The best of both worlds! It's almost perfect here.
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7/4/2013
Discovery Bay is a hidden gem on the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, which combines the best of suburban and rural living. It is 10 minutes from Brentwood, 25 minutes from Tracy, 25 minutes from Antioch, 30 minutes from Livermore, 45 minutes from Stockton, 1 hr 10 minutes from San Francisco, 1 hr 15 minutes from San Jose, and 1 hr 15 minutes from Sacramento. It is far enough away from things to feel like you live "in the country," because we are surrounded by acres of farmland including corn, cherries, almonds, peaches, apricots, strawberries, peppers, pumpkins, grape vineyards, and much more. If you like farmer's markets or going to farms and doing "u-pick," this place is great, because there is something being grown in every season! Things grow well in your own yard, too. We have tons of grape vines, a fig tree, and a persimmon tree. My neighbor grows lots of stuff, including strawberries and tomatoes. In neighboring Knightsen, and Byron, many people have lots of land where they keep horses, goats, sheep, chickens, and their kids are into 4-H, raising animals, and riding horses, so there is plenty of that around here. Also, the biggest draw for most people is being on or near the water. Many homes are built right on the Delta, with boats and water right in their backyards! There are many other great neighborhoods only a few minutes away from the marina with plenty of places to store your boat or other water toys. We have three lakes in our gated neighborhood, with miles of paved walking/jogging trails, a pool, playground, basketball courts, picnic areas, etc. It's really awesome! The weather is wonderful in the autumn and spring- warm and mild, not much rain except for a couple months in the winter. It rarely freezes here, so plants grow well. Brenwood and Antioch have all the shops and restaurants you need, such as Target, Barnes and Noble, etc., and Discovery Bay has all the necessities at its 2 town shopping areas (groceries, restaurants, Starbucks, hair salon, bank, doctors, etc). John Muir, Sutter, and Kaiser are all within 15-30 minutes for urgent care or hospital needs. The only downside to this area is that summers do get quite hot- expect 80s and 90s, with occasional days over 100. Not a problem if you have AC and/or a pool or live on the water, though, like many people here. If you can work nearby or telecommute, that's the best; otherwise, it's a longer commute for some people. Yet, you're not more than 1 hr 15 minutes from the major northern california cities, and you're not too far from Tahoe or Yosemite either. We love it here!
Lynne | Discovery Bay, CA