10 Pros and Cons of Living in California Right Now Living in Benicia offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. It would be fair to say that the city residents have a love-hate relationship with this service and most days, its more of the latter. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The hills can wear out your legs if youre not used to them, but taking advantage of the weather and the natural beauty of the community makes for a wonderful experience. There is a significant homeless population in the city as well, especially in the core, where youre going to find a higher crime rate, unsanitary conditions at times, and encounters with people who are desperate for a fix, down on their luck, or struggling with their mental health. Parking is a significant problem as well. However, high salaries are offset by a high cost of living. Benicia is one of the the best places to raise a family in the Bay Area right now. Great parks. 1. Fantastic schools, a good community, and much more affordable than the Bay Area. Several businesses allow them as well, even if they are not a service animal. Good Stuff. Theres only one word of caution: not every landlord permits pets, so youll want to ask in advance before bringing your pup along for this adventure. Then spend time in the bay area on weekends. Thanks for your candor. Please keep in mind that this is a personal list, not everyone will feel the same way. A lot of people don't even know Benicia exists, but it was the state capital in the 1850's so has some interesting history. There are two NFL teams in the region as well. However, a high crime rate, high cost for shelter, and lagging economy might be a problem. An added bonus is that the town is located right on the water so you can see the ships go by, etc. Residents of urban areas may struggle with their mental health. In fact, California usually ranks as the worst 10-states for public education. If you're not into surfing, no worries, there's plenty of other activities to choose from, like biking, hiking, fishing, snorkeling and much more. Are you thinking about moving to California? It's a fantastic place to raise your kids! However, there can be some health disadvantages. Based on the proximity of local amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, librairies, etc., Benicia has received a higher than average score for its local amenities. Hard to complain about that! Although not Napa or Sonoma, this is a historic town surrounded by the bay with a small-town feel and very family oriented. The taxes should be taken into strong consideration while researching if moving to California is right for you because they will greatly reduce your overall take home pay. If you are checking out out the area, don't skip Glen Cove, which is next to Benicia. It might be worthwhile to consider commuting if you can manage the traffic situation in the city. We lived in California in the past two other times, once in Lompoc and other in Monterey. We are looking in Novato, Petaluma, Santa Rosa or Fairfield/Vacaville, Concord areas. Well I live in Placerville California and Ive lived in Yosemite and weed and a lot of different places and let me tell you that not all parts of the state have mild Winters or constant sunshine or High cost of living or poor performing public schools. Can you tell us about the schools? ben suarez bread / joseph wiley kim burrell / pragmatic theory of truth pros and cons. #3. The best ride of all is the ferry from Mare Island Channel but it only goes to Alameda and by way of SF. Come to our farmers market and check out the town- every Thursday from 4-8. Pros And Cons Of Living In Colombia - How To Expat We just made new friends sitting on the sidewalk, sipping an adult beverage with our dogs at our feet. Good luck with your search! Benicia offers an abundance of leisure and recreational activities. Please. Amy, Re: Kid friendly neighborhoods in the East Bay Benicia may be a bit too far North for you, but it is an amazing little treasure. He called the area Yerba Buena, and it became a popular destination for Americans in the 1840s. 20 Pros and Cons of Living in Halifax, Canada Pro: It's One of the Most Beautiful Places Nova Scotia is one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. Although the high school has a strong arts program, overall the district spends a lot of time and emphasison test prep and there is significant homework starting in Kindergarten. And the scenery is amazingly beautiful! Benicia is known to be family friendly as more than 76% of the population has already tied the knot. Quality schools. . An increase in your homes value can be a good way to generate tax-free equity that can create long term financial security. Calculated annually per 100,000 residents. The town puts on wonderful holiday celebrations and the entire town comes out to celebrate. A couple of them are atypical learners/creative types. Too many people; California being one of the most populated cities makes people scramble for the limited space in the area. There is a direct transfer point to BART in Richmond. It continues to be one of the worst and deadliest earthquakes in U.S. history. Benicia is a little gem that gets overlooked because of the nearby refineries. Those are awful places to live with skewed statistics on crime and things because it isnt a total picture of this great state. The traffic in San Francisco is legendarily terrible. Benicia is a suburb of Vallejo with a population of 27,191. The public schools in Benicia are highly rated. Sign up for a yoga class on the beach and see what all the hype is about. It's 20 plus minutes to the Bay Bridge and 10 mins or so to Walnut Creek so it's not a bad commute and there is a ferry service into the city. They both have advantages of amazing views from many neighborhoods. I like your negative points. 