Livermore, California

Livermore is a great suburban city with a decent downtown to give families a sense of action and community that classic suburbs are missing. It’s special sauce though may be that it sits on the outer edge of the cities that are commutable by train - short drive to BART (or car) to Oakland/SF/Berkeley, it also has a strong science/engineering business community that is more like the tech hubs to the west than the agricultural cities to the east. While it sits on the edge of the western Bay Area, it also offers incredibly easy access to the outdoors to the east. You’re two hours from Yosemite and three to Lake Tahoe. You’re also living on the border of Henry Coe State Park to the south and Mt Diablo to the north. You’re surrounded by some of the most stunning outdoor experiences in the country at the same time you’re part of an economic engine driving modern industry.

Since you are on the outer edge of the Bay Area tech hubs if you have to drive to work and you aren’t working in Livermore then you’re going to suffer. The freeways here are packed and even though many are working from home that does not seemed to have reduced the traffic volume much. Your best solution is to work and live along the BART train line (Livermore is just a few miles from the Dublin/Pleasanton stop), work from home or make sure your job is in Livermore.

While Livermore is largely a family-centric town it does have some younger residents who work at Livermore Labs and frequent the local pubs and restaurants. It’s not a big scene and most locals recommend living in Oakland if you’re looking to party a bit and you can take the train to work.

For families Livermore is a great place to raise the kiddos. There are a wide variety of neighborhoods, from luxury to more modest home options. The schools are excellent and there are year round community activities, downtown and in the many parks around the town. As was noted, you are surrounded by State Parks, mountains and short drives to National Parks and some of the best skiing in the country. While many of your days will be filled with school activities, little league, soccer clubs, swimming in the many community pools, and enjoying the restaurants and pubs downtown, much of life here happens on weekends exploring the great wide world in the countryside of California.