L Weatherly- Some possibilities would be Trestle Glenn area, Montclair, Skyline, nicer areas of Hayward, Castro Valley, maybe Dublin/Pleasanton or Berkeley. Depending where in Oakland work is, BART may be a good transportation source, especially if it's downtown. Check out Piedmont just for a comparison. Definitely do the rental thing until you get a feel for where prices are heading and what areas fit your lifestyle. The closer to the Bay you are, the more moderate the temps will be. Further away...other side of East Bay Hills, can be warmer. Bay Area roads can become quite congested throughout the day, not necessarily during prime rush hours. There always seems to be road construction going on which helps delay commute times. I grew up in Oakland and lived and worked either there or in Hayward for most of my adult life so I'm pretty comfortable in giving you my impressions. To be honest, I thought it (Bay Area in general) was getting to congested and moved away, but it can still be a desirable place if you get to know it and choose carefully where you want to live. Good Luck!

I'd recommend the Lamorinda area. It's just east of Oakland and is made up of 3 communities, Orinda, Moraga, and Lafayette. The schools are excellent and you should be able to find a rental in that range. Check out Craigslist at http:// http://www.craigslist.com for the rental.

Feel free to contact me if you need any more assistance.

Best,
Mary