BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Hi guys,

I'm planning to move to the bay area and was wondering where would be the best place to live if you plan to kite a lot ? Cheaper the rent the better but its not a big restriction. I do have a car.
Thanks.

-Vivek

depends on what your style of kiting there is . SF and the coast has a lot of stuff to offer with waves a lot of the time and 3rd ave and sherman are good for the flatwater style

Live close to work and commute to fun. That is what I do. That way you can go to where the wind is which varies around the bay depending on the conditions.
After living in LA traffic I vowed never to sit in a car hours on end to commute to work.

AD72 wrote:After living in LA traffic I vowed never to sit in a car hours on end to commute to work.

That. Living in central peninsula gives you a lot of options for short to medium work and/or kite commutes. Depends on your priorities.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies but I forgot to mention that I'm working on my own startup so no real commute :). Lots of waves and wind would Be perfect.

And I really want to be walkable to the beach if possible.

Would you still recommend the above spots?

Thanks
-Vivek

I think Foster City/San Mateo/Redwood City are your best bet.

FC is probably the least expensive and closest to third ave which is one of the better spots in the bay due to consistently strong winds in the summer.

But of course third is muddy and dirty - it's not a beach. For waves and sand you need Waddell or Crissy or Ocean Beach.

Tough to live near Waddell, for Crissy or OB then you are looking at SF. Pretty expensive. If you want cheap(er) living in SF then outer Richmond or Sunset districts will do it - outer Richmond being the best since it's closest to OB and Crissy. But you will have to deal with fog which should not be underestimated.

Living near and walking to a beach to kite are somewhat unlikely. Half Moon Bay would be a possibility, as would Ocean Beach but living at the coast could become the summer of your discontent as it's not uncommon to see persistent fog patterns develop on the coast during the summer which could leave you damp and grumpy longing for the sun.

I'd throw this out there based on my experience and where I live - East Bay in Berkeley, Emeryville or Rockridge, Elmwood or Montclair areas in Oakland. To me it seems the epicenter of most all bay area kiting. From where I live - Berkeley - 10 minutes, Alameda 10-15 minutes, Sherman - 45 minutes, Ocean Beach - 45 minutes, Dillon Beach 1.25 hours, Waddell - 1.5 hours, Crissy - 30-40 minutes. The weather is killer too, but this all just my opinion. :mrgreen:

Bay area + Cheap + walking distance to the beach = dream

I second tgautier on the peninsula if you don't mind the mud and the lack of wave. I was able to ride 3rd ave every single day in the past 2 weeks and then driving 5mn back home. And that, without missing a full day of work. I wonder if it's even possible when living east bay or near the ocean.

I'd rather live close to fun and commute to work. Personally, I have more regret missing a day out than missing a day of work. But it all comes on what your priorities are. And if your only priority when choosing a place to live is kiteboarding, then that makes it very easy to find.

Thanks for the great answers. Keep em coming.

A place near 3rd Ave sounds like a good idea but I'm single so I'm guessing its suburbia out there?

I'm kind of thinking living in San Francisco and kiting at Crissy. With an apartment share that might work out? What do you think ?

-Vivek
PS: I'm moving from NYC to SFO basically for two reasons - to be close to startup community/capital and kiteboarding during as much as possible. If only Hawaii had a bunch of rich people who like to invest in tech startups!

kenjidnb wrote:Bay area + Cheap + walking distance to the beach = dream

I second tgautier on the peninsula if you don't mind the mud and the lack of wave. I was able to ride 3rd ave every single day in the past 2 weeks and then driving 5mn back home. And that, without missing a full day of work. I wonder if it's even possible when living east bay or near the ocean.

It's quite possible. Last week (after ending a job and prior to starting another one) I had flexibility in the afternoons and got in 7 out of 8 days at a total of 4 east bay spots, all within 10-20 minutes from home/work which brings up another plus - variety. O:)