SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco, often called the most cosmopolitan city in America, is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. Located on the Pacific Ocean on a peninsula overlooking the San Francisco Bay and to the north Golden Gate Bridge. the city is very compact, hilly, and scenic. San Francisco blends the modern with the traditional in its sky scrapers and Victorian-style neighborhoods.

At the heart of downtown is the financial district, which has earned the city its reputation as a major center of finance and international trade. The port is one of the largest in the United States. The city is served by the San Francisco International Airport, sophisticated highways, major railroads, a modern rapid transit system, and the Bay Bridge, one of the world’s longest combination bridges. Driving within the city is actually very easy as the streets are laid out in a grid and once you know the one-way streets, you can get around pretty easily. Parking can be difficult to find and we suggest you take one of the three types of transit services: MUNI is the San Francisco Municipal Transit and includes all buses and cable cars within the city. There is also the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) which provides service to Oakland and other East Bay suburbs, and there is Golden Gate Transit, which travels to the northern suburbs.

The stunning 49 square miles that make up this dynamic Northern California city, encompasses a variety of unique neighborhoods all marked with the world famous steep hills. http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/. Each enclave, an individual entity that is distinct and rare, comes together to form the rich tapestry that is the San Francisco metro community. From the posh, stunning views of Pacific Heights and Russian Hill to the Mission district, one can always find a living area suited to his or her particular tastes. The neighborhoods are varied and, yet, as intertwined as the people who inhabit them. San Francisco is famous for its architecture, with its rows of Victorians and its streets of bay windows. San Francisco boasts some of the oldest and most beautiful residential property in California. San Franciscans can choose from an array of early to late Victorians, Mediterranean and California-style view homes, high-rise condominiums, and post-World War II developments.

Even in mid-July the weather is known to be cool. The wind coming off the bay can be harsh, especially at the top of the taller hills or out by the water. The famous fog comes in over the Golden Gate but dissipates leaving a blue sky on most summer days, but it can still be chilly. One of the most enchanting things to do is walk the Golden Gate Bridge at Sunrise.

With many winning sports teams, one great new stadium, tons of places to go and eat, and fantastic scenery from the city, this is a must-live city.

SILICON VALLEY

One of the major reasons for Silicon Valley's success is their ability to attract people from all over the world to live and work in the area. The cultural mix and the resulting diversity of ethnic traditions, viewpoints, and value systems have enriched a community.

Located only 35 miles south of San Francisco and home to the famous Stanford University (Tiger Woods’ alma mater), the local residential neighborhoods have some of the most charming little towns in which the retail shops and local cuisine are unsurpassed. Just some of the areas in which to live include Palo Alto (means Tall Tree) and Menlo Park which both have dedicated themselves to the betterment of the children of their communities www.bayareaparent.com or http://lasmadres.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=0&club_id=177487

There are extensive arts and crafts, educational, sports and recreational and outdoor fun programs. For adults there is plenty of shopping, festivals, history and art culture. While the Silicon Valley area gained fame during the “Dot Com” era, it is no secret that housing is on the more expensive side for both purchases and rentals.

The beautiful Silicon Valley area with an average of 300 sunny days per year and an average annual temperature of 70 degrees has its own attractions that residents never need to leave if they wish for food from all over the world, skiing, and yes, its own beaches.

Popular neighborhoods to live near our clients’ offices

Palo Alto: this town’s main strip is called University Avenue featuring every type of shop and restaurant imaginable. It is also the direct route to Stamford University so this tends to be one of the most interesting, fun and trendy areas to ‘people watch’ along the strip. Despite the fact that this town has one of the highest income per capita, the area still gives off a feel of down to earth. Rentals tend to be expensive in this area; however, you can find deals if you look hard enough off of the immediate strip of University Avenue.

Menlo Park/Allied Arts/Stanford Park nicknamed A tranquil enclave on the edge of bustling activity. Menlo Park’s dreamy looking cottages with brick chimneys and green shutters peak through a maze of flower gardens and well-trimmed bushes. Parents with strollers share the tree-lined streets with bikers and joggers while the San Francisquito Creek meanders alongside the neighborhood. Again, the real estate tends to be high, however this area will be a bit more affordable then its sister neighborhood Palo Alto.