22 Pros and Cons of Living in Canada! - Girl With The Passport Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Redding are simply unattainable. If helpful, below is a chart that show the effective California state income tax depending on your income bracket. If so, youll be joining many other Californians in the most populous state in the country. Whether you head down to enjoy the Golden Gate Bridge, go across to see the redwoods, stay on the piers, or enjoy the unique culture, some people find that they can fill up their free time without ever going somewhere. It's only fitting to consider the pros and cons of this popular decision-making tool: The Pros Rigor. You are welcome to email me if you have any questions. Our kids are 15, 13, 11 and 8, so high school, middle and elementary. 12 Pros And Cons Of Living In California: Must-Read Before Moving To CA California has some of the country's most beautiful beaches and with more than 800 miles of coastline you're going to have a lot to choose from. We looked at a lot of houses in Benicia. There are a lot of gorgeous aspects of San Francisco to love, but the issues the city has with heroin and meth are quite problematic. There are lots of job opportunities available in San Francisco. Discover the schools, companies, and neighborhoods that are right for you. I couldnt agree more! We arevery attached to living within the Bay Area, hence we would love to get your recommendation. The North Bay is really a great place to live. Our oldest grandson (who is 20 years old) graduated from Benicia High School and is doing extremely well in college. Here are some of the more popular things to do in Benicia: Benicia State Capitol and Historical Park, Benicia State Recreation Area, and Benicia Historical Museum. Pros and Cons of living in Barcelona - 10 best and worst things JL. You cant beat the weather and people who live here love it. One of the reasons why it is feasible to get around San Francisco without a vehicle is because many of the employers in the Bay Area offer free shuttle services that you can use to get to work. 6. Prices were lower there, but she believes theair quality from the refinery has affected their health and that of others she knows in the community. . Moving to California means leaving behind bitter winters and freezing temperatures, which greatly improves my quality of life. The median home price for Benicia homes is $475,500, which is 16.2% higher than the California average. Every neighborhood has a couple of dog parks that offer an expansive area for leash-free running. The cost of living in Nevada is also lower than in many other states. Los Angeles is considered one of the best food cities in America. Since most everyone moving to California arrives with a car, you can expect nightmarish traffic to become part of your daily life in California. I would also love any information you can give about that in relation to California. Benicia CA Real Estate - Benicia CA Homes For Sale | Zillow In moving around so much, Ive had an opportunity to experience living in California through various large cities and Ive definitely learned a lot about what life in California is like. San Diego alone is home to more than 7,000 restaurants, and the Hispanic cuisine is considered the best in the country thanks to the citys close proximity to Mexico. The employment boom thanks to Silicon Valley and the other high-tech industries in the area makes it one of the most robust economies in the country right now. The refineries are all ''down wind'' and don't really have any impact on your quality of life. Then, if your bus is going through Chinatown, expect a lengthy delay. And seeing as Canadians are enjoying increased income, they'll have more to spend at your new business - easily making this one of the best pros and cons of living in Canada. Well done, well said and bravo for being honest. Perhaps the most notable benefit could be the appreciation of your new home. Dont base your schedule on what it tells you. We just moved there from Oakland in February and absolutely love it! P.S. Whenever I visit other cities, Im constantly met with enjoy your visit, but dont move here which stopped being funny in 2010. There is an 'island mentality' I noticed; 'crossing the bridge' to the rest of the Bay Area just feels like a big deal to a Benician. 25 Pros And Cons Of Living In Georgia (Updated 2023) - Home Mindset You will find two active Major League Baseball teams in the Bay Area for you to catch a game. I think it is considered a ''safe'' town, and it is convenient to the Vallejo Ferry or casual carpool for commuting into the city.