When you ask locals to describe the best things about living in Foster City lots of different positives come up but location is on everyone’s list. 

Foster City is just above the midway mark between San Francisco and San Jose, and for many being a bit more north is a plus because many go to San Francisco more frequently than San Jose for social occasions, events and weekend touristing. Foster City is right along the 101 Freeway, the primary thoroughfare for the west side of the bay area. Even cooler is that it is at the western end of the San Mateo Bridge. This means you can get to the east bay very fast and remove the Bay Bridge headaches that cities north of Foster City face. Finally, Foster City sits right on the bay so you get immediate access to the wonderful waterworld of the bay area without having to drive anywhere and it never gets really hot as the water keeps the area cool in the summer. 


Location

The Best Thing About Foster City?

Foster City is one of the suburban cities lining 101 that has no downtown. It has shopping/malls and big box stores nearby but no fun, walkable downtown to build a commercial culture around. The city is close to other cities with downtowns; San Mateo, Palo Alto, etc., but a missing center is a sore spot for those who want a walkable chance for drinks and eats.


No Downtown

The Worst Thing About Foster City?

The city has done a nice job creating an outdoor culture in a suburban city. The streets of Foster City surround waterways on a peninsula that juts into the bay. That means water-based outdoor activities are always at your doorstep here. Additionally, the city is lined with wonderful bike and walking infrastructure. Families truly can spend a lot of their time on the water or on the paths, enjoying the A+ year-round pleasant climate. An additional bonus is that many of the parks in Foster City are built on the waterfront so locals enjoy both park and water play from the same spot. Boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing AND then tennis, basketball, pickleball, playgrounds and open greenspaces are available throughout the city. 
Outside of that you can expect a healthy family-focused suburban culture here. Tons of families, playing in little leagues and soccer leagues, enjoying an excellent school system and growing up in a highly educated population. The city is extremely safe, and plenty of kids bike around to friends and school without fear. 

Community events are aplenty in Foster City, in spite of the absence of a downtown. Much of the action happens in the parks, community center and Amphitheater. This includes a year round farmer’s market, summer concert series, constant family movie and meal events, and great big family-centric holiday events like a big 4th of July festivity, Summer Day event, community bike rides, Halloween Festival and Holiday Tree Lighting festivities. Check it all out via the [**calendar of events**](https://www.fostercity.org/parksrec/page/community-special-events). 

Lifestyle of Foster City

Foster City elementary schools are part of the San Mateo-Foster City School District and it’s one of the prime reasons families like to live here. It rates an A on [**niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/san-mateo-foster-city-school-district-ca/) and every school in Foster City is at the top of the rankings for the area. At the high school level the city is part of the San Mateo Union High School District that rates an A+ on [**niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/san-mateo-union-high-school-district-ca/) so that’s all good. The only downside is there are no high schools in the district in the city proper so you have to head into San Mateo (right next door) for school. 

Schools in Foster City

If you want to live in the Bay Area, on the water, and have that water-lifestyle built right into how your family lives then look at Foster City. There’s no suburban city quite like it for integrating the bay and waterways into how you live.  


Waterfront Convenience

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Sea Colony is often referred to as the sporting gem of the Peninsula due to the fact that [**Sea Cloud Park**](https://www.fostercity.org/parksrec/page/sea-cloud-park) is here -- the home of Foster City Little League, a 23-plus acre sports haven. Filled with baseball diamonds (and batting cages), soccer fields, playgrounds and plenty of open spaces. The neighborhood has a lot more than the park for outdoor play however, as it also has a wonderful trail running along its border for hikers, bikers and walkers and a number of other parks.  

Most of the blocks are filled with single-family homes built in the 1970s and 1980s, along with several townhome and apartment buildings. Typical home prices are above $2m with many on the water that sneak above $3m. Townhomes and condos can sell for as high as $1.5m (although some smaller ones can fall below $1m, and apartment rents average in the $3.5k per month range. 