Downtown Mountain View Mountain View's pedestrian-oriented downtown is a destination point, offering cuisine from scores of countries, as well as specialty shops, bookstores, coffeehouses, and sidewalk cafes. Weekend events such as the Farmer's Market and a myriad of summer festivals provide a lively, engaging environment. This will be the closest commute to the KPMG office as well as an affordable area.

San Jose has been ranked by Reader’s Digest as the #2 most Clean City in America. It's a city now known nationwide for its clean streets, fresh air, and healthy lifestyle. San Jose is the largest city within Silicon Valley, the third largest city in California and the 10th largest city in the nation. One of its best features is that it has also been rated by Access San Jose, as the “Safest Big City in America (500,000+) for three consecutive years! http://sanjose.org/

Sunnyvale Is a town known as the 'Heart of Silicon Valley' for its central location in California's high-tech corridor, just ten miles west of San Jose and fifty miles south of San Francisco. What began as a small citrus farming town is now a booming economic center of industry and technology; today the corporate headquarters of almost fifteen hundred companies are located within the area of Sunnyvale. Residents and visitors alike praise Sunnyvale for its low crime rate, excellent schools, well-managed park system, and picturesque suburban environment. The quality of life in Sunnyvale is nationally renowned, and as a result, in 2005 the city received the designation of the 18th Safest City in the United States, according to research and publishing company Morgan Quitno Press. As one of major cities in Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale's real estate market has undergone many of the same trends affecting the other cities in the area. The housing options available in Sunnyvale are widely known to be more affordable than many of the other communities in Silicon Valley.

LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles, the City of Angeles, is the second largest city in the U.S. housing approximately 4,000,000 residents and makes up such a large vast amount of space with famous neighborhoods such as Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice, Anaheim, Redondo Beach - the list of famous neighborhoods goes on and on.

A car is necessary if moving to Los Angeles as the city is not known for a mass transit system, yet famous instead for its clogged six lane highways at many hours of the day. Los Angeles has so many wonderful things to offer and so much quality that its residents simply put up with the unavoidable traffic. Because the Los Angeles Metro Area is so large, it is divided into sections and further into neighborhoods. The downtown area is geographically in the center of the city. The freeways which run roughly north-south are odd-numbered and those which run roughly east-west are even-numbered. The 10 freeway runs from Santa Monica on the Pacific Ocean into downtown and east L.A all the way across the United States. The commute along the 10 from the west side to downtown, or vice versa, is usually from 30 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic. The 405, runs along the coast a few miles inland, from the Valley down to San Diego.

As the entertainment capital of the world, there is always a world-class party, move premier, or festival going on somewhere. A melting pot of diverse cultures, L.A. has also become one of the most desired cities in which to live. The beaches are quite beautiful as well as entertaining with the constant Volleyball Games, the Surfers and simply for the people watching. As a result of the average warm temperatures, residents would rather be outdoors basking in the consistent sunshine.

Although the Los Angeles housing index is higher than many of the other metropolitan cities, Los Angeles has many neighborhoods in which to choose and has something for everyone. And, although there are too many neighborhoods to list, here are just a few of the more popular ones we find our clients enjoy:

West of Downtown

Santa Monica
Located west of downtown near the Pacific Ocean. The great weather, the beach, Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park, Santa Monica Pier, star-studded restaurants, and great shopping highlight this Oceanside region of Los Angeles. One of the better places to people watch in the city, so don't be surprised if you're standing in-line or sitting at a red light next to your favorite celebrity. And, and we suggest looking peripherally at neighborhoods adjoining Santa Monica.

Venice and Venice Beach:
The somewhat 'bohemian' district of Los Angeles with vestiges of the '60s everywhere. Along the Boardwalk, there are a variety of shops and restaurants as well as street performers, tattoo artists and "free spirits" of every variety. Rents vary from affordable to extreme but so does the area.

