's new chef has a smaller 4 course tasting menu for $79 (though this doesn't include wine so it likely would still be over $100/person).

[justHB]

There are a number of upscale SF restaurants that have prix fixe menus well under $100/person. To supplement that, you could also tell the waiter and/or sommelier that you'd like them to recommend a wine for each course to make it extra special. I had a friend do that for her anniversary and she said it was amazing.

[jki]

Slimer:
Fleur de Lys (http://www.fleurdelyssf.com/) is another restaurant that offers a tasting menu. The former chef of Masa's, Ron Siegel, is now at the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/san_francisco/dining/venues/dining_room/menu.html). They also offer a great tasting menu. I would also recommend The Fifth Floor. (http://fifthfloorrestaurant.com/ffmenus/dinner.pdf) The chef, Melissa Perello, used to be at Charles Nob Hill. I'd been to Charles Nob Hill for the tasting menu over 8 times and it was the best food ever.

HTH!

[irish74]

Keska - This is late but here are some places with craft classes:

Noe Knits on 24th St.
For Beadin' on Church Street
Randall Junior Museum in Corona Heights, ceramics, lapidary, etc.

[CityGirl]

Slimer - DH and I really enjoyed the tasting menu at Aqua. If you like seafood, this place is amazing. I think there was a 5 course and 7 course available.

[laura]

I think we're going to try to get to Gary Danko in the near future, but other than that, if you all had your choice of any restaurant in SF for "the best" meal, what restaurant would it be? (Also open to particular dishes at said restaurant.)

[Kristibell]

I'm starting a prelimiary search for daycare. Anyone in the Los Gatos/Campbell/West San Jose area have any reccomendations? Someone you use or know of that takes 3month olds?

[SiValleySteph]

I'm starting a prelimiary search for daycare. Anyone in the Los Gatos/Campbell/West San Jose area have any reccomendations? Someone you use or know of that takes 3month olds?

I'm exactly in the Campbell/West San Jose area. My son goes to a local daycare center here. I'll send you a PM.

[cc8]

Does anyone know what the *average going rates* are for:

-daycare centers
-nannies

I know there's probably a huge rate range within each of the 2 groups, but DH and I were just wondering. Generally speaking, is a daycare center or a nanny a more cost-effective solution?

DD is in an excellent daycare center on the Peninsula (The Whistle Stop), which runs $1738 per month. Yes - PER MONTH.

We are interested in more cost-effective solutions. On that note, anyone have any good nanny recs?

[SiValleySteph]

cc8, That's on the high end for daycare IME. I really like my son's daycare and it is about $1200 per month.

For my friend's with nannies, they both go under the table. One pays her nanny about $1500/mo, but they have had this nanny for 5 years. Another hired her nanny more recently and she paid $10/hour. It's hard to have a nanny for only 40 hours/week because of commuting, so this is $1600 & up. I have heard it's possible to hire a nanny for less who speaks no English and is, of course, under the table. I think the co-workers referring to this were talking of Chinese speaking nannies. My first friend hired her houskeeper to be her nanny and the second found hers on Craigslist. Approx $10/hour seems to be the going rate. Of course, this is under the table so no childcare tax credit or dependent care savings accounts.

On the other hand, I have a friend who is a nanny who is college educated, native English speaker and she is paid at least $15/hour and has all the proper taxes, etc. paid, and gets overtime if she works more than 8 hours in a day. This would be much more than even an expensive daycare.

[keska]

One option is to search for another family that would like to split the cost of nanny services with you. I know some families that do this. The nanny watches both children and the families split the cost. I think they alternate homes every week, although it may just be out of the nannies home.

[cc8]

SiValley What daycare does your son go to? Unfortunately, the area I live in is very expensive. The daycare rates at DD's current location is in line with what the other centers charge around here....some were even more $$.

I've done research regarding getting a nanny - rates range from $12-20; even at the $12 low end (and my understanding is it's rare to find a good, quality nanny at this rate!), my current daycare situation would still be more cost-effective.

[beachlvr]

Daycare is more expensive for infants and toddlers than for preschool age, too.

I paid $250 for an infant and $190 for my preschool aged child. That was per week with care from 6:30 am to 6 pm, breakfast, lunch and snacks included.

This was 3 years ago, so I imagine the fees are close to $300 for an infant now. There's a reason I'm a SAHM...even with Bay Area salaries I was paying most of my salary to the daycare.

[SiValleySteph]

SiValley What daycare does your son go to? Unfortunately, the area I live in is very expensive. The daycare rates at DD's current location is in line with what the other centers charge around here....some were even more $$.


I'll PM you the name. I looked it up - it's really $1300/month, but we get a 10% discount by paying for the entire year up front. I know the pennisula is more expensive, though.

I think that in-home daycares are usually less expensive. We did not really look into that, so I'm not totally sure.

[QT Pie]

Can anyone recommend a pediatrician in San Francisco? I prefer a woman, but a man would be fine too. Thanks!

[curlywig]

QT: If you can get in, I'd recommend Dr. Lisa Dana (with the office of Patton, Icardi, Ernster, etc.). Not sure if they are accepting new patients right now or not, but we love her!

[QT Pie]

Thanks Curlywig! Do you her phone number and address?

[knzbound]

QT--We go to Dr. Carolyn Wright of Town & Country Pediatrics, 3838 California St., 666-1860. There are several doctors in the practice, but I'm not sure if they are accepting new patients now.

[jki]

QT - We go to Gianna Frazee, she's in the same practice as Carolyn Wright.

[KarenInSF]

I've heard good things about Dr. Gonda (we were unable to get in, as he wasn't accepting new patients 6 months ago.) My daughter's pediatrician is Alan Johnson of Spruce St. Pediatrics.

You might want to pick up / borrow a copy of the Baby Area Lila Guide- they have some other recommendations in there, as well. Good Luck!

[justHB]

FYI - Madonna will be in concert at the San Jose Pavillion on May 30. Tickets go on sale this Monday at 10am via TicketMaster.com.

[Rosebud]

Question for you Bay Area ladies...

DH and I are thinking about moving to the area. The company he would (potentially) work for is in the Presidio. I'd prefer to live outside the city, somewhere that is convenient to the city by public transportation, but probably no more than a 30-40 minute commute via train/bus/ferry. The closer the better, since DH's hours are long.

We'd like to live someplace that combines the family environment & good public schools of a suburb with the shops/restaurants/activities of a more urban environment. Close to water is a plus for me, although not a necessity. We'd love to own a single family home, but I'm pretty sure we'd be looking for a condo with prices the way they are.

Any ideas? All advice is very welcome. :)

[alisong]

You want Alameda. ;) (Okay, I'm a little biased.)

It's a really cute town (actually an island) just across the bridge from Oakland. Great schools, leafy, gorgeous houses, nice downtown (not too many chain stores), and it's right on the water. Without traffic, it takes about 20 minutes to get to SF, by bus during rush hour it's about 45 minutes. The downside is that it's expensive, but probably no more so that any other place with the attributes you want.

Actually, with your DH working in the Presidio, it might make more sense for you to live somewhere in Marin county, as it's closer to that end of the city. How about San Rafael?

