What is Caltrain like for commuting in the South Bay? Would it make sense to rent near a Caltrain station in one of the cheaper cities and commute to the Silicon Valley area?
1. You're leaving from 4th & King / 22nd Street - This is is because the train PACKS in and the further down the line you're trying to get on, the worse chance you'll have of actually getting a seat and being comfortable.
2. Your company is right off the Caltrain stop - This is because if you have to take a shuttle or some other mode of transportation, you're throwing more randomness in your trip about when you'll make the Caltrain to head back home.
I used to live at the Avalon at 4th and King and work in East Palo Alto and the commute was great for the most part. Rent near any Caltrain stop is not cheap, but you're paying for the convenience of being near transportation. The main issues I had where when I had to get back; If my shuttle was delayed or late for the train I needed to catch, I usually had to end up running or would miss my train. The itself was reliable, but my shuttle driver was not.
What this means is that they have absolutely no way to mitigate minor problems - every problem becomes a major problem. It is not uncommon for them to have a train stall leaving a station, and that leads to half the trains in the system being 20 minutes late. If they have a pedestrian or vehicle collision, things get much worse.
They also only run one train per hour that stops at every station, so your commute is limited to a few train options every day if you're not going between two of the 5-6 most popular stations.
In addition, if you're not working within walking distance of a station, you'll have to take a shuttle, which could easily add 20 minutes to your commute, and have it's own schedule that you need to mesh with caltrain's schedule.
The Caltrain is surprisingly expensive. It is also a long trip from SF to SJ, and has been running late for months when going Northbound.
Beware that if you buy a Clipper card, they tend to "forget" your deposit without recourse. The fine is $250 for being caught without proof of payment or jail.
South bay from? My summer gig is in downtown Mountain View and I stay really close to San Jose Diridon station. Looking at the schedule, the train ride can be as short as 15 minutes (SJ to MTV) and the rents here are ~$3K/mo for a 2 bedroom apartment.
Caltrain regularly hits cars on the track and has to stop the train for more than an hour, so you'll need a backup plan if you expect to get home on time.
1. You're leaving from 4th & King / 22nd Street - This is is because the train PACKS in and the further down the line you're trying to get on, the worse chance you'll have of actually getting a seat and being comfortable.
2. Your company is right off the Caltrain stop - This is because if you have to take a shuttle or some other mode of transportation, you're throwing more randomness in your trip about when you'll make the Caltrain to head back home.
I used to live at the Avalon at 4th and King and work in East Palo Alto and the commute was great for the most part. Rent near any Caltrain stop is not cheap, but you're paying for the convenience of being near transportation. The main issues I had where when I had to get back; If my shuttle was delayed or late for the train I needed to catch, I usually had to end up running or would miss my train. The itself was reliable, but my shuttle driver was not.