Clayton (Oakland, Concord, Berkeley: crime, how much, houses)

[2KidsforMe]

Can anyone tell me something about Clayton? I can find crime stats, schools score, that sort of thing online. What I would love to know is what the place is like to live there. What kind of feel does the town have, and is it considered a nice place to live? Also, what kind of dining and shopping is near by? My brother-in-law and his family live in Concord, and we currently live in MA, and are considering relocating to be near them. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[recycled]

Ok, since a Clayton local has not posted anything here, I'll chime in.

I lived in central Contra Costa county for most of the 1980s and 90s, Concord and Walnut Creek. I like the area a lot, but left with a job change.

Clayton is connected to the east end of Concord and is northeast of Walnut Creek. It's in a narrow, pretty valley at the base of Mt Diablo, which rises steeply above the town. It's a small town, definitely upscale residential areas, not a lot of shopping or dining variety right in the town. Lots of horse lovers there, because there are stables in and around town with riding trails taking off into Mt Diablo foothills. All of the big retail places are 3 to 7 miles away in Concord or Walnut Creek. There is quite a bit of traffic going through Clayton at rush hours as people living in east Contra Costa (Brentwood) take Marsh Creek Road to jobs in Concord, Walnut Creek or beyond. In order to reach a freeway to leave Clayton area, it's a 5 to 7 mile trip through busy city streets in Concord or Walnut Creek. During traffic times, it can be a slow trip.

Weather is generally nice. Summers are a few degrees hotter (mid 90s common) than nearby towns because Clayton is back in a narrow valley, but nights are nice because temps are usually low enough to open windows and let in the cool air. Fall+Spring great, Winter mild with just enough rain to keep the beautiful giant oak trees growing. My favorite city in the area is Walnut Creek, just because it's got almost everything right there without the need to drive all over. Downtown Walnut Creek has plenty of shopping and dining. Not a lot of diverse entertainment, but a quick trip on BART train to SF, Oakland or Berkeley can take care of that craving. Everywhere in Bay Area is sky high expensive, but if I were moving back to Bay Area, Walnut Creek would be it. Many parts of Concord are nice too, so visit BIL and check out the area before making any big decisions. It will depend on exactly where the job is, and how difficult the commute is to get there. A few miles in the wrong direction can make a big difference.

[Dedalus]

Would be your backyard. I heard somewhere that you can see more of the earth's surface from the summit (only 3800 ft) than anywhere, except Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa. It's a gorgeous place.

[2KidsforMe]

Thanks for the replies! My main concern with Walnut Creek is affordability. We are planning a trip out at the end of Januray to look around.

[LFults]

2kidsforme,

I have lived in Walnut Creek for the past 13 years, and the East Bay Area my entire life. Clayton is a wonderful community for raising a family. Safe, beautiful town with good schools and great access to Mt. Diablo state park. What Recycled said is true, however, about the traffic. It is difficult to get anywhere from Clayton. Major shopping is in Walnut Creek (I'm talking malls, clothings stores, etc.) There are groceries, some food (good too!), etc. in Clayton but not a lot. In Concord, you can find a bit more but it takes a drive. The commute thru Walnut Creek is terrible...lots of traffic. I expect it will only get worse as this is a growing area. There just is no way to solve that for Clayton as it is surrounded by a state park and private held ranch lands. No relief for traffic will come. So, I guess it really depends on how much you plan to leave your house and what access you want to entertainment, etc. There are no movie houses in Clayton so you would have to drive your kids into Concord, Walnut Creek, or Pleasant Hill. Theatre in Walnut Creek and a couple of smaller venues in Concord. Very limited dining in Clayton..again, drive to WC, Concord, or Pleasant Hill. If you really want to live in this area, plan on many things costing more, particularly activities. The traffic is bad and will get worse. Summers are getting hotter every year (some people see this as a positive!) The communities themselves are pretty...lots of rolling green hills and oak trees. Walnut Creek has a bustling, albeit expensive, downtown. Be careful about school lines when you look to buy. For instance, not all of the neighborhoods in Walnut Creek are in the Walnut Creek school district...some are in the struggling Mt. Diablo school district. Mt. Diablo school district itself has some good schools and some that are really having problems..so just do your research well. If you are determined to move here, (and the Clayton commute to job is too much), I would suggest looking at Pleasant Hill. It has a lot of nice family oriented neighborhoods that are a bit cheaper than Walnut Creek. Hope that helps...Good luck to you and I would be happy to answer any other questions I can.

[recycled]

Originally Posted by Dedalus

Would be your backyard. I heard somewhere that you can see more of the earth's surface from the summit (only 3800 ft) than anywhere, except Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa. It's a gorgeous place.

Well said, dedalus. Mt Diablo is a stunning, beautiful, but very underrated and lightly visited park. I loved to hike the many trails, and pedaled my bike up the mountain many times. It's amazing how few people use the park during most times of the year. It's a huge area too. The shortest circle around the base of the mountain on paved roads was about 50 miles. I was always surprised how seldom most East Bay residents visited Mt. Diablo. They thought of it as that big dry hill over there in the east bay. The combination great views of huge oak trees and other vegetation, rock formations, wildlife, all on the edge of one of the largest urban areas in the country make it a great place.

[Dedalus]

...watch out for rattlesnakes. They're not common but you do see them once in a while.

[2KidsforMe]

Thanks everyone for the replies. You have helped more than you know. Luckily for us, my husband works out of the home, so commuter traffic is not such a concern And I'm used to driving a ways for groceries, entertainment and the like. We live in a pretty rural town in MA. But snakes? Yikes. We have 'em here in MA, but only in small quantities, and no poisonous ones. Mt. Diablo sounds great. Can't wait to visit.

[recycled]

Forget about rattlesnakes. 99+ percent of the people in suburbia have never seen one. Their habitat is dry rocky canyons and rugged hills in the western US but it is extremely rare that a person would encounter one in a residential area like Clayton or any other suburban area in California or the southwest. If you were living on a rural property adjoining vast undeveloped hillsides, there's a chance that a few times during a lifetime you might actually see one. I hike, bike and run on backcountry trails many times a week, and in the countless times I have been on the trails, I have never had a close encounter with a rattler. I've seen a few from a safe distance in my lifetime, but never any problem, just give them some space and go along your way. I stay on the trails, and don't go aimlessly wandering around in grasslands on a hot day. This is a non-issue - it's exponentially more risky to leave the house, get in your car and drive to the store to get groceries than it is to take a hike on the local trails.

[LFults]

2kidsforme,

What recycled says is true. You generally won't see too many snakes although this summer was a bad one. It kind of depends on where you hike. In my years here I've seen about 7 of them. Two were close calls running on trails. You can do a lot to avoid them by going early in the morning when it is cool. Summer evenings are still pretty warm so I would keep my eye out then. If you plan on hiking with a doggy friend, be very cautious. 3 dogs I know of were hit this past summer. This may not be an issue for you but it bums me out...dogs are not allowed on the trails in Mt. Diablo. It is a State Park. However, there are lots of "open space" areas surrounding the park where you can take your dog for a nice run off leash...(just be a good citizen and clean up after them and keep them from bothering others ). Although I love the open spaces around here, I must say you won't usually catch me running or even hiking past 8am or 9am most times of the year. I am a heat wimp and it gets pretty toasty here. Anyway, hope the insights help. Since your husband works at home, it may be great...it really is a pretty place and if it wasn't for it's isolation, we may have moved there ourselves. I would suggest taking drives during several times of the day to and from Clayton so you know what the traffic patterns are like as that is the one real negative for the area. Good luck!!

LFults