[justHB]

Based on the criteria you list above, I think Sausalito would be an excellent option for you. I believe there are a couple of people on CC who live there and would be able to provide good feedback. The other alternative is to live in the Outer Richmond area, out near Seacliff, but not quite in with the multimillion dollar mansions. I have a friend who used to live out there and loved the neighborhood feel. She was about 6 blocks from the museum out there.

[curlywig]

Sorry for the delay QT: She's at 415-668-0888. Dr. Gonda is in the same practice (and I really liked him too).

[jki]

Rosebud:
Marin County would definitely be an ideal place for you.... I believe the public schools in Sausalito are terrible, same goes for San Rafael. IMO, you would want to live in Mill Valley, Tiburon, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Ross, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Belvedere or San Anselmo.

If you have any questions, please ask!

[curlywig]

Rosebud: Ditto what jki said. While the East Bay can be great (we're thinking of moving there before long), if your husband is working in the Presidio, it's not a fast or easy commute. I don't know of any public transportation that goes into the Presidio from the east bay.

As for SF, few areas have the neighborhoods you describe. For the most part, all the areas close to the Presidio are either crazy $$ or void of "neighborhood" (case in point, we don't live far from the Presidio, but the blocks are really just a grid pattern, few trees, no cutesy places to go, etc.)

For all those reasons, it sounds like Marin is the way to go for you. Of course, if you plan to rent at all, you could take your time in getting to know areas, etc.

HTH!

[Bloomwood]

ditto what jkl said! You also get better weather in Mill Valley than you do in Sausalito where the fog can still get you in the summer. Also, agree with pp that East Bay (alameda, etc.) is too far of a commute for DH. The Bay Bridge is highly unreliable compared to the GG Bridge due to higher traffic on it.

If you guys decide to make the move, you'll love it!

[Rosebud]

Thank you all so much for your comments!! I really appreciate it. I'm looking at websites and real estate for some of the Marin County cities you mentioned and they seem really nice!

We still haven't decided if we're moving up there and what the time frame would be, but now I feel like I have a better idea of which cities we should look at when we go visit. I think we're going to go up next month and take a look around and make some decisions. Thank you!! :)

[KitKat]

I would look into where in the Presidio the office is, it would make a difference. It could easily add another 2-15 minutes to your commute once you are actually at one of the various entrances, depending on where you are going, maybe more if you are trying public transportation. It is getting even more busy & crowded with the Lucas Arts transition & the countless buildings filling vacancies. That would limit your search to comply with your parameters. Public transportation is not as readily available to/in the Presidio either. If your husband will be working long hours, it will make your public transportation requirement even less feasible. I would contact a RE agent to assist in your search if you’re serious about buying. Honestly, your parameters (while they are very nice:)) are going to be quite tough to meet!

[karen]

Hi! I just found this group on CC. So glad I did because I need a recommendation.

Can anyone recommend a place in the South Bay for hair straigthening?

TIA!

[chortles]

Originally posted by rosebud
We'd like to live someplace that combines the family environment & good public schools of a suburb with the shops/restaurants/activities of a more urban environment. Close to water is a plus for me,
Uffda - that is a tall order. Alameda would be great, but a tough commute. And the school systems don't start getting good until you're pretty far away from the water in Marin County. The towns that jki listed are wonderful towns, but have an average home price of about a million dollars (that's a guess for an SFR).

I'm sure you can find a wonderful place - it just takes a bit of searching :)

[cc8]

Can anyone recommend a few good preschools on the peninsula? Thanks.

[smiles33]

cc8: I'm going to add my DD on the waiting list at Bing Nursery School at Stanford once she's born. I hear it's a 2 year waiting list, so not sure what your timeline is, but it's reputed to be one of the best in the nation (but not really verified, though my friend's mom who is a preschool teacher elsewhere highly recommends it).

[cc8]

Thanks smiles. DD is currently at The Whistle Stop (Palo Alto VA). We like the program there (which goes up to 2 years of age) so looks like we may keep her there for now :)

[bluhimmy]

Anyone know of any local nonprofit organizations that will accept furniture for donation?

[Chicksinger]

preschool The Bing school does have an amazing reputation, but they always try to keep a cross-section of children of races and different economic status (since it is an observed setting for ongoing ECU research projects), so that is also a factor to getting in. They are a much-admired developmental school, rather than a competitive academic school.

[smiles33]

Thanks, Chicksinger. DH and I (both from families that emphasized academics and both graduates from OVERLY competitive schools) are most focused on our future DC's development, not competitive academic prep, so it's reassuring to hear that Bing is NOT one of those prep schools that sets a child "on the right track" for the Ivy League..

[cc8]

blu, not sure if I am understanding what you mean by "local np" but we usually donate our furniture and other items to Goodwill or Salvation Army. I know for a fact that SA accepts furniture, but I am not sure about Goodwill.

[bluhimmy]

blu, not sure if I am understanding what you mean by "local np" but we usually donate our furniture and other items to Goodwill or Salvation Army. I know for a fact that SA accepts furniture, but I am not sure about Goodwill.

Really? Weird. We tried donating furniture and neither Goodwill or Salvation Army would take them. :confused:

[keska]

I haven't tried donating furniture out here. I usually get rid of it by offering it for free or selling it for cheap on craiglist.

[KitKat]

Anyone know of any local nonprofit organizations that will accept furniture for donation?


Try St. ANthony, St. Vincent De Paul, Hospice by the Bay or Uhuru. Even CPMC has a furniture donation program but I am not sure if they are NP, if that is what is important to you. (Actually Uhuru may not be NP either, I don't know for sure.)

[KitKat]

Sorry, I am assuming you are in the city of SF. It may depend on where you are at.

[chortles]

Ok - I'm bored, so.... anyone been to any good restaurants lately? I need to buff up my repertoire.

[smiles33]

Where are you looking what is your budget, and what kind of food, Chortles? DH and I went on a binge of restaurant hopping before DD showed up last week and hit a wide variety of places.

We went to Eccolo in Berkeley, Gary Danko in SF, St. Mike's Alley in Palo Alto, Eastern Peking House in Fremont (my favorite Chinese restaurant featuring Northern Chinese Muslim cuisine), and had intended to drop by a few others before exhaustion got to me.

I still want to go to Cafe Rouge in Berkeley, Swan Oyster Depot in SF, and a slew of other places colleagues and friends recommended (but I can't find that list!). I also skim through chowhound to find new recs, too.

Hope you have fun adventuring!

[ejs]

Smiles, how was St Mike's Alley? And how are you able to "skim through" Chowhound? :-) That site is so not user-friendly? I can't wait until the new changes happen there!

[chortles]

I love chowhound, but just don't have the patience to try and read it. It drives me batshit crazy. I've tried Yelp, but it can be a while before you find a winner.

I'm in SF proper, so staying in town is my wading pool for now. As for type of food, I'm completely adventurous. Not interested in a steak house, per se, but other than that I'm easy-peasy :) I've got reservations at Ame in a few weeks, and am looking forward to a return to Chez Spencer in the near future, but other than that - I'd like to try some new places. I'm intrigued by Nihon, but DH hates sushi, so I think that will probably be a girl's night. I've been meaning to try Masa's since they got a new chef, and same with Dining Room at the Ritz. I also haven't been to Campton Place since Daniel Humm left, and would also like to try Coi, since I luuuurved Elisabeth Daniel.

