4.2 out of 10

San Lorenzo

37.6763452639231 -122.130975591415
Great for
  • Cost of Living
  • Public Transport
  • Internet Access
  • Medical Facilities
  • Parking
Not great for
  • Pest Free
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Safe & Sound
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Nightlife
Who lives here?
  • Singles
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+

Reviews

2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 2/5
  • Schools 1/5
  • Childcare 1/5
2yrs+

"Affordable, but without the bells and whistles"

The pros: affordability. San Lorenzo is a centrally located community primarily built of tract homes.
Most of which have just a handful of different floor plans.
Centrally located between Silicon Valley and Oakland. An 11 mile drive from Pleasanton, which is lovely.
You will get the most bang for the buck in this location.

Safety, peace and quiet are relative. Constant fireworks in the evening that are often mistaken for gunshots. Lots of burnouts from idiots driving late at night. This is a very working class community. It's similar to Berkeley without the artsy vibe and cool stores. Half of the town is lined with trees while the rest are stark. Some really cute homes and some that just aren't anything special.

Yes, tons of empty lots. Awful public schools. Great private school option is Redwood Christian High School.

One of the worst aspects of San Lorenzo is that it's unincorporated. The police often take a bit to arrive in times of need.

This is a great place to live if you're not interested in walkability, boutiques, or charming neighborhoods.
Pros
  • Affordability for Bay Area Standards
  • great weather
Cons
  • Unincorporated
  • Lacks charm
  • Not very clean
  • no shopping
  • old, lots of things outdated
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • LGBT+
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 3/5
2yrs+

"A town small enough, but large enough that no one really knows your name..."

I live near Lorenzo Manor Elementary School (I also attended it previously). It's a fairly small town, majority of your neighbors will be elderly retired people, or non-english speaking hispanics (not that that bothers me at all). I've lived in the same house for about 6 years now and have a very good relationship with my neighbors, they're all friendly people, they house sit for us when we're out of town and come over when we're BBQing. It's a quiet neighborhood.

Shopping options are low, as is the quality of stores. You'll have to travel to Pleasanton for a clean good quality mall, however Southland serves the purpose if you're just trying to quickly pick something up. Food is the same, although there are a few AMAZING neighborhood stops. Stop by Buon Appetito if you're into Italian, or the local Frodo Joe's if you want a quick coffee or crepe. Those establishments are neighborhood gems... There are several farmers market's throughout the city on Saturday mornings, so that's very convenient for the organic eaters out there.

Nightlife is dead. If you drive around this town past 2am, the streets will be empty and all you'll see the Jack In the Box drive through line going crazy (people have to have their $1 tacos...).

I actually graduated from every public school in this town. The quality is going down, but I blame budget cuts more than the educators. You can tell the public schools are trying. Chabot Community College was named one of the best Community Colleges in California, so there's always that. Chabot has also had a lot of construction done recently, so the campus is very beautiful.

Safety wise is a little hit and miss. I can't say I know anybody who's been shot, but there are certain streets I wouldn't walk around on at night, nor would I go jogging in my neighborhood after dark. During the daytime it's a cozy quiet town. Not much to see.

It's a nice place to live if you're single and just settling down, not sure if I'd recommend raising a family here, but it'd definitely a good starting place.
Pros
  • near Lake Chabot
  • great weather
  • everything within walking distance
Cons
  • no shopping
  • old, lots of things outdated
  • small

Unranked Neighborhoods in San Lorenzo

"Good Spot for Singles"
37.6697321800561 -122.111804860133
"Just Okay"
37.6711752890724 -122.146628529649

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