Discovery Bay

Have you ever dreamed of living in a place where you could walk out to your yacht or motor boat right in your backyard and hit the water when you feel like it? Well, like Foster City, parts of Alameda, and a few other spots in the Bay Area, this is a location where you can do that. A significant portion of Discovery Bay is on the water, offering residents the opportunity to hit the water whenever they feel like it.

Along with nearby Brentwood, Discovery Bay has seen significant growth over the last decade. The homes here are modern and beautiful--having been created in 1960 as a planned community, Discovery Bay just feels ultra modern and well kept. This goes to the homes as well that vary in architecture but which are always interesting and different from what you may expect in most of California. There actually are some homes that look Modernist in style, mixed in with a variety of Contemporary styles homes.

Streets are super clean and everything is very well kept.

The big drawback for Discovery Bay, as it is for next door Brentwood, is the horrendous commute for anyone who hopes to make it to San Jose, the Walnut Creek area or, God forbid, the East Bay and SF. This is a two hour commute most weekdays. To get to San Jose, it is an hour to the train in Livermore. (Worse if you actually try to drive.) For the East Bay or SF it is even worse. The two-laner that takes you there is Highway 4 and even from Antioch is considered one of the worst commutes in all of the Bay Area--which is famous for its horrible commutes.) So unless you are commuting to Stockton (which is still a pretty long commute) I would not plan on living here year round.

It is also very expensive out here if you want to live in the more desirable area of Discovery Bay--here you are looking at $500K on average, even with all the foreclosures. And these prices are sure to continue rising.

Prices are a lot lower on the other parts of Discovery Bay where the modular homes, with the typical adobe walls and red tiled roofs, are a lot lower priced (and less interesting overall). Here prices are closer to $350K.

Even with Brentwood nearby, this is a pretty remote spot that requires a lot of driving no matter what. This is a place ideally suited to those who work from home and love boating. Schools are good and crime is low, I think, but if you are going to be commuting a solid 2 hours (or more) every day will you enjoy it?