Thought Frisson was totally overrated (although I have a bias against any place that has $16 cocktails), Scott Howard was kind of meh (although not bad, the service was slo-o-o-w, but we also went the week it opened so I'm willing to give it a bye).

[ejs]

Has anyone been to Espetus Churrascaria in SF?

[chortles]

Nope. It looks fairly meat-heavy, and I'm a pescatarian :)

[pocket]

Got this today from a good frined who is a jewelry designer.

Hi everyone. Sorry for the generic email solicitation, but a good friend of mine is closing her bridal salon in the City, and she's selling all of her inventory (and store fixtures) at amazingly low prices. At our age, just about everyone knows someone who is getting married, right? So please forward the link below to anyone you know who is in the bridal market. The store is closing the first weekend in June; days/hours are listed on their website.

http://www.just-engaged.com/contactclosing.htm

[justHB]

Got this today from a good frined who is a jewelry designer.Where was this dress when I was getting married 4+ years ago?

http://www.just-engaged.com/Gowns/eden1136_lg.jpg

So many pretty informal dresses these days, it almost makes you want to run off and do it all over again.

:p

[chortles]

So I thought I'd toss a restaurant review out there...

To set context, I've been wanting to go to Woodward's garden for over 5 years, and somehow we never made it there. I acknowledged some of the mixed feedback on sfgate and yelp, but still figured it would be fun to go. We went there for a special occasion - DH's birthday. We came in, and had a nice seat in the back room. We'd been warned (based on yelp reviews) that the service could be slow, so we didn't have huge expectations for speed. We placed our order and the wait began........ after a while they brought us our wine, which was a splurgy purchase given the occasion. It was warm. Quite warm. It was clear they'd kept it in their kitchen, right next to the heat. Suggestion - order white or bring in your own $15 corkage.

the first course was delicious. I had the shrimp - it was a delicious grilled shrimp (3) and a blended fava bean and herb mixture (like a thick hummus) on top of greens. Fabulous.

DH's salad was not what he ordered. He ate a few bites, then looked up confused - iis this what I ordered? I said "no", and we asked the waitress. she questioned us about it and suggested that we were ignorant for not knowing the salad we ordered (!!!!!). I may not be a MENSA member, but I do know the difference between asparagus and green beans. Bonk.

Dinner was good, although my order had clearly been plated for a while. Everything was cold, except for the salmon on top. Disappointing, because the taste wasn't bad, but the fact that the temperature was so different was offputting.

we ended up bailing on dessert, we were so tired and with the warm wine and the wierd food it was more then enough for us.

I'm really bummed - I wanted to be able to give this place a fabulous "out of the way" review, but for $22+/entree, I can't justify the price.

[CityGirl]

Can anyone suggest a good place to host a baby shower for a friend in the city?

I'd like it to be a lunch/tea so a restuarant or cafe is probably best. It can either be a private room or just enough space to accomidate a group of 25 or so in the main dining area. The perfect place would be Lovejoy's Tearoom (http://www.lovejoystearoom.com/) but someone is hosting a shower for me there a few weeks earlier, and we pretty much have the same guest list.

Thanks ladies!

[maybebaby]

I saw a Sunday brunch baby shower at Luna Park in the Mission the other weekend...it looked very nice and laidback. Not as cutesy as Lovejoy's for a tea, but it might work.

[Jill1228]

subscribing because DH and I are peeping out the area! :D

[Jill1228]

Bumping because it is now official...we are heading to the Livermore area! :D

[ejs]

Bumping because it is now official...we are heading to the Livermore area! :D
Congratulations! The Livermore area is growing rapidly.

[Jill1228]

I have never been there...only to Alameda

So any info about Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin would be wonderful.

Tracy has some nice houses but I heard traffic would be hell driving from Livermore to Tracy


Any input would be great!
Congratulations! The Livermore area is growing rapidly.

[ejs]

I have never been there...only to Alameda

So any info about Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin would be wonderful.

Tracy has some nice houses but I heard traffic would be hell driving from Livermore to Tracy


Any input would be great!

Well, I live on the other side of the bay from Livermore. But an ex's family lives there, so I used to spend a lot of time there.

Livermore is the most eastern town before you get to the Altamont Pass (Tracy is on the other side of the pass). 580, the road that goes from Tracy through Livermore over to Oakland, can be awful during commute time.

Livermore and Pleasanton have cute downtowns; I'm not that familiar with Dublin. That side of the bay is definitely warmer than the Peninsula. Livermore has a lot of new construction, moving east of the city.

Are you moving to Livermore for a job?

[Jill1228]

I'm not but DH is! :D His company has a huge contract that will be done out of LLNL



Are you moving to Livermore for a job?

[curlywig]

If you're living in Livermore and working in Tracy, I'd think the commute shouldn't be bad b/c it's a "reverse commute". If you're living in Tracy and working in Livermore, I think it could be a little rough...

[Jill1228]

He knows a couple of guys on the project and they said living in Tracy and commuting to Livermore would be ruff!

If you're living in Livermore and working in Tracy, I'd think the commute shouldn't be bad b/c it's a "reverse commute". If you're living in Tracy and working in Livermore, I think it could be a little rough...

[ejs]

He knows a couple of guys on the project and they said living in Tracy and commuting to Livermore would be ruff!

That would be the "with traffic" direction. 580E is especially horrid on Friday nights because many people use it to get out of the Bay Area for the weekend. So it goes without saying that 580W is awful on Sundays with everyone coming back.

You can also live in an area west of LLNL because then your DH will be going in the reverse commute direction.

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit system) does stop in Pleasanton. I wouldn't be surprised if LLNL has a shuttle from the BART station to the lab.

I'm not sure when you're coming to check everything out, but be warned that we are having a heat wave these days!

[sandt8704]

I live in San Ramon, which is about 10 miles west of Livermore. My DH works in Livermore, and it takes him about 15 minutes to get to work (about 20 to get home). Dublin and Pleasanton would both be great choices, although I like Pleasanton a *bit* more.

[cubbear]

Hello All -

I'm in the San Jose area and hubby and i will be starting our remodeling project. We are still in the early phases of calling contractors and seeing what will be a good price and quality. we're going to expand the home and make the attic a living space; almost like a loft area which we'll use as the family office. So if you've worked with some great contractors please share :)

[clammyinsf]

hi cubbear!

how exciting! we haven't used contractors extensively (although i'm hoping to find someone to tile our bathrooms eventually).

however, we did recently use an electrician we found on craigslist to have our dining room chandelier replaced. i really liked him... professional, easy to work w/ and reasonably priced:

PHONE (510) 573-0427
E-MAIL AlleyElectric@comcast.net
License # 873468

good luck!

[cubbear]

hi clammyinsf :p thanks for the rec as we need to redo all electricity. i'll definitely keep in mind :)

[pocket]

Any suggestions?

My SIL is getting married in August and we are looking for a salon in Berkeley open on a Sunday where we could all go to get hair and nails done. Don't say Festoon - they don't do "occaision hairdos: :rolleyes:

I had someone come to my hotel, so I am no use at all!

[ejs]

Any suggestions?