The neighborhood has wonderful parks, including Sea Cloud, Port Royal and Antigua, so your kids will never lack for open spaces to play, on or off the water. Check out the neighborhood details on [**google maps**](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?msa=0&ll=37.54020731917661%2C-122.26371299999998&spn=0.040145%2C0.087547&iwloc=0004a9a7b42c7ffa24b79&mid=1i6sUCj7S-vPYNd0xWVJwMdUmuk8&z=15). 


Families/DINKs/SINKs

Sea Colony

Carmel Village is a bayfront neighborhood with a mix of single-family homes and newer condominiums, townhouses and apartments. It’s popular with locals due to its two shopping centers that make for convenient shopping and access to restaurants and pubs. It also has plenty of parks, runs along the Bay Trail for hiking and biking, and is home to [**Bowditch Middle School**](https://bowditch.smfcsd.net/), Foster City’s only public middle school serving grades 6-8. It’s also beloved for the [**Belmont Slough Beach and Wildlife Refuge**](https://fostercitylife.org/exploring-our-marshlands/), that give locals a nature preserve for personal and family enjoyment. 

Marlin Cove, one of the two shopping centers in Carmel Village, is also home to a large [apartment complex](https://www.marlincoveapartments.com/) and that mix creates a commercial center of sorts for those craving a good walkscore for their daily chores and weekend fun. 
Homes are mostly single and two-story homes built in ‘60s, and prices typically in the $1.5m+, which is quite reasonable for peninsula homes. There are also plenty of townhomes and condos which range from under a million to $1.3m+ . 


Check out where Carmel Village sits on the [city map](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?msa=0&ll=37.55682386283371%2C-122.2513295&spn=0.040146%2C0.087547&iwloc=0004a9a7b42c809f52006&mid=1i6sUCj7S-vPYNd0xWVJwMdUmuk8&z=15). 

Families/Young Professionals/DINKs

Carmel Village

The Bay Vista neighborhood is most notable for its stunning views of the San Francisco Bay (hence the name). That view doesn’t just come from the homes, townhomes and apartments, but also from Bridgeview Park, Kildeer Park and the entire stretch of Beach Park Blvd that runs along the coast of Bay Vista along the bay. 

Many of the homes were built in the ‘60’s by – Kay, Duc & Elliot and Eichler (a beloved mid-century developer) and are iconic single family houses that sell for a median price of $1.5m.  There are also a number of multi-unit townhome, condo and apartment  complexes. Buying a condo can cost you $1.3m at the high end and renting apartments runs ~$3.5k per month. 
Bay Vista is home to [**Audobon Elementary School**](https://audubon.smfcsd.net/), a much beloved school, appreciated for quality and the ability to walk or bike everyday! Check out Bay Vista details on [**google**](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?msa=0&ll=37.567976703759896%2C-122.25988149999999&spn=0.040143%2C0.087547&iwloc=0004a9a7b42c805d4539e&mid=1i6sUCj7S-vPYNd0xWVJwMdUmuk8&z=15). 


Families/DINKs

Bay Vista

Foster City

**What are pros and cons of living in Foster City, California?**
Pros

Flat terrain and good infrastructure. Perfect for running, biking, or rollerblading.
On the bay. It never gets hot even when the temperature in neighboring cities gets high in summer.
Beauty. The bay that surrounds the city makes for a beautiful backdrop with marinas, sail boats, canals, and cute ponds and water inlets where ducks and geese live and play. It also has many greenbelts and parks.
Clean. The streets and roads of Foster City are super clean and orderly. It really is a pleasure to drive through them.
Shopping. The city has a Costco and other big box stores along with supermarkets, shops, and restaurants. While it’s nowhere close to being like San Francisco or San Jose, it does a pretty good job at providing beyond basic services for residents and visitors.
Employment Centers. Philips Medical Systems, Gilead Sciences, VISA Inc., Guidewire, and QuinStreet are some of the companies that call Foster City home.
Location, location, location. Highway 92 goes through Foster City connecting it to the west side of the peninsula all the way to the Pacific Ocean and to the San Mateo Bridge to go to cities on the east side of the bay. It is also a mere 10 miles to San Francisco Airport, 20 miles to Mountain View, 22 miles to San Francisco, 23 miles to Oakland airport, and 30 miles to San Jose.
Safety. Foster City is extremely safe. In 2017, it was ranked number 6 among the 50 safest cities in California.
Earthquake preparedness. Although Foster City was built on landfill, it is not prone to liquefaction, as the sand used was engineered to be compact and not loose sand such as the one found in San Francisco’s marina district. Case in point, Foster City sustained minimal damage during the 1989 earthquake whereas surrounding cities like San Mateo had far more destruction.
Great schools. Foster city’s elementary and middle schools are top notch.
Cons

