We asked Bay Area residents where they'd like to move. The answers surprised us

After spending the past year visiting under-the-radar Bay Area downtowns, I wrote a May column explaining why I'd move to Martinez in a heartbeat. (Not happening soon. I'm happy in Alameda.) Then we asked Chronicle readers: If you were going to move to another Bay Area city, where would you choose and why?

The answers were fascinating. While predictable choices led the list - San Francisco and Berkeley were the top vote-getters - surprises abounded.

Petaluma, Alameda and Oakland were next, and the slept-upon cities of El Cerrito and Moraga both received multiple endorsements. The tiny Peninsula community of Brisbane, which few people think about when they're not passing its freeway exit, received one vote (albeit from one of Brisbane's 4,851 residents).

And Pacifica, known best for its foggy climate and epic waterfront Taco Bell, received multiple testimonials, including this passionate defense from an anonymous reader who lives down the coast in Montara:

"You still see kids biking, playing outside. Lots of dogs, kids, families. Not a lot of high-end restaurants, but people here mostly can't afford them. The ocean, the pier, the whales, the hills, the community - all down to earth. Places to hike, nice parks, places to bike. A good place to raise a family."

"Not cheap, but not stratospheric either" was a common theme in the responses, and many answers included cost analysis. Readers cited Martinez and Castro Valley as affordable towns with good weather, amenities or a neighborly spirit.San Francisco native and retired S.F. Opera musician Janet Archibald called out Martinez as feeling "more like the S.F. I grew up in during the 1960s: artsy, quirky, a very active music and arts scene, and most important to me, still a large number of working-class folks."Here's what else readers had to say about where they'd move:

Woodland (Yolo County) resident Whit Manley made a tourism bureau-ready pitch for Petaluma that made me want to return for another tour right now: "Lovely parks and hiking nearby. Good weather. Yummy bakery. Mini-waterfront. Local shops, including a good bookstore. Nineteenth and early 20th-century cottages. Decent transit options. Stunning landscape to the west, including coast access. Not cheap, but not stratospheric either. Cows. Pie.""It's a beautiful little city with a great downtown, good restaurants and plenty of hiking. It's also on the SMART train. Petalumans are also very nice people. But realistically, I'm not going anywhere." –Chris VerPlanck, San Francisco

"San Rafael, although we moved last year after 20 years in S.F. I joke that we finally moved to California. Twenty minutes from the bridge, with a thriving downtown, public transit and true Mediterranean weather. What's not to love?" –Spencer, San Rafael (formerly San Francisco)

"Proximity to the city, hiking and its adorable small-town vibe. Hippies still exist there. Negative is too white." –Marjorie Duffner, San Francisco

"Because it is in Marin County, north of S.F. and is beautiful, quiet and has an active (actual) community. Where I live now, in Glen Park, they've cut down most of the trees in the canyon, which has increased the air pollution, noise pollution, grit and grime. … I would gladly move somewhere else, nearby, where trees are appreciated and valued." –T. Estrella, San Francisco

"There are affordable areas with good public transit, cultural diversity, restaurants, theaters and a thriving arts scene benefiting from artists fleeing the costs of living in S.F." –Barbara, San Francisco

"I lived in Oakland for eight years and reluctantly moved to Alameda in 2001, where I still live. Alameda is a lovely, placid little town, but my heart is still in Oakland. I love its diversity, action and quirkiness." –Anonymous

"Friendly, warm climate, diversity of great places to eat in or take out. Best farmer's market in North Bay on Sundays. Only 30 minutes from the ocean and Bodega Bay, 20 minutes from Occidental and ancient redwood groves." –Vicki Rae, Glen Ellen (Sonoma County)

Perhaps the largest surprise for me was how many people picked San Francisco. While the question was open-ended, it was linked to a story about lesser-known towns. Has San Francisco become so unfairly maligned by national media figures that it qualifies as underrated?

"San Francisco because it has so many great neighborhoods, views, walks, and so many new parks along the water," wrote April Gilbert of Berkeley.

"San Francisco. We raised our kids in the suburbs. For our next chapter, we're looking for the energy and diversity of an urban lifestyle," wrote an anonymous contributor from Walnut Creek.

"More walkable than Oakland. Closer to outdoor opportunities in Marin County," wrote Keith from Oakland.

Call Daniel Lurie. Maybe that should be the new city slogan?

There's more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.

This article originally published at We asked Bay Area residents where they'd like to move. The answers surprised us.