Hey y'all,
Here's a resource that might help you begin your search.
Housing Maps for Vallejo
This is a combo of Google Maps and Craigslist. Vallejo is in the upper left hand corner with all the red/yellow flags in it. Play around with it a bit, you can zoom in on Vallejo, change the price range, etc. Just to get a feel for what's available. You can search in other areas of the bay as well.
Here's an example of a place, very close/similar to where I live. Neighborhood called "Vallejo Heights" as it sits on a big hill. Nice views of the bay.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/656994504.html
Overall advice, you pick which one best represents you. The #1 most important thing is what will make
you happy. Everyone's different:
"I want to live really close to school." - live in
Vallejo (5 min commute)
"I want to live close to school, but I want to live in a newer, gated community." - live in
Glen Cove / Benicia (10-15min commute)
"I want to live close to school but also closer to SF." - live in
El Cerrito (20min commute to school/ $3 toll each day. 20 min drive to SF.)
"I want to live somewhere where I can walk to restaurants, bars and coffee shops, my Yoga class and a Organic Health Food Store & close to SF." - live in
Albany / Berkeley (25min commute, $3 toll each day, or carpool for free. 15 min drive to SF.)
"I want to live in a true urban environment but SF is just to far for me." live in
Oakland, near Lake Merritt. (35min commute, $3 toll - or carpool for free.)
"I have to live in one of the world's MOST fabulous cities." Live in
SF. Take the 55 min ferry each day or drive 50 min each way.
"I am looking to buy a house, possibly make some money over next two years." Call a Realtor. Definitely shop in
Vallejo. It's a buyers market out there.
Things to avoid:
#1 living in the dorms or on Mare Island.
#2 moving
further out: Napa, Fairfield, Martinez, San Rafael - I don't recommend this unless you have some specific reason to do so, i.e. family, spouse's job, a house there, etc. It has been done, and it seems to not work out unless you have some specific reason. You will be far from school & far from SF = not happy.
All of the options I'm listing above are things that multiple students are actually doing, right now. Any option can work, depending on what you want. I lived in SF first year and really had a blast, school was easier for me first year so I could handle just coming 3 days a week (have lots of science background.) 2nd year is a bit more demanding academically, I live in Vallejo and that's working well for me too. I can go out on week-ends when I care too. However, this is actually the
opposite of the average pattern of Touro students. Most students are nervous about school and unfamiliar with the area, so they live in Vallejo / Benicia / Glen Cove their first year. Then everyone realizes that being close to school is not necessarily going to make you study more, and so they move further out - Berkeley, Oakland, even SF for second year.
Consider this - med school is hard, and it gets worse as you go along. You must find ways to keep yourself sane and happy. Put some time into deciding what that looks like for you. Don't be freaked out about school, it is hard, but you can do it - especially if you balance. Your housing is key to finding that balance.
bth7