Danville

Danville is a safe place to raise a family! The schools are top notch and people are pretty nice. There is a difference from the East part of Danville vs. the West. If you want strict academics and young money, go to the East part. If you want more laid-back people and more sport/academic focus in schools, West side is your place. I find the West side is older money, therefore, the people seem to be less flashy and more down to earth.
A big compliant locals have is not having enough stores or places to take kids on a rainy day. The bowling alley and other establishments of that sort need a major makeover. A lot of young families live in Danville and want to see more places to take kids other than the parks.
Check out this website for more recommendations: danvillesocial.com

Danville has been many things over the past 150 years, growing from a small farming community to a railroad town and sleepy suburb to, today, an upscale city with a thriving commercial base.

But Danville never forgot its past. The 121-year-old railroad station is now the Museum of the San Ramon Valley. The historic Danville Hotel is a retail hub. The Grange Hall, built in 1874, is a community theater.

Danville is a busy community of 42,000 residents in central Contra Costa County. Located 30 miles east of San Francisco at the base of Mount Diablo, it is bisected by Interstate 680, with the cities of Alamo to the north and San Ramon to the south.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the East Bay, Danville has managed to keep its small-town charm, in part by hosting a variety of community events throughout the year. Farmers’ markets and street fairs occur regularly, and its Fourth of July celebration is one of the largest in the Bay Area. At Christmastime the wealth of holiday decorations draws visitors from near and far.

The 12-mile Iron Horse Regional Trail, once the route of the Southern Pacific railroad, runs through the center of town. It’s a rare treasure for walkers and bicyclists.

Danville’s schools, including Monte Vista High School and San Ramon Valley High School, are among the highest-rated in California. The town is also home to the private Athenian School.

On the western edge of Danville is Tao House, once the home of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill. He lived there from 1937 to 1944, and today the home is a historic site operated by the National Park Service.

O’Neill relished the peace and quiet of Danville and called Tao House “my final home and harbor.”

He wrote some of his most popular plays while living there, including “The Iceman Cometh” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” Several lines from the latter are the basis of a bronze sculpture that stands in a park across from the Danville Library on Front Street.

Home values in Danville appreciated rapidly during the real-estate boom of the last decade, then lost 30 to 40 percent of their value from 2007 to 2011.

Prices have started rising again — up 2 percent so far in 2012. Meanwhile, the inventory of homes for sales remains exceptionally tight.

Danville homes for sale are priced all over the map,from townhouses selling for $500,000 to mansions selling for $10 million and higher.

Danville offers a blend of upscale amenities and small town charm. Its quaint character and convenient location make it a great place to work, live and play. Danville is known for its small-town atmosphere and its outstanding quality of life.

One of Danville's most desirable attributes is its sense of community. The town hosts a wonderful array of events from Farmer's Markets, street fairs and holiday celebrations. Top-rated schools, wonderful neighborhoods and many recreational activities add to the town's unparalleled appeal.

This is a soldi neighborhood undergoing a transition from original owners to the next generation. Unfortunately there are a growing number of rental units which often are poorly maintained. Harlan Drive is a collector street and the traffic can be annoying. Better to look at houses on the side streets connecting to Harlan Drive. Some good values can be had for the observant shopper.