Expensive. All the above pros don’t come cheap and Foster City can easily seem overpriced.
Quiet. The city can be a little too quiet for singles and young people looking for excitement. Then again, the lack of nightclubs, bars, and such keeps it safe and clean.
Traffic. Getting in and out of Foster City is a pain during peak hours, as it’s the first access point of traffic getting into and out of the San Mateo bridge.


**What are the pros and cons of living in Foster City, California?**

Living in Foster City, California has several pros and cons. Here is a brief overview:

Pros:
1. Location: Foster City is situated in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, making it a convenient place to live for those who work in the tech industry or other major employment centers in the region. It offers easy access to major highways and is close to both San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
2. Safety: Foster City consistently ranks as one of the safest cities in California. The city has a low crime rate, which provides residents with a sense of security and peace of mind.
3. Outdoor Recreation: Foster City is known for its beautiful lagoons and waterfront parks. Residents can enjoy activities such as boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing. The city also has numerous biking and walking trails, providing opportunities for outdoor exercise and relaxation.

Cons:
1. Cost of Living: Like many cities in the Bay Area, Foster City has a high cost of living. Housing prices are significantly above the national average, making it challenging for some individuals and families to afford homes in the area.
2. Limited Nightlife and Entertainment Options: While Foster City offers a peaceful and family-friendly environment, it may not be the best choice for those seeking a vibrant nightlife or a wide range of entertainment options. The city has a more suburban feel and lacks the bustling urban atmosphere found in nearby cities like San Francisco.
3. Traffic Congestion: Despite its convenient location, Foster City experiences traffic congestion during peak commuting hours. The proximity to major employment centers means that many residents commute to work, leading to increased traffic on local roads and highways.

In conclusion, living in Foster City offers advantages such as its location, safety, and outdoor recreational opportunities. However, it also comes with drawbacks including a high cost of living, limited nightlife options, and traffic congestion.

**Is Foster City a place for a young, single male in his twenties? How about if housing is subsidized by parents?
Moving**

You seem to have a really good handle on all the factors.

Ultimately, it's up to you whether it's worth the money to spend much more in order to live in a much livelier area.

What might be helpful for you to know is that Foster City is not a city that I'd characterize as tightly packed with townhouses. There might be more packed townhouse complexes, and apartments, but the bulk of Foster City is single family homes characteristic of this area. Detached SFH's on lots of 0.10-0.15 acres or so.

It's a city built on landfill and a unique characteristic are the lagoons. There are homes on the water. It feels quite separate from neighboring San Mateo, as there are only a few major surface streets to cross over, and Highway 92/San Mateo Bridge.

It's definitely a family-oriented suburb. The sort of place that most younger people will balk at living in, as you found. But most people don't get the choice of living there for way below market rate.

San Mateo is also suburban but does have a pretty lively downtown and it's nearby. There's also Caltrain running through and which can be used to get up to San Francisco. Driving to SF is like 20-30 minutes. And you can go to Millbrae to take BART.

If you live in Foster City and not, say, some lively area of San Francisco, you won't have the same kind of social scene that will revolve around bars. Maybe that's not your thing, anyway, and the way that you'd end up meeting people would be basically the same whether you're in Foster City or in San Francisco.

SF and maybe Oakland are both way more hip and lively. But there are plenty of 20-somethings living all around the Bay Area and making a life full of friends and social activities.

If you have the option, I would at least move first to your parents home and take them up on their generous offer. Get the lay of the land and if you want to move, help them find a good replacement tenant at market rate. And move with more knowledge of where would suit you better.

Foster City, California

Super Hyphy

Looklyloo Score: 86

We're on it!