Winston, I've never been to the San Francisco Bay area, but judging from pictures and articles that I have read I would think it is like night and day. The town has a population of about 4,000 full time residents, increasing to 5-6000 during the summer season. The county which surrounds Colonial Beach has a total population of about 17,000 so you can see there is a vast difference in population which also affects the school sizes, number of available stores and shops and areas of entertainment such as bowling alleys and movie theaters. All of these things can be found in the Fredericksburg area only 30 minutes away. Washington DC is also close by, about an hour depending on traffic. The town is a peninsula with Monroe Bay on the back side and the Potomac River on the front. The bay is an excellent harbor and most of the shoreline on the Potomac is sandy with good fishing swimming and boating . The taxes are reasonable and the people are friendly and it abounds with history being the birth place of Washington, Monroe and Robert E. Lee. It is pretty laid back. I have lived in this area for 62 years and have no desire to leave the area.

Jimmy
EXIT Mid-Rivers Realty

From Colonial Beach, depending on traffic, it's nearly 2 hours north to D.C. or 2 hours south to Richmond.

Colonial Beach is tiny but really pleasant. More comparable to someplace like Cayucos, if you've ever been down there.

It's WAY rustic to say the least. I love living here, but I also knew what was here or was not here in the way of amenities before I moved here. Everyone is friendly and it has a very rural flavor. The golf carts are one of the best things about Colonial Beach. There is always something going on in the summer for Festivals and Art stuff, so it's pretty interesting. We have one traffic light, and a great coffee shop!

The water is warmer and it's a little old beach town out in the countryside. There are several marina's and restaurants. Many of the residents get around by golf cart in the summer time. They are legal to use on the city streets. Most everybody knows thier neighbors.

It's much more rustic.....a little bit country....we have an OTB casino, anique stores, and lots of charm!