My SIL is getting married in August and we are looking for a salon in Berkeley open on a Sunday where we could all go to get hair and nails done. Don't say Festoon - they don't do "occaision hairdos: :rolleyes:

I had someone come to my hotel, so I am no use at all!
I don't have any recommendations for you, but have you tried posting in the SF Area Craigslist wedding forum?

[pocket]

I don't have any recommendations for you, but have you tried posting in the SF Area Craigslist wedding forum?

Great idea!

[clammyinsf]

hello all!

just wondering if anyone had recommendations for a good restaurant in the santa cruz area that could accomodate a party of 20.

we're looking for ideas for places for brunch and dinner.

TIA!

[jki]

just wondering if anyone had recommendations for a good restaurant in the santa cruz area that could accomodate a party of 20.

I just attended a graduation dinner last month with about 20 in attendance at Cafe Cruz (http://www.cafecruz.com/) in Soquel. They have a great patio and the food is great. We were able to bring our own wine and own cake.

[pocket]

My friend Prudies got married at Michael's on Main in Soquel - search for her journal on WC or PM her.

[clammyinsf]

those both sound like great options :) i'm trying to help my best friend's boyfriend plan a surprise engagement party so these are very helpful.

thanks, ladies!

[justHB]

Any suggestions?

My SIL is getting married in August and we are looking for a salon in Berkeley open on a Sunday where we could all go to get hair and nails done. Don't say Festoon - they don't do "occaision hairdos: :rolleyes:

I had someone come to my hotel, so I am no use at all!My friend and her gals recently went to a place on College in the Elmwood district, a couple of doors down from Shen Hua. I'll see if I can get the name from her today.

[alisong]

How about Shadowbrook in Capitola? It's a gorgeous rambling house with amazing gardens beside a creek.

[bluhimmy]

How about Shadowbrook in Capitola? It's a gorgeous rambling house with amazing gardens beside a creek.

I was going to suggest Shadowbrook (http://www.shadowbrook-capitola.com/) as well. I went to a wedding there a few years ago and the food was pretty good.

[iheartjustin]

Hi all!

I'm new to the boards--was on WC and the local Nor Cal Knot boards during my wedding planning.

Thought I'd drop in and say hello :)

Also, re: Santa Cruz. Here are some recs.

-The Chaminade (where I got married)
-El Palomar/ Casa Escabor

Good luck.

[prudies]

My friend Prudies got married at Michael's on Main in Soquel - search for her journal on WC or PM her.

My ears must have been burning! For some reason, I decided to open this thread today (I live in DC now).

Michael's would be great. They have an outdoor deck in the back that they can have private functions at.

[jki]

Chaminade recently changed owners.... we stayed there for above mentioned graduation. I would *NOT* recommend their grill restaurant. It was terrible. Terrible service, the food was barely edible and the lunch bill was almost $70 for 2 adults and 2 kids (one who barely eats). The pizza was soggy, gummy, not fully cooked and obviously frozen. The hamburger was ordered medium but served well done, also clearly frozen. The crab melt had very little crab and what little there was, was also sadly frozen. I expect a bit more from a $20 sandwich. Our drink refills were brought after we had signed the bill and as we were standing up to leave. Our water glasses were never refilled. The outdoor table had bird poop that I had to clean off myself..... I could go on but I won't. Bottom line, it was just awful and while the outdoor patio had a lovely view, the food and service did not make up for it. :(

[clammyinsf]

great recs, ladies! unfortunately, shadowbrook is already booked for the date we needed :(

chaminade is the first choice for brunch. i'll have to let him know about el palomar.

thanks again!

[schmeevee]

hi everyone, haven't had time to read the thread to see where everyone's from, but i'll get to it!

i'm from the peninsula, originally from san jose (east syyyyyde!). DH is originally from Daly City.

i, too was on UW (aisa) and WC (vee - i think that was my username) and theknot (bibby10). LOL. whoah, lots of user names.

anyway, just wanted to drop in and say hello!

[Hawaii2SJ]

Hello :) I can't sleep and have been browsing ALL the different threads tonight. I like that there are some recommendations for places to eat around the bay. Looks like I'll be popping in here a lot as well. ;p

[Jill1228]

Hey Vee! We will be East Syyyyyde bound in a few weeks!


hi everyone, haven't had time to read the thread to see where everyone's from, but i'll get to it!

i'm from the peninsula, originally from san jose (east syyyyyde!). DH is originally from Daly City.

i, too was on UW (aisa) and WC (vee - i think that was my username) and theknot (bibby10). LOL. whoah, lots of user names.

anyway, just wanted to drop in and say hello!

[MtySheera]

Hello gals,

I need some help. Last Thursday my DH surprised me and took me to lunch in Carmel, dinner in Pacific Grove, and a night at the Old Monterey Inn, which was beautiful.

His birthday is in August, so I'd like to plan a night away for him. I'd like some place 1-3 hours away from San Jose, in either direction. I like Carmel/Monterey area, but would like somewhere different since he just did that for me. Any recommendations for hotels, resorts, or B&Bs? I guess there is one other criteria...he recently got a Shelby Cobra, convertible, so we will be taking that. He won't take it on any unpaved roads, so we'd have to stay at a place that didn't have gravel roads or anything like that.

Thanks for your help!!

[ejs]

Hello gals,

I need some help. Last Thursday my DH surprised me and took me to lunch in Carmel, dinner in Pacific Grove, and a night at the Old Monterey Inn, which was beautiful.

His birthday is in August, so I'd like to plan a night away for him. I'd like some place 1-3 hours away from San Jose, in either direction. I like Carmel/Monterey area, but would like somewhere different since he just did that for me. Any recommendations for hotels, resorts, or B&Bs? I guess there is one other criteria...he recently got a Shelby Cobra, convertible, so we will be taking that. He won't take it on any unpaved roads, so we'd have to stay at a place that didn't have gravel roads or anything like that.

Thanks for your help!!
How about Mendocino to the north or Cambria to the south?

[smiles33]

We had a nice stay at the Seal Cove Inn (a cute B&B) in Half Moon Bay, though it was grossly overpriced in 2004 so I don't know that I'd necessarily go with this place.

We did love our time in Calistoga at the Meadowlark Inn (though this B&B is run by a wonderful gay European couple and is clothing-optional in the pool area, so you might run into naked people--we went in the winter!).

I actually wrote reviews of both places on epinions.com.

http://www.epinions.com/content_130768146052 (for Seal Cove Inn)
http://www.epinions.com/content_130368441988 (Meadowlark Inn)

Good luck!

[justHB]

The Chronicle has a new baby blog that is actually quite good and informative. All Bay Area moms should definitely check it out - http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/parenting/index.

[smiles33]

OK, ladies, DD and I are burning up here at home w/o AC so DH and I have decided to bite the bullet and get it installed. At our last house, we had a Sears subcontractor do it, but I figure we might save money cutting out the middle man. Any references for good installers or tips on finding them? I already went to the Trane website and made an appt with a Trane dealer who has their special "high customer service" seal of approval. But I don't know anyone in the area to get personal referrals since we just moved to Union City last year and none of our neighbors have A/C (I don't know how they can sleep with just ceiling fans!).

TIA!

[keska]

I can't help you on contractors but I sympathize. My loft is broiling on hot days like this. I can't the upstairs to cool off enough to sleep comfortably.