Marina del Rey:
This is an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, a couple of blocks inland from the Venice Beach Pier. Here you will see boats parked and a small beach on the inland waterway. If you enjoy biking, there is a bike path that follows the boardwalk from Santa Monica through Venice and then inland to Marina del Rey and continues to Playa del Rey and south, concluding in Redondo Beach. This is an interesting ride since the beach communities are so varied. The Marina del Rey portion of the trip passes by beautiful marinas as well as the parking lot of the local library, and over a narrow strip of land with water on both sides that connected it to the neighboring Playa del Rey. Again, rents tend to be high due to this neighborhood’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, but well worth the costs.

West Hollywood
Bordered by Sunset to the north and Melrose to the south, east of Beverly Hills and west of downtown Hollywood, this neighborhood fuses high-glam fashion, culture, nightlife and entertainment into one, and is home to Sunset Strip, one of the most well known streets in the US. Also houses an array of great art and design galleries. Rents tend to be on the higher side, however the bargain exists if you are patient.

North Downtown and in the Mountains

“San Fernando Valley”
With regard to the San Fernando Valley which is only 10 miles (40 minutes) East of the Pacific Ocean, a lot of people who work in L.A. live there, with good reason. It's very pretty, there are lots of good restaurants, it's very safe, and the rents are cheaper so you get more bang for your rental housing dollar. The other side of the coin is that the Valley is hot, smoggy, and boring for single people, (or so it is said although we don’t believe it). It's really known as one big desirable suburb. Some of the cities we suggest living located in the Valley include: Burbank, Glendale, & North Hollywood. These areas all have wonderful ethnic diversity and flavor.

Despite the dominance of the automobile, the Valley has a decent commute by mass transit as they have two Metro subway stations, in Universal City and North Hollywood, which opened in 2000 as an extension of the Metro Red Line Subway connecting the Valley to Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. The Orange Line, an east-west Bus Rapid Transit bus-way was opened in October 2005, connecting the North Hollywood Metro station to Warner Center in the west Valley. The new line features "train-like" articulated buses and very high frequency of service. Two Metrolink commuter rail lines connect the Valley to downtown Los Angeles, merging into one at Burbank. These operate on a limited schedule serving commuters only during regular work hours. Three bus rapid transit lines (the 761, the 780, and the 750) service the area with more planned.

Johnny Carson made Burbank popular when he moved "The Tonight Show" from New York to NBC's Burbank facilities. Free tickets to watch taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" are still available at the studio, as are guided tours. In addition to NBC, the Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Studios are located here, making this a huge entertainment Mecca.

South of Downtown

“The South Bay”
The South Bay has the best beaches in L.A. County and some of the highest rent and purchase prices. They are wide and flat, and mostly clean sand. Manhattan Beach provides pleasant shopping alternatives, as well as good restaurants. Hermosa Beach draws a hip crowd, and has merchants which reflect this. As wonderful as this area is – commuting from here tends to be long no matter where you are going. If you can ‘stomach’ this commute, we highly suggest this incredible place to live.

SAN DIEGO

San Diego, a coastal Southern California city, is located in the southwestern corner of the continental United States The combination of its superb coastline, beautiful scenery, relaxed atmosphere, Mediterranean facade, and perhaps best of all, its near perfect weather; make San Diego one of America’s most desirable cities

Imagine being in a city where yearly there are over 350 sunny days, less than 10 inches of rain, almost no humidity, and the average daily temperature is 70 degrees WOW!

Besides being famous for its 70 miles of magnificent Pacific Ocean beaches, San Diego has many world famous attractions. Among these is the Wild Animal Park, the San Diego Zoo and the “family friendly-urban cultural” Balboa Park. Here you will find fifteen museums, several art galleries and the award winning Global Theater. Other leisure time options include surfing, lounging on the beach, or hitting the links at one of the nearly 100 pristine golf courses.

How about nightlife, you ask? Just come visit San Diego’s “Gaslamp Quarter”, where you will find many movie theaters, galleries, hotels and more than 70 restaurants Among the exciting events you can be a part of here is the “Mardi Gras”, “Taste of Gaslamp”, and “Shamrock” Celebrations.

As for the economy, the business climate in the downtown Dan Diego area is booming! While agriculture, defense, tourism, and manufacturing remain top industries, San Diego has recently become the country’s center for the wireless industry, causing the business sector to prosper even more.

SO, “CATCH A WAVE’ to the “BLESSED BY NATURE” prime area” of SAN DIEGO!