Vallejo isn't perfect, but NO PLACE is......
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12/22/2014
Coming to the Bay Area from Brooklyn, NY, and living in San Francisco for 10+ years, my partner and I just bought a house in Vallejo. I think Vallejo has it's issues, but what city doesn't? If you ask me, Vallejo seems like a fairly decent place to live: there's some really beautiful neighborhoods, especially in West Vallejo, with really well-preserved Victorian architecture, and it's AFFORDABLE to buy a home there, compared to other places in the Bay Area.
When I consider that in some other places, homes like the one we just bought in the Bay Terrace area near River Park and the Mare Island Causeway with views of Mare Island and San Pablo Bay beyond, would start at $500,000; we are extraordinarily lucky to have found a home for a little over $200,000. That just DOES NOT happen in other places! AT ALL! I can still easily commute to SF (just an hour by ferry) for work, and it's a pleasant commute.
All in all, I don't love everything about Vallejo, but I love my home, I feel relatively safe in my neighborhood, and I think the revitalization of the downtown area is an indication that Vallejo has more to offer than meets the eye. However, it has a serious lack of non-profit social services (my background), so SF is still where I'll have to work. C'est la vie. Vallejo aint so bad. However, I would probably feel differently if I had grown up here. I feel the same way about Brooklyn, and there's always a reason to leave where you're from and live in other places. Fortunately, I found some compelling ones to stay.
Ben | Vallejo, CA