Nautilus Pl, Pittsburg

Came out here to Nautilus Drive in Pittsburg to take a look at a 3-bedroom that was at least in the ballpark as far as what I can afford. It was a pretty average looking house right at the western edge of Pittsburg, right by Bay Point. It still would take a half hour to make it to my kid’s school from here.

But the rents on this western end of Pittsburg are definitely affordable. This 3-bedroom is going for only $1250/month. In fact, it is so inexpensive they take Section 8 housing. There is another comparable house on the same street going for $1325. Basically this is the beginning of the more affordable sections of the East Bay.

The homes here are the typical Ranch homes that are fairly ubiquitous throughout California and especially in these more affordable neighborhoods.

There is a bit of crime in the area--which is the usual drawback of places like this that are so affordable, but it is relatively mild. Some breaking and entering and a handful of assaults, nothing too worrisome in this section. There are about a dozen sex offenders in the area--which is more worrisome, but that is the price of living in this kind of area.

Unfortunately the schools in this area are also pretty bad with low APIs and bad reputations.

I hear, however, that the commute is pretty terrible heading into the rest of Contra Costa. I suppose that being on the Western end of Pittsburg that this is the best spot for it, but I still don’t know if I would want to face that every day.

Overall, however, it is definitely a location to keep in mind.