Possible move to the East Bay area

[edneff]

Thanks guys. I'll be in the Bay Area next month and I'll check it out.

[apkp777]

I too have a job opportunity in the Bay Area. Anyone have an opinion on commuting fron the South Bay (San Jose, Gilroy, Hollister) vs East Bay (Livermore, Oakley, Fremont) to SFO? Also, would need a hangar. I am thinking about commuting with the plane to San Carlos? or just ramping at San Carlos?

[BobTurner]

Well, if you must commute to SFO during the morning (or home between 3:30 and 7 pm) then it's just not very good from the places you mentioned. Highway 101 up from Gilroy or Hollister is awful. From Livermore I-580 is a parking lot west bound in the morning until you get west of I-680. After that it's tolerable although the San Mateo bridge can back up. Of course, any accident and you add an hour.
Castro Valley, western Dublin and western Pleasanton get onto I580 west of 680 and are about a 45 minute commute. Better yet, they have BART stations. It takes a bit over an hour to get to SFO since the trains go thru downtown San Francisco but at least it's more relaxing than traffic. Castro Valley is 15 miles, Dublin and Pleasanton 7 miles, from KLVK (Livermore Muni).
Flying into San Carlos is possible, although I'm not sure of the best way to SFO from there. Also SQL gets the same coastal overcast as SFO, and I do not know what kind of delays to expect ifr into SQL.

[apkp777]

Thanks Bob, it's been nearly 20 years since I lived there and back then I lived in San Mateo/Foster City. Whats it like in Hayward these days? That would also be a good spot for the plane/home. Most likely I would be commuting at 2:30pm and 11pm or 10:30pm and 8am (yuck!) depending on what shift I would work. Still would have to cross the San Mateo Bridge. I like the Bart idea. I had already pulled up the route map.

Originally Posted by BobTurner

Well, if you must commute to SFO during the morning (or home between 3:30 and 7 pm) then it's just not very good from the places you mentioned. Highway 101 up from Gilroy or Hollister is awful. From Livermore I-580 is a parking lot west bound in the morning until you get west of I-680. After that it's tolerable although the San Mateo bridge can back up. Of course, any accident and you add an hour.
Castro Valley, western Dublin and western Pleasanton get onto I580 west of 680 and are about a 45 minute commute. Better yet, they have BART stations. It takes a bit over an hour to get to SFO since the trains go thru downtown San Francisco but at least it's more relaxing than traffic. Castro Valley is 15 miles, Dublin and Pleasanton 7 miles, from KLVK (Livermore Muni).
Flying into San Carlos is possible, although I'm not sure of the best way to SFO from there. Also SQL gets the same coastal overcast as SFO, and I do not know what kind of delays to expect ifr into SQL.

[BobTurner]

Although Hayward has a reputation as a poor city (and indeed there are sections of poor immigrant communities) imho it is improving. People are buying older homes and renovating them, etc. There are quite a few expensive homes in the Hayward hills. Off-hours commute to SFO from there is not bad at all, assuming you have inexpensive parking at sfo as an employee. Also, many areas of "Hayward" are outside the city limits and so are, like Castro Valley, unincorporated and get all government services from the county.
I do not know what the hangar situation is at Hayward airport.
Given the real estate sticker shock you face moving here, Hayward may be a good choice, if the airport/hangar situation works out.

[krwalsh]

SQL is a nice airport, but don't plan on a hangar for your plane any time soon. I've been on the hangar waiting list for about 6 years now. I've got 10 people in front of me now, so judging by previous years, that means I have another year or more to wait.

There are shade hangars, but last I looked there was a waiting list for those too. There are tie downs available all the time.