Dublin

Dublin is the place in the Bay Area where anyone from the rest of the country would feel comfortable raising a family. Its East Bay location makes it far more affordable and modest, but being further out, it is not as run-down as Oakland and Berkeley, nor is it as influenced by the city. The houses are similar to those in more expensive areas like Redwood City, San Rafael, and Mountain View, but are significantly lower in cost.
The town itself does not have a huge amount of its own culture – it certainly does not compare to any of the cities or even the Peninsula towns nearby, but it does offer respite from it all, with a great transit system to get there. Between its own BART station and the convenient location at the 580/680 junction, it is very easy to get to the Bay Area’s local culture, with or without a car, and be back to your lovely, safe suburb by the end of the day.

Within the town itself, shopping plazas are more common than downtown strips. There are some major businesses here as well as a military base, but nothing that truly stands out.

Weather here is cool and rainy in the winter, immaculate in the spring and fall, and blazingly hot – but dry – in the summer. Given how far it is from the city, fog here is more of a legend than a reality. Spring is the best time to enjoy the abundance of local hikes, as the area heats up and browns up in the summer, and the green does not return again until the winter rain.

If you are looking for the urban life, this is not the place for you. But if you are happy to live in a nice California ranch and have access the Bay Area’s greatest hits, then Dublin could very well be a great fit.