[bluhimmy]

smiles33 - I totally feel for you. :( When I was preggo with DS and found out I was having an August baby, the first thing I told DH was to get A/C before the summer months hit. I'm in Fremont, and we got a few quotes, including Sears. In the end, we got a Trane and went through San Jose Air Conditioning (http://www.sanjoseairconditioning.net/home/). Good luck. :)

[smiles33]

Thanks, Blu! I'll call tomorrow. :) I'm so hot now after DD's 11:30 feeding I can't sleep and just came on-line to kill some time before her next feeding....

[keska]

bluhimmy I just interviewed at a job in Fremont on Tuesday. If I took it, I'd be commuting over the Bay Bridge and down 880. I found there was basically very light traffic until about 10 miles north of Fremont (Mowry Ave Exit). Those last 10 miles took me about 30 minutes. Do you know if that's fairly common morning rush hour traffic around there?

[smiles33]

Keska--I did the southern part of that morning commute for 2 years (south 880 from Mowry down to Milpitas) and it was probably 3-4 times worse than it is now as that was back in the height of the dot com boom.

Still, it's pretty bad because there is a bottleneck right at Warren/Mission due to construction of the overpass to 680. Which exit would your workplace be? If it's to the west of the freeway, you're pretty much stuck as there isn't much in the way of local options from Mowry south (Cherry Blvd. ends at Auto Mall), but if you're to the east, you might try exiting early and taking local streets down. For example, if the company is on the east side of the Mission Blvd. exit, I might exit early and go south on Warm Springs Blvd. Depending on how early you leave 880, you'd take either the Fremont Blvd exit (3 exits past Mowry) or the Auto Mall exit (2 exist past Mowry) to get to Warm Springs.

Good luck w/the job prospect!

[clammyinsf]

hi keska,

i do the reverse commute (fremont to SF) and i take BART every day. would this be an option for you? my commute is 45 min each way but it's a nap in the morning and reading time on the way home for me :) i can't deal w/ crossing bridges every day, so it works out ok.

[SiValleySteph]

keska, I was going to mention BART, too. I BARTed from Union City to Berkeley for a year and it was a nice 45min relaxing trip for me.

[bluhimmy]

keska - Ditto what pp said. Unfortunately, 880 is always bad now. There's construction going on forever on that freeway. It has the worse traffic. Sometimes I'll take 680 in order to avoid 880; not sure if that would work for you.

[Scooter]

Keska, I commute down 880, too. It doesn't usually slow down that much at Mowry. Occasionally it's really bad & it's backed up all the way to Decoto (the Dumbarton Bridge exit)--those are the days you call your work right then & say you'll be late. ;) Most of the time, it's backed up to around Auto Mall Pkwy. So if you're exiting before Auto Mall, it shouldn't be a problem most mornings.

[keska]

I looked into it and BART would be a great option for me and it's good to know it's only 45 minutes. I haven't actually had an opportunity to use it since moving here. I live off 1st St. in SoMa, so I'm about 4-5 blocks from the Montgomery Street Station and the law firm I interviewed at is about 1.5 blocks from the Fremont Station. Still, there are days I'd need to drive because I'd sometimes have to go with clients for hearings in Oakland or court in San Francisco and then into work. I'm only a block from the entrance to the Bay Bridge, so the drive would be across the bridge and down 880 South to the Mowry Ave Exit. The firm is actually on Mowry. I just wondered if that was typical traffic.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I want this job so much that even a long commute wouldn't discourage me, though Bridge traffic is something I'll usually avoid at all costs.

[melissafromnc]

keska Keep in mind that this is summer traffic season so it's actually lighter now than it will be once school is back in session and people aren't vactioning. It will be a lot heavier. The part around Warren and the construction will get worse, as will congestion in a few other places, like both bridges.

I live in Oakland and am now commuting to Sunnyvale. Luckily the company I'm working for now is running a shuttle that leaves from a couple of blocks away from where I live. I do have to drive 2 days a week but it helps tremdously to have those other 3 days be stress-free. I'd been commuting into the city and thought this new direction would be mostly reverse commute.

[HeatherFL]

Hi everyone,

I tried on the Travel Board, but was hoping you ladies could help me out too. I've been to San Francisco several times but usually eat in the hotel restaurants (Ritz, Palace, Mandarin Oriental, etc.) or whatever is a close walk. I'll be there beginning of September and want a GREAT restaurant recommendation. I've heard Restaurant Gary Danko is awesome but I've already contacted them and they're all booked up. Anyone?

Thanks in advance!

~H.

ETA: edited because I just read on the other boards NOT to refer to San Francisco as "San Fran". Sorry about that! :o

[justHB]

Michael Mina (http://www.michaelmina.net/michaelmina/index.html)
Aqua (http://www.aqua-sf.com/)
Asia de Cuba (http://www.asiadecuba-restaurant.com/)
Fleur de Lys (http://www.fleurdelyssf.com/)
Jardiniere (http://www.jardiniere.com/)
Boulevard (http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com/)
Town Hall (http://www.townhallsf.com/)
La Folie (http://www.lafolie.com/)
Masa's (http://www.masasrestaurant.com/)

For something a bit upscale but not quite fancy, I recommend Fringale (http://www.fringalerestaurant.com/base_movie_content.html). I met up with a couple of CCers there back in the fall and the food was great!

[curlywig]

I second the list above. Haven't tried Town Hall though.

I'd add Bacar....I love that place. Not quite in the same league as Fleur de Lys or Gary Danko, but superb none the less. Also, Michael Mina has received acclaim the past few years also (http://www.michaelmina.net/michaelmina/index.html).

[curlywig]

Also, just had to add for the locals, we went to Chez Spencer this week. Food was great, but the waiter was positively HORRIBLE. Gave attitude to DH when he inquired about some remote white mushroom from Washington, took forever on drinks and wine, and took about 30 minutes to return our credit cards after we'd paid the check (this was AFTER I had already requested from the hostess that he return them b/c we all had to leave).

I was mortified to realize that DH still paid a 20% tip. We had a chit chat in the car on the way home.

[prudies]

What kind of food are you looking for, Heather?

The Slanted Door might be fun, because it's very uniquely San Francisco.

I'll second the Boulevard recommendation as well.

For a quiet, out of the way, more local place, I love Firefly in the Noe Valley neighborhood. It was one of our favorite restaurants when we were living in SF. It's such a small restaurant; they can really perfect their dishes.

[smiles33]

HeatherFL I echo the other ladies' recs, but also wanted to give you a quick tip--if you go early enough, you can eat at the bar at Gary Danko and still get the entire menu. DH and I went during our "last hurrah" before DD was born and had a 4 hour meal sitting there (and at 37 weeks pregnant, I was still comfortable enough!). Yes, it gets a bit crowded at the bar (you don't have that much elbow room), but we had SO much fun chatting w/the fun couple next to us (an older couple who kept telling us we have to still live it up after DD gets here). We ordered the tasting menu and had a leisurely dinner and the service was impeccable (the bartender kept giving them samples of different wines--I couldn't drink, obviously). I think we showed up around 5:30? Have a great time in the city!

[chortles]

I agree with most of the recs - I personally thought Asia de Cuba was appalling (sorry B :D ) overpriced, and trying way to hard. I also thought Town Hall was "meh", but it was fairly recently after they opened.

