Pros & Cons

We love living in Lafayette. We loved our time in Oakland and will always have good memories of those years. There are a lot of things we will miss about Oakland, but we are loving Lafayette.

Oakland Pros
- All of our friends. We have met so many wonderful people that will be our friends for life.
- Food. There are so many great restaurants in Oakland and I am sure we didn't even try half of them. We loved going out each Friday night and trying a new place or going to one of our favorites.
- Our warehouse loft. Oakland had some great spaces and was a fun urban life. We loved living in our loft for the first year and a half of our marriage.
- Our ward. We loved being and serving in our ward. We learned so much from all the wonderful members/friends there.
- White Elephant Sale. My favorite rumage sale that I look forward to each year. I will continue to go even though I am not so close.
- Lake Merritt. We loved taking family walks/bike rides around Lake Merritt every Sunday with the kids.
- Adam's Point. We loved being so close to parks and great restaurants. We loved walking to Grand Lake for some take out dinner and picnic at the park on Friday nights in the summer time.
- Proximity to the city. We loved being so close to SF.
- There were so many great places to have dinner parties.
- IKEA was close.
- The farmers market was just down the street and on Saturdays. Plus it was so cheap.

Lafayette Pros
- We have our own home with lots of space and bedrooms.
- We have a big backyard for the kids to play in.
- We live down the street from preschool and several parks.
- There is a bike trail at the bottom of our street.
- Our street is lined with trees and is beautiful.
- All the leaves on the trees turn red, yellow and orange during the fall and it makes you feel like you are back east.
- I love driving through the little country roads to get anywhere. It makes me feel relaxed and peaceful.
- I love the ward and all the kids in it. My boys have lots of kids to play with.
- People are nice.
- I don't hear gun shots in the middle of the night or police sirens all day and night.
- I hear birds chirping in the morning and silence at night.
- I can see the black sky with all the bright stars at night time. When I look out my bedroom window at night I see trees and stars and I feel like I am camping or glamping because I am warm and cozy in my bed.
- I have a 14 foot long walk in closet that has so much potential. I can't wait to make it amazing.
- We don't have to drive through the ghetto to get any where.
- Strangers are polite and helpful.
- I don't have to carry pepper spray every where I go.
- I don't have to run to my car at night time.
- I can go out at night time without being scared.
- Johnny's donut shop our new family favorite.

Lafayette Cons
- It is a little farther to the city/work for Rick.
- The are police/speed traps every where. Nothing better for these cops to do. They aren't chasing down the drive by shooters like they are in Oakland.
- The grocery store is expensive.
- There aren't as many restaurant options.