Of course, all this
wonderfulness comes at a price, and the cost of living in the Bay Area is just
as high as prices in New York City. We are fortunate that Jonathan works for a company
with great benefits so that helps us to afford to live here comfortably but without
that we would be stretching for sure!
But you get what you pay for, I guess. In
our area we have some of the best schools in the state, some of the lowest
crime levels around, parks on every corner, and abounding natural beauty. The
weather doesn’t stink either.
I can’t imagine a more idyllic place to have a
baby. After spending Forest’s newborn days in wintery Scotland, I very much
appreciate that the weather here is baby friendly year round. And being walking
distance to two great parks is priceless with an energetic toddler.
If all 3 of us were super sick, what would we do without family nearby to help out? It’s scary to think about. Luckily, through the grace of God and Tamiflu, we stayed healthy through that time but it certainly had us doubting our life choices for a week or so.
1) Proximity
and Location.
One of the things we enjoy most is how many world class travel
destinations are within 100 miles of us. Not only do we have the amenities of San Francisco,
Oakland, and San Jose at our fingertips, but also Napa/Sonoma, Tahoe, Monterey
and Mendocino are all pretty accessible as well.
We also hit up nearby Livermore when we just feel like heading to a local winery. Usually the drive takes 20-30 minutes and we are picnicking in a beautiful wine country. Not too shabby.
Plus, loads of people want to visit SF and Napa so we get to see them
during their stays.
Jonathan and I (and Forest) love to hike. We got bit hard by the hiking bug in Scotland and were thrilled that the East Bay area and California in general are full of beautiful trails. We invested in a high quality backpack carrier for Forest and he seems to really enjoy our excursions.
3) Parks.
You can’t throw a rock in San Ramon without hitting a
park. Each of the Tri-Valley towns have major central-park type green spaces
but individual neighborhoods are also chock full of playgrounds. We go at least
once a day and it’s super easy since all I have to do is stroll ½ a mile (or
less) to get there. Plus, I gotta walk the dog anyway so it kills two birds
with one stone as I get to tire both baby boys out in one trip.
5)Friends! I have
such a great group of mom friends who keep Forest and I entertained during the
week. I really lucked out in finding a play group right away for babies born in
Fall/Winter of 2013 and it’s been so sweet to watch them growing up together.
I’m also part of a fun book club and have Forest enrolled in a few extra-curriculars that keep us busy. He is at such a fun age and it’s just great fun to have plenty of friends around his age to share it with.
I’m also part of a fun book club and have Forest enrolled in a few extra-curriculars that keep us busy. He is at such a fun age and it’s just great fun to have plenty of friends around his age to share it with.