Loved Michael Mina, and I just went to Coi the other night and thought it was delicious! Other interesting / good places are Hawthorne Lane and I rather like Farallon as well.

[prudies]

I'm also not an Asia de Cuba fan, but I think the crazy atmosphere is kind of fun.

And I agree with the rec for Hawthorne Lane!

[HeatherFL]

Thank you all so much! We really are looking for fine dining (all kinds of food), but the restaurant doesn't have to be some Victorian Clad decorated place. We like different and unique!

Thank you all again!

~H.

[justHB]

I should say that I've never been to Asia de Cuba but so many people I used to work with repeatedly told me I was missing out.

Oh, and I forgot all about Slanted Door. I love that place!!

I should also say that when I went to Town Hall, it was for lunch and the meal, wine, and service were GREAT! I've heard mixed reviews about the service at dinner.

Also, Heather, if you can make it to Berkeley while you're here, I would wholeheartedly recommend Chez Panisse. We went there for our 10 year dativersary and it was HEAVENLY. It's one of the three best meals I've ever had in my whole life. I would say to eat in the restaurant and not the cafe though.

[keska]

After Gary Danko, DH recommends Le Colonial. He's the foodie in our family.

[melissafromnc]

I HIGHLY recommend Slanted Door. It is really, really good and gets lots of national press. It's also lives up to the hype.

I also love Town Hall. I went there recently and it blew me away. I was there for an early dinner.

If you're looking for a true foodie Bay Area experience you should consider crossing the bay to Chez Panisse in Berkeley. It's Alice Water's restaurant and she's been a tremendous influence on food all over the world.

Farallon has the best desserts in the city (I've only been there for a dessert tasting but the food is supposed to be great). I went with a group of pastry chefs and it's definitely our fave place.

Also. Zuni Cafe is amazing. Best chicken ever.

[keska]

Woo, small earthquake! I hate hearing my building creak. Gives me the heeby-jeebies.

[Surftraitor]

Woo, small earthquake
really? I didn't feel anything. I'm down in Pacifica.

[alisong]

I felt it!

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/STORE/X40187964/40187964_ciim.gif

(I'm such a dork - I love the "did you feel it?" map.)

[jki]

YUP! I felt it - but we're in Marin County... so pretty close to the epicenter.

[MauiWife]

a favorite restaurant of ours in san francisco is ponzu...check out the website at www.ponzurestaurant.com

hope you have a great visit!! :)

[justHB]

I didn't feel a thing and usually I feel even the smallest vibrations. I was in Alemeda at the time. DH felt it quite forcefully and he was down in Redwood City, much further from the epicenter.

[clammyinsf]

i was on bart at the time but didn't feel it... however, i got to sit around for an extra ten minutes until we got clearance from bart central. DH didn't feel it (in fremont) but he thinks he's just used to the trains that roll by shaking the house :p

[chortles]

We went to Julius' Castle (http://www.juliuscastle.com) tonight and thought it was fairly miserable. VERY expensive (think entrees in the $30's) and the interior was very tired. Granted, there were some pretty views, but for that kind of money, I expect a gorgeous interior, lovely crystal, and nice place settings. It had none of the above.

We asked for a sommelier to give us advice on wine pairing with or meal, and they informed us that they had no sommelier for their 50 page wine list (?). I mean, seriously. You want people to pay $36 for a steak, but you won't tell them what wine to pair with that and scallops?

The cooking was mediocre. At least the hot plates were hot, etc. but in general I thought it was fairly bland and nowhere near the price tag.

[irish74]

I was at home and felt the quake, DH was still trying to get home (MUNI:rolleyes: ) and didn't feel it.

[Chicksinger]

MauiWife I love Ponzu, too! I've loved everything I've ever ordered there.

[jewamese]

hi, i'm looking for a referral to a good lactation consultant. anyone know of any?
TIA!

[ejs]

hi, i'm looking for a referral to a good lactation consultant. anyone know of any?
TIA!
Try calling the Maternal Connections office at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View.

[prudies]

Yes! Sarah Duskin at Day One in SF. They have an office in Palo Alto too.

http://www.dayonecenter.com/

[bluhimmy]

Try calling the Maternal Connections office at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View.

Ditto on the rec for Maternal Connections at El Camino Hospital.
http://www.elcaminohospital.org/body.cfm?id=163

[chi]

Can anyone recommend a good interior house painter in San Francisco for a small job?

[CityGirl]

Hey prudies (and any other city moms) - I know you don't live here any more, but I seem to recall that you were quite the mom about town when you lived in the city. I am looking for reccomendations for stuff to do after the baby comes. Moms groups, library reading time, whatever you can suggest to keep me sane. I'll be a SAHM for a while and want to try really hard to stay active and take advantage of all the fun things SF has to offer. I'm just not sure what those things are. If it helps, I'm in Noe Valley.

[prudies]

If you're in Noe Valley, you're practically in the center of it all! There's a group called Noe Strolls, and they have regular stroller walks and a great site with a list of tons of things to do. I think it's just noestrolls.com.

There is so much to do in SF, it's crazy. You can join Golden Gate Mother's Group, which is a good resource and they'll put you in a playgroup. Parenting groups at Day One are an amazing resource. They're a little pricy, but I learned so much. And it was a relief to be able to go somewhere and say, I am tired. Or what do I do about x? Baby yoga classes are also great when you have a newborn. There's one at the JCC, and at practically every yoga studio in SF.

As your kid gets older, there's Music Together. I wasn't a huge fan of the teacher, but Elliott loved the big drums. Swimming classes at the JCC - not all that fun for me, but some people love it.

What else? Parents Place was my favorite place in SF once Elliott started playing with toys and crawling and all that. They have drop in play for fairly cheap and I love love love Jeni Clancy, the teacher there. She's so sweet. And her music classes are a lot more fun than Music Together, even if the first part of the class is just free play.

Oh, and the Monday movie thing! What was that called...crap, it'll come to me. But it's every Monday at the movie theater downtown - the one that's like 4th and Mission. What is that place called? I'm forgetting everything! Anyway, it's free and it's all parents with young babies.

Let me know if you can't find all these links through google. I'm feeling lazy. :o

[CityGirl]

Bless you prudies. That is just the kind of info I am looking for. I've seen the Noe Strolls website, but the list is sooo intimidating. It's hard to know what is worth the time to investigate.

[irish74]

Not a mom, but the Noe Strolls ladies go past my house almost daily. It looks like a fun group of people. I think the library lapsit is now at the church on Sanchez, I think the cross street is Army, while the Noe Valley library gets redone. The bookmobile that parks by St. Phillip's also has lots of kids books and toys, it is there Monday and Wednesday mornings-early afternoon.

[Jill1228]

We drive down on Friday! Woo hoo!
DH starts work on Monday morning and on Sunday we look at houses, most of them are in Mountain House (right outside Tracy), Discovery Bay and Brentwood. We have 7 we are looking at

Wish us luck finding a house! :)

[keska]

Good luck! DH and are thinking of looking along the BART line in the East Bay, probably in Oakland. I just about had a melt down Friday when it took me 2 hours to get home to SF from work in Fremont. I just can't be spending that much time commuting given the number of hours I spend at work.

