Half Moon Bay, California

If you’re considering Half Moon Bay it better be due to proximity to the Pacific. There are very few places on the west coast with better views and better access to the ocean. On the daily, you will be seeing views and experiencing coastal life that the rest of the world can only dream of.

One of Half Moon Bay’s charms is its isolation over the mountains, woods, and state parks from the madness of the bay side of the bay area. The roads that take you across the wilderness to the tech scene of the valley and the rest of the population are pretty small and they stack up during commute hours. While some locals will argue that if you leave extremely early and come home very early you can avoid it we’d generally recommend avoiding living here if you have to commute daily into a tech biz on 101.

The lifestyle of Half Moon Bay begins and ends with experiencing the great outdoors of the coast. Many locals will wake up for a morning surf at Ross Cove, Montara, or for the bravest, Mavericks. This is a surfing paradise and grownups and local kiddos start early. If surfing is a bit beyond your reach then you’re likely to head to Princeton Harbor to rent a kayak or head to Fitzgerald Preserve to hang with the sea lions. Biking, hiking, and beach play are seriously a daily option here so if you’re into the great outdoors you can hardly pick a better city.
A nice bonus on top of the great outdoors is the fact Half Moon Bay has a nice little downtown area with casual dining at places like Sacrilege Brewery, or Barbara’s Fish Trap, or get a bit fancier for Italian Fare at Mezzaluna or Mediterranean at Ciya.

Add to these the cafes (and even a Boba place) and boutique shopping and there’s a fair amount to keep you busy when you’re happy to stay local. One side option: one of our absolute favorite ways to spend an afternoon is heading up the coast just a few miles to Moss Beach Distillery. Seriously you cannot beat an afternoon cocktail watching the sun come down over the ocean from the Adirondack chairs in front of a fire pit.

We highly recommend visiting Half Moon Bay and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for living among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

The north side of HMB is governed by the Cabrillo Unified School District, which scores a B+ on niche.com and La Honda/Pescadero School District which scores a B on niche.com. Kings Mountain Elementary and Half Moon Bay High School both score A’s on niche so if you’re picky about these standardized scores keep an eye out for where your neighborhood is zoned.