Pleasanton is the Far East Bay. The weather is hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than its Bay Area counterparts. There is a BART (the Dublin/Pleasanton line ends there) and some great job opportunities (Intel has a huge office there as does Oracle and Charles Schwab. Chevron is only about 15 minutes away in San Ramon and Sybase is right next door in Dublin).But, all and all it is an overgrown, generic suburb that is actually quite affluent (or was considered affluent before the foreclosure crisis, but I think the people in Ruby Hills are still doing just fine). The residents are known to be flashy and very ill behaved (think the Real Housewives of the OC with a beach). A lot of athletes live there, some tech industry folk and people who have done well in construction.The schools are great by Cali standards but when you look closer and realize how many resources each school has, the performance is a bit low and is not comparable to cities with similar tax brackets. Main Street has a lot to offer and the Farmers Market is amazing! (it helps that P-town is in the Far East Bay and a lot closer to Cali s agricultural centers). There are cute coffee shops, some good restaurants and a fairly lively bar scene.Everything else is pretty so-so and, honestly, the people of Pleasanton are not that friendly, that educated or all that socially aware. Which is very significant, being that it is part of the very progressive, very intelligent and very balanced Bay Area. If you are looking at the Tri-Valley area, I would recommend San Ramon. It s a great community and for the most part people are very friendly and welcoming. Also, the kids are better behaved and the parents are actually concerned and attentive.
Pleasanton is more like the central valley than the bay area. Nothing but tract housing, which means it will be cheap to live out there. It s very hot in the summer, and kind of chilly in the winter. If you re really looking to experience the bay area, I would move further west, over the hill.
quiet small town/city.. Great to raise kids.