[justHB]

http://sfgate.com/templates/brands/chronicle/images/chronicle_logo.gif

TOP PLACES TO COOL YOUR TOES
Bay Area full of little-known swimming holes

http://sfgate.com/c/pictures/2006/08/10/ns_water10_2.jpg

The euphoria of plunging into the cool, clean water of a lagoon or lake on a hot day can provide an unmatched moment for a youngster on summer vacation.

Ain't too bad for a grown-up, either.

It beats the heck out of just about anything, including doing the same in a swimming pool. There is a sense of limitless freedom in a lagoon or a lake. Kids get transformed into salamanders, and adults get freedom from every possible care.

The five best swimming spots at parks in the Bay Area are all in the East Bay Regional Park District. But parks throughout much of the Bay Area make the list of the best of the rest:

1. Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton

http://sfgate.com/c/pictures/2006/08/10/ns_water10.jpg

A four-flume waterslide provides ecstatic moments at Shadow Cliffs. At some point, every youngster should get a chance to sail down the thing. Riders must be at least 42 inches tall. The waterslide is set apart in a special area, with a side fee, from a buoyed-off swimming area at Shadow Cliffs Lake. A bathhouse and a refreshment stand are available at the swimming beach. Even though this squarish-shaped lake isn't exactly the most beautiful place on the planet, the water is high quality, clear, warm and ideal for swimming. There also are picnic sites and a small marina with boat rentals and a launch ramp for small boats.

Cost/contacts: $6 per vehicle, $15 all day for waterslide (other rates available), (925) 829-6230; brochure at (510) 562-7275; www.ebparks.org.

2. Cull Canyon, Castro Valley foothills

A 1.5-acre swimming lagoon, complete with sandy beach and lifeguard, created by a secondary dam at Cull Canyon Reservoir, provides a fantastic destination for swimming and suntans. The big picture here is completed with adjacent changing rooms and snack bar. The swimming complex is the centerpiece of this regional park. Even though there is a small narrow lake that the park was originally built around, nobody pays much attention to it. It's all about the lagoon, and it's a hit.

Cost/contacts: $3.50 swim fee, (510) 537-2240, brochure at (510) 562-7275; www.ebparks.org.

3. Don Castro, Hayward hills

A great swimming lagoon with clear, warm blue water makes Don Castro a destination of choice for many. A large shallow area is roped off for children. Swim hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Picnic areas are also available. Changing rooms, sandy beach and large lawn area are available. The adjacent lake is closed to boating and swimming but provides shoreline fishing and walks.

Cost/contacts: $5 per vehicle on weekends and holidays, $3 swim fee, (510) 538-1148, brochure at (510) 562-7275, www.ebparks.org.

4. Lake Anza, Berkeley hills

Little Lake Anza, just 11 acres, is nestled in a pretty spot at Tilden Regional Park. The lake is set below a high wall, fronted by a sandy beach with good sun exposure and wooded parkland, so it is sheltered from wind. The lake is something of a landmark, yet still is a surprise to many newcomers to the Bay Area. The park features a carousel and steam train, so this is a great getaway for youngsters. Several good picnic sites are available near the lake.

Cost/contacts: $3.50 swim fee, (510) 843-2137, brochure at (510) 562-7275, www.ebparks.org.

5. Del Valle, Livermore foothills

The size of Del Valle Reservoir, with 16 miles of shoreline, makes the sensation of freedom when swimming here feel almost surreal. Water temperatures are ideal for swimming, warm on top, cool down by your feet, with changing pockets of cool and warm as you move about. Two shoreline areas are set up for swimming. The lake also has an excellent campground, and on the east side of the lake, a small marina with a variety of boat rentals.

Cost/contacts: $6 per vehicle, (925) 373-0332, brochure at (510) 562-7275, www.ebparks.org.

Others of note (north to south):

-- Bass Lake/Pelican Lake, Point Reyes National Seashore, (415) 464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore.

-- Hearts Desire Beach, Tomales Bay State Park, Olema, (415) 669-1140, www.parks.ca.gov.

-- Aquatic Park, San Francisco, (415) 561-4700; www.nps.gov/goga.

-- Keller Beach, Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline, Richmond, (510) 562-7275, www.ebparks.org.

-- Lake Temescal, Oakland hills, (510) 652-1155, ebparks.org.

-- Crown Beach, Alameda, (510) 521-7090, ebparks.org.

-- Quarry Lakes, Fremont, (510) 795-4883, ebparks.org.

[justHB]

Good luck! DH and are thinking of looking along the BART line in the East Bay, probably in Oakland. I just about had a melt down Friday when it took me 2 hours to get home to SF from work in Fremont. I just can't be spending that much time commuting given the number of hours I spend at work.I love living in Oakland! If you need any information, let me know. It was a big decision to move from SF to the East Bay but now that I'm here and we own a house, I couldn't be happier.

[keska]

Thanks! I'm having a hard time convincing DH to move out of SF but I cannot do that commute all the time. What areas do recommend looking in or ones to avoid? Today, we looked at two lofts at a place on 3rd and Oak St. They were OK but the view out the window looked down on a recycling yard and it seemed like the neighborhood got kind of sketchy around there. I was kind of hoping to find a place where most of the homes don't have bars on the windows. I mean, we live in SoMa now, so we we're used to a little sketchy but I'd rather have something with more of a community feel. I saw some cute cottages listed in Alameda but that looked too far away from BART.

This is tough. We're spoiled right now being so close to everything. It may be that we'll end up renting out there first to get a feel for it.

[justHB]

The loft we just sold was in the same neighborhood as the place you saw on 3rd and Oak. It's an okay neighborhood, much better than what we saw in SOMA. That said, there's a reason we moved. For one, the train noise there is unbearable. Secondly, a lot of people park there during the day and commute into the city from the Lake Merritt station, so there's NEVER street parking during the day. Also, they've built more units but they haven't added in permit parking (something they said they would to alleviate the congestion from non-residents parking there). There is a lot of construction going on currently, with much more planned. They guess the area will finally be "done" around 2009 or 2010. All the buildings are about 6 to 8 months behind schedule, so I'd say probably even 2011 at this rate.

Many of the areas that are within walking distance of a BART station are very expensive, although no more expensive than what you'd pay in the city for a nice place. Our new place is in the Temescal neighborhood. We are in between two BART stations and if we needed to use BART, I don't anticipate it would be a problem. I don't know about parking at them, but I haven't heard many people complain about it. Alameda is a cute little town and we looked there but every house we liked had something like a $30k report and we weren't willing to take on that big of a job for our first home. Little did we know when we bought this place there's about that much work needed that wasn't disclosed. =D

Let me know if you'd like anymore info.

[Jill1228]

We arrived in the Bay Area on Saturday and we were welcomed by a chain link fence on I-205...I was boxed in and had no choice but to run over the damn thing. There is a little front end damage to our car.



Another car mishap-I walked up to Safeway and picked up some stuff. Since the items were perishable I got a cab. The cab pulls up and just as I am about to get in, some dumb assed old lady rear ends the cab!

