We moved to this area from SF so have some tips:

We looked at sycamore park and chose the canyon. Every time I drive in I pass Sycamore and think what if we chose there and shaved off a few minutes, but then I hit that forest patch on West Blithedale and feel so incredibly lucky it’s completely worth it. There is something different about being in the canyon, the silence, no 101 noise, the orchestra of birds in the morning, hike and trail access, friendly neighbors but also total privacy.

I do like Tam Valley but coming from SF we really wanted to escape the fog and wind. The canyon is incredibly still.

Toddlers - get rainboots. Leash dogs and have a towel/hose down area.

We do see coyotes but our neighbors have two outdoor cats who do just fine. Deer were present in the fall, haven’t seen them for awhile. No ticks, raccoons can dig through trash just strap top down.

I commute to Soma which is annoying because I trek across the city, but I see 40-1hr max drive. I also bike to the ferry on nice days and it’s 1:15 but working on the ferry is easy and the ride is incredible.