The bay is a fabulous place to live, but it costs lots of $$$. Like Cathy mentioned, renting a simple one-bedroom apartment over here can empty your wallet in no time. That said, it's incredibly diverse and I love it. Simply said, if you're looking for something, chances are we'll have it. What's great about the bay is that it's centered heavily around the major cities; yet, in places like Martinez and parts of Livermore, you can buy a large house with acreage or even a farm (although it'll cost you).

But yes, many pets are illegal over here. The only one that I know of for *certain* is the Quaker. If you're a dog/cat type of person, though, you'd be hard pressed to find a better place to live than the bay. Of course, I'm not biased