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Possible move to the East Bay area

S

Spindrift

Well Known Member
Some may have seen my post on a possible move to Seattle, but now I've also gotten an offer from a company in Alameda. Still hoping for the offer in Seattle any day.

California pilots, especially those that relocated with your plane, any tips, thoughts, etc.? Particularly any ideas on hangar options, cost and availability, tax ramifications, etc. Also, any suggestions on neighborhoods to check out in that area. I don't think I can stomach a major commute, so nothing too far away, unless, perhaps, in an Airpark.

Thanks,
 
Spindrift said:
Some may have seen my post on a possible move to Seattle, but now I've also gotten an offer from a company in Alameda. Still hoping for the offer in Seattle any day.

California pilots, especially those that relocated with your plane, any tips, thoughts, etc.? Particularly any ideas on hangar options, cost and availability, tax ramifications, etc. Also, any suggestions on neighborhoods to check out in that area. I don't think I can stomach a major commute, so nothing too far away, unless, perhaps, in an Airpark.
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For airports, you should probably consider KOAK and KHWD. Both generally have hangars if you ask around. My plane is now at KSQL (closer to my house on the peninsula) but when I was keeping my plane at HWD a few years ago it was about $360 rent for part of a group hangar. I really liked that airport.

I agree on staying close to work - much nicer to be at a not huge house and not in traffic than a big house out in the boonies.

If you want to do the urban living thing I have a bunch of friends who live in Jack London Square and really like it. For more 'suburb' style living the hayward hills/castro valley is nice.
 
There's a nice group hangar at concord airport that quoted 280 for my 3b. I plan on storing it outside under a nice cover because the weather is so nice out here. You should research the use tax that you'll have to pay when you register your plane in ca.
 
rph142 said:
There's a nice group hangar at concord airport that quoted 280 for my 3b. I plan on storing it outside under a nice cover because the weather is so nice out here. You should research the use tax that you'll have to pay when you register your plane in ca.
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Our weather can be nice, not lately.... but when the winds kick up and grit gets under your cover......:eek:
 
I live in Castro Valley. Depending on where you work in Alameda, it's a tolerable commute from here (30 minutes at rush hour).

HWD (Hayward) is the closest airport by miles, but LVK (Livermore) is just as close by time in the car. LVK has much better weather than HWD, has an ILS (HWD does not), and you don't need to deal with the OAK class C and SFO class B at LVK like you do at HWD. Hangar at LVK is $300/month. A few years ago the waiting list was about 3-4 years but with the economic downturn I hear it's much shorter now.

You should NOT have to pay use tax as long as you owned your plane at least 6 months before moving into the state. You will have to pay property tax, 1% of value every year. Oh, yes, they also make you pay the property tax on the hangar even though you lease it! (around $200/yr).

Closest fly-in community that I know of is Cameron Park. But then you still need to make your way from OAK to your workplace.

BTW, in case you're not aware OAK is really 2 airports. All commercial traffic goes to the south field, general aviation to the north field, so you never have to compete with B-737's for runway (or ILS) space.
 
Thanks but...

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the info, but I ended up taking a job in Seattle rather than the Bay area. Hopefully this thread will help someone else in the future.
 
Just to tag onto and update this thread.
I'm contemplating a move to the Bay area. Would like to be close to a nice GA airport with lots of EAA/ RV activity. North, East, West Bay all possibilities, preferably within one hour of SFO.
Comments, suggestions etc appreciated.
 
Livermore, CA

edneff said:
Just to tag onto and update this thread.
I'm contemplating a move to the Bay area. Would like to be close to a nice GA airport with lots of EAA/ RV activity. North, East, West Bay all possibilities, preferably within one hour of SFO.
Comments, suggestions etc appreciated.
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KLVK is a great GA airport located about 50 miles east of SFO. We have very good weather, and a very active EAA, with about 25 flying RV's based here.

Danny
 
I too have a job opportunity in the Bay Area. Anyone have an opinion on commuting fron the South Bay (San Jose, Gilroy, Hollister) vs East Bay (Livermore, Oakley, Fremont) to SFO? Also, would need a hangar. I am thinking about commuting with the plane to San Carlos? or just ramping at San Carlos?
 
Well, if you must commute to SFO during the morning (or home between 3:30 and 7 pm) then it's just not very good from the places you mentioned. Highway 101 up from Gilroy or Hollister is awful. From Livermore I-580 is a parking lot west bound in the morning until you get west of I-680. After that it's tolerable although the San Mateo bridge can back up. Of course, any accident and you add an hour.
Castro Valley, western Dublin and western Pleasanton get onto I580 west of 680 and are about a 45 minute commute. Better yet, they have BART stations. It takes a bit over an hour to get to SFO since the trains go thru downtown San Francisco but at least it's more relaxing than traffic. Castro Valley is 15 miles, Dublin and Pleasanton 7 miles, from KLVK (Livermore Muni).
Flying into San Carlos is possible, although I'm not sure of the best way to SFO from there. Also SQL gets the same coastal overcast as SFO, and I do not know what kind of delays to expect ifr into SQL.
 
Thanks Bob, it's been nearly 20 years since I lived there and back then I lived in San Mateo/Foster City. Whats it like in Hayward these days? That would also be a good spot for the plane/home. Most likely I would be commuting at 2:30pm and 11pm or 10:30pm and 8am (yuck!) depending on what shift I would work. Still would have to cross the San Mateo Bridge. I like the Bart idea. I had already pulled up the route map.

BobTurner said:
Well, if you must commute to SFO during the morning (or home between 3:30 and 7 pm) then it's just not very good from the places you mentioned. Highway 101 up from Gilroy or Hollister is awful. From Livermore I-580 is a parking lot west bound in the morning until you get west of I-680. After that it's tolerable although the San Mateo bridge can back up. Of course, any accident and you add an hour.
Castro Valley, western Dublin and western Pleasanton get onto I580 west of 680 and are about a 45 minute commute. Better yet, they have BART stations. It takes a bit over an hour to get to SFO since the trains go thru downtown San Francisco but at least it's more relaxing than traffic. Castro Valley is 15 miles, Dublin and Pleasanton 7 miles, from KLVK (Livermore Muni).
Flying into San Carlos is possible, although I'm not sure of the best way to SFO from there. Also SQL gets the same coastal overcast as SFO, and I do not know what kind of delays to expect ifr into SQL.
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Although Hayward has a reputation as a poor city (and indeed there are sections of poor immigrant communities) imho it is improving. People are buying older homes and renovating them, etc. There are quite a few expensive homes in the Hayward hills. Off-hours commute to SFO from there is not bad at all, assuming you have inexpensive parking at sfo as an employee. Also, many areas of "Hayward" are outside the city limits and so are, like Castro Valley, unincorporated and get all government services from the county.
I do not know what the hangar situation is at Hayward airport.
Given the real estate sticker shock you face moving here, Hayward may be a good choice, if the airport/hangar situation works out.
 
SQL

SQL is a nice airport, but don't plan on a hangar for your plane any time soon. I've been on the hangar waiting list for about 6 years now. I've got 10 people in front of me now, so judging by previous years, that means I have another year or more to wait.

There are shade hangars, but last I looked there was a waiting list for those too. There are tie downs available all the time.
 
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