Is there a cloud over me or what?
We went house hunting yesterday and put in the app for a house. We just got a call that our app was picked to rent this gorgeous place:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/APHIJill/crib3.jpg

[Hawaii2SJ]

APhiJill OMG that sucks! Welcome to the bay area...the area of crappy drivers:p for real tho, its true. Nice place house! Those are the homes in Mountain House right?? Looks familiar since we're looking to buy in the East Bay. Beautiful homes, just a bit too far for us.

[keska]

That house is awesome, APhiJill. (sigh) I wish I could get my DH to agree to move farther away than walking distance from a BART station. He's so picky. I understand the convenience but I want to be able to afford a real house that bigger than 900 square feet. :)

[SiValleySteph]

keska, If you plan to take BART, really check out the situation before buying a place. Parking at the BART stations I have used is a nightmare! The two options I had was to get there by 7:30 or to wait for the carpool parking to open up at 10:00. There would be a line of cars at 9:45 waiting for the carpool parking to open up. The BART stations I used were the two El Cerrito ones and the Union City one, and this was back in 2000-2002, so things may be different. But it was crazy! Non-resident street parking (more than 4 hours) wasn't allowed around the BART stations so those spots were at a premium!

APhiJill, That house is gorgeous!

***

Housing Bubble? I was wonder what you local girls thought about this. I've been reading the housing bubble blogs and they are very convincing. I hear Sacramento has already tumbled quite a bit from last year. Do any of you think prices will drop? I'm thinking a 20% drop or so (which would only put us back at 2003 prices) may be probable.

[LRL]

SiValleySteph- Don't you wish you could predict the housing market? I try to stay away from those blogs- it makes me too nervous. We bought our place in 2003 and would hate to see the value go back down to what we bought at. In my area, prices haven't tumbled perse, but have stalled (yes, I suppose the precursor). Historically, the Bay Area proper functions much differently than outer areas of Northern California. There has always been a high demand here, and although I think that prices will drop a little eventually, I can't see the prices dropping more than about 10%. I guess I am optimistic though. ;)

Keska- Alameda is a little tough to commute from. Depending on what happens in the Posey tube in the morning, your commute can be delayed 30 min or more. Unfortunately, if you live on that side of the island there is only one way in/out.

[SiValleySteph]

LRL, We bought in early 2003 and I actually wouldn't mind a price drop back to when we bought. We'd like to make a lateral move at some point and right now the property taxes would kill us (especially since they're for the long term).
I know it's impossible to predict. Prices had been flat for at least a year when we bought, so the subsequent increase was a bit surprising.
I just did the calulation and our house went up almost 40% in 3 years. That is ridiculous. A 28% drop in price would put us back to where we started. I would like to think that that kind of drop wouldn't hurt most people, because the majority of homeowners bought before 2003, but then again people might have made cash-out refis. We didn't, so we should be fine even with a further price drop.

ETA - we never counted the equity gain as "real money" because we don't plan to move out of the area any time soon. Any move we make would be to another house in the area, so all those houses went up as well. All so confusing!

[LRL]

SiValleySteph- It looks like we are at the same point. We are planning to move soon, but the taxes are a major consideration for us. For us, the prices had been going up quickly, and we made a quick move to purchase. Now, of course, we regret not buying more house. :rolleyes: We've only had a 25% increase, with no refi's, etc. Luckily we are not "interest only" people, and have equity in our home were the prices to drop. I feel for the interest only people who bought at somewhat inflated prices.

I think of it this way, if the market continues to rise, then we will use the money to buy another overpriced home. If the market drops, then we will buy a home at a bargain price. I guess that's why it's dangerous to count equity money are "real money". :eek: Luckily we can (sort of) count on our home to ride the same market volatility-wise.

[SiValleySteph]

For us, the prices had been going up quickly, and we made a quick move to purchase. Now, of course, we regret not buying more house. :rolleyes:

This is totally us, too. :p We considered some things, but not others, and ended up buying a townhouse vs a SFH because it was bigger, new with upgrades, etc for $50k-$100k less. BUT now we are missing a yard and our own building. We want to do solar, but that is tough with a townhouse! Our place is comfortable and we can definitely stay here a long time, even forever, but we get pangs of wanting to move. Just a little closer to Los Gatos creek trail, just a small yard, etc.

Now since it looks like we might stick it out, I am confused as to whether or not we should refi. We have a 5/1 ARM at an amazingly low interest of 4.5%. It can't adjust for another 3 years and even then is capped at 9.5%, but if we're going to stay for the long term instead of moving in a couple years, maybe we should go to the 30 year fixed.

Sorry for the boring financial/house talk. I figure you Bay Area girls can relate! :)

[jewamese]

I love your house, Steph. :)
If it makes you feel better, we have a SFH & not much of a yard. It's hard to find newer homes w/ a good sized yard.

[SiValleySteph]

Thanks jewamese. :)

We really do like our house, we just get "grass is greener" syndrome. I'm just nervous that we'll be stuck if there's a big collapse in the housing market.

How are you BTW? Did you have your 2nd baby? :D

[keska]

Thanks everyone for the advice! It's very helpful to know this stuff. I think we'll be looking in Emeryville or Oakland within walking distance of a BART station or at least place near a shuttle (I hear there's a shuttle in Emeryville that goes the BART). We may just try renting over there first, though, to be sure we like it. While I'd love to buy, I'd rather wait one more year and be sure we like the area before we commit.

Who knows. I'm keeping my eyes open on the listings but I think DH is leaning toward renting and hoping I switch jobs into SF.

[SiValleySteph]

Anyone have a good mortgage broker in the South Bay?

PM me if you do! :D

[keska]

DH and I are going to look at 2 places this weekend, one is a loft in Emeryville. It's not within walking distance of BART but is only 1 block from the shuttle that goes to the BART station. It's very comfortably in our budget range but it's a little small - about the same size as every place we've been renting.

The other place is a bigger townhome close to the Fruitvale BART station. It's at the upper end of our budget but it has all the space we need and within walking distance to BART. The only thing is that I'm not sure that's a very good neighborhood.

I'm hoping we'll find a place DH will fall in love with enough that we'll end up buying, so keep your fingers crossed.

[justHB]

Housing Bubble? I was wonder what you local girls thought about this. I've been reading the housing bubble blogs and they are very convincing. I hear Sacramento has already tumbled quite a bit from last year. Do any of you think prices will drop? I'm thinking a 20% drop or so (which would only put us back at 2003 prices) may be probable.We paid over asking with multiple bids on our new house in Oakland. We bought in late June and moved in mid-July. Our loft sold for under asking, but we priced it over what we wanted to get so that we had room for negotiation. My recent experience is that the condo market is drying up, but the housing market is still hot. Not scorching hot like it was two and a half years ago, but still hot.

[justHB]

DH and I are going to look at 2 places this weekend, one is a loft in Emeryville. It's not within walking distance of BART but is only 1 block from the shuttle that goes to the BART station. It's very comfortably in our budget range but it's a little small - about the same size as every place we've been renting.

The other place is a bigger townhome close to the Fruitvale BART station. It's at the upper end of our budget but it has all the space we need and within walking distance to BART. The only thing is that I'm not sure that's a very good neighborhood.

I'm hoping we'll find a place DH will fall in love with enough that we'll end up buying, so keep your fingers crossed. My friend lives in Emeryville and uses the shuttle everyday to get to BART. Sh