Union City, California

It’s hard to beat the combination of Union City’s central location within the East Bay Area and the median home price that up until recently was below $1 million. Some condominiums in neighborhoods east of 880 are as low as the $500-600,000 range, which is almost unheard for the Bay Area. Many young professionals and first-time home buyers gravitate to Union City for this reason. Think about it, just one city south is Fremont, where the median home price creeps up to $1.4 million. And the closer you get to San Jose, the more the prices make your eyes want to pop out of your head.

For the working professional or experience-seeker that needs access to every corner of the Bay Area, Union City sits in a prime location. San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Richmond, and the Tri-Valley are all a 30 to 45-minute drive (depending on traffic, of course). The BART station and bus system within Union City also make travel around the Bay Area possible without a car.

This one’s a bit tricky because answers vary greatly depending on who you talk to. Even Niche.com and Greatschools.org don’t seem to agree on the caliber of education Union City students receive through the public school system. Similarly, reviews written by residents range anywhere from it’s a “pretty safe” place to live to “crime is a problem.” So, let’s take a minute to parse through the conflicting ideas.

Starting with our “expert” resources, Niche.com rates the New Haven Unified School District as providing an “A-” education. Individual schools receive anywhere from “A” to “C+” with most falling in the “A-/B+” range. That’s positive, as far as we’re concerned. On Greatschools.org, you’ll find the same public schools receiving scores between 4/10 to 8/10. Anecdotally, we’ve heard that some people are really pleased with the public schools, particularly the district’s one high school, James Logan High School. On the other hand, we’ve heard that some families opt for private school, or look to live in cities like Fremont or Castro Valley because their public schools are perceived to be better. With ranging reviews like this, you’ll want to make sure you do your own research about the schools zoned for the particular area of town you’re looking at.

Similarly, Niche.com rates Union City a “C+” for Crime & Safety, while most of the reviews on Niche say that residents feel either “very safe” or “pretty safe” living here. Of course, like any city, there is going to be crime, particularly in certain areas. For more context, this map of crime in Union City provided by Neighborhoodscout.com might shed some light on which neighborhoods have the lowest reported crime within the city.

First-time homebuyers, young professionals and families see Union City as a place to grow within the Bay Area. Here, you can find more affordable homes than in surrounding towns, with the option to evolve into the higher-end neighborhoods or nearby cities. Others see it as their forever home that allows them to live relatively comfortably within the Bay Area without having to hand over $1 million for a house.

Union City has all the essentials and more, but young professionals may be disappointed with the large suburb’s lack of nightlife and activities. For a night out, sometimes they’ll travel north to Hayward or Oakland, or south to Fremont or San Jose. That said, the city does have entertainment options like indoor skydiving at iFly, catching a movie at Century 25 Union Landing, or some family fun at Pump it Up. There’s also several great ethnic restaurants, like the well-rated Happy Lamb Hot Pot and Tomatina. Or maybe you want to learn to cook yourself? Try a class at Niles Pie Company.

Beyond the buildings, in the great outdoors, lie several regional parks. Take your furry friend to Drigon Dog Park, enjoy a long bike ride on Alamada Creek Regional Trails, or immerse yourself in coastal beauty at Coyote Hills Regional Park. If traditional workouts are more your thing, you can find everything from Core Fitness classes in the historic district to martial arts classes just off Whipple Road.

What about the commute, you ask? Nestled along 880, you can get to everywhere you need to go within the Bay Area. And with a BART station and strong public transportation system, Union City residents can really take advantage of the town’s central location within the East Bay. When it comes to driving within the city, rush hour can lead to areas around the freeway getting backed up, but most often you should be able to get where you’re going in fewer than 15 minutes, with most neighborhoods having shopping centers and schools much closer than that.

We can’t close out this section without mentioning one thing residents love most about their city: the diversity. According to Niche.com, the population is 75% POC. A warm and welcoming small community, Union City is not in short supply of excellent ethnic food and multicultural events.