Anyone here in or from Richmond, CA?

[Veloo]

What is cycling (and life in general) like in that area?

[Waldo]

Richmond is almost Berkeley for cycling, restaurants, etc., depending on where in Richmond you are. Crime is higher than in some other areas, but improving. Public schools stink. In a year or two, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will have a bike lane, giving you bike access to Marin and all that...

[bloody sunday]

head south to berkely/oakland and you'll find plenty of beautiful places to ride. My favorite is Tunnel/Grizzly Peak

[alexstar]

Richmond is a blue-collar town with a history of serious problems including gang violence. Things are improving overall but there are still parts of town I wouldn't go at night. The housing crisis means that a lot of more affluent folks are moving in, displacing the more impoverished residents, but housing is still pretty affordable relative to the rest of the East Bay. Riding is nice, once you get out of Richmond and into the hills east of town. Riding around town is not as pleasant.

[Hindmost]

Originally Posted by Waldo

...In a year or two, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will have a bike lane, giving you bike access to Marin and all that...

Wow, that will be major! From a perspective having lived and cycled in the Berkeley and Marin areas.

[bikingshearer]

+1 to pretty much all of the above. One other thing to remember - since you can take your bike on BART, your horizons are greatly expanded.

Whereabouts in Richmond are going to live, if you know? As mentioned above, some parts of Richmond (and almost all of San Pablo) are undesireable, to be charitable.

[bloody sunday]

there are places like Pt. Richmond that are very nice. The Bay trail goes through the nice parts next to the water overlooking the Bay

[FlashUNC]

If you can work your way East to the Berkeley Hills, the riding gets very nice, very fast.

If you're going to have a car, then the world is your oyster. Marin -- at least till the bike lane is done -- Wine Country, the Sierras, etc etc.

[Veloo]

The work location looks like it would probably be on Harbour Way S in the Harbor and Ford Channel area. No idea where accommodations would be.

[alexstar]

Originally Posted by Veloo

The work location looks like it would probably be on Harbour Way S in the Harbor and Ford Channel area. No idea where accommodations would be.

Will that be arranged for you, or do you choose the location for yourself? If you choose to stay elsewhere, keep in mind that Interstate 80 is heavily trafficked and can be a parking lot during rush hour. The nearby towns of Albany and El Cerrito are good options.

[cnighbor1]

Grizzly peak cyclists is my riding club
when you get to web site and click on cue sheets there is nearly all the rides one can do in the total bay area
and contact me and other Serotta members for a trip up mt diablo mt tam mt Hamilton

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by Veloo

The work location looks like it would probably be on Harbour Way S in the Harbor and Ford Channel area. No idea where accommodations would be.

You are a bridge and $5.00 away from Marin which is the best riding in the country. Richmond can be really rough.

[jtakeda]

I'm from Richmond- lived there for 20 years and now live in Oakland. Feel free to ask me qs

Cycling- east to hills is great you can ride anywhere. When the bike path to the bridge gets built the world is your oyster.

Life in general- a lot better than it used to be. Richmond is definitely shedding its reputation for being more or equally as dangerous as Oakland- I'd look for housing above San Pablo

[eddief]

the city is known as murderous...but oh the Mexican food! Sounds like you will be in the marina area and that is a super planned commercial and housing development right on the Bay. And all the buildings in the marina area are modern to a point of a cookie cutter. You might be working here, but where will you choose to live?

You can ride an unimpeded flat bike path from the foot of the San Rafael bridge all the way into the Emeryville marina at the foot of the Bay Bridge. And also be quite near the funky Point Richmond community on top of big oil storage tanks. We have it all.

On a good traffic day, you will be about 15 minute drive to the riches(t) of cycling in Marin County. Or another 15 minutes to the open spaces of the East Bay hills.

Richmond proper, not so good, but boy the real estate everywhere else is hot and the biggest in the country.

Me. Moving to Santa Rosa next month.

[fogrider]

Originally Posted by Veloo

The work location looks like it would probably be on Harbour Way S in the Harbor and Ford Channel area. No idea where accommodations would be.

this area is full on industrial. but if you head north east about 3 miles and cross 80 at san pablo, and get on san pablo dam road, it won't take long before the cars disappear. lots of good stuff back here!