Choosing an apt in Palo Alto, CA - need help!

I'm looking for an apartment in Palo Alto. I know they're pretty expensive.

What's the typical cost of 2br in the safe place? I don't need something luxurious, but not a ghetto and definitely not an old cracked building with mad landlord.

What're the good spots to live there?

Personally, I was thinking about the block that starts with Sand Hill Rd and ends with Oregon Expy, and Middlefield Rd and El Camino Real from the other side. I don't know how are my chances to find something affordable there though ;)

Speaking of this, how safe is to move closer to 101? What're the limits where I can stop and look around for good apartment without compromising safety for me and my family? I have a small kid, who'll go to school eventually, I want him to be in a good one.

I also liked San Mateo, but it is too small and old for me. I came from Los Angeles area, and even if I used to live in suburbs (Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank) they still had kind of more interesting downtowns there. But San Mateo has got a great placement, with making it easy 20-ish minutes to almost anywhere (with no traffic).

Thank you!

I live near "downtown" Palo Alto (that is, near University Ave. between El Camino / RR tracks, and Middlefield Road...There are a lot of restaurants, retail and services that you can easily walk to...Locals refer to the nearby neighborhoods as "Downtown-North" and "University-South.". ..There are 3-4 small parks, good with kids.......The neighborhood called "Midtown" and of that, especially either side of Middlefield Rd., has TONS of apartment buildings of all sizes; Safeway; Long's Drugs; Walgreens; plus small retail nearby...You are right; closer to Hwy 101 (more east)there is A LITTLE more probability of being a crime victim; but none of Palo Alt is really "rough."...Resourece s: check the web site PALOALTOONLINE.COM provided by the local daily newspaper. Find links to a NEIGHBORHOODS page there...The city's official site is CITYOFPALOALTO.ORG , by the way.....The neighborhood called "College Terrace" just south of the Stanford Campus is pleasant but quiet, and has quite a potpourri of housing types....The best housing is found by word of mouth or by walking a neighborhood and asking around...What I do, and suggest to you, is to focus on some neighborhood or 2, walk around, look for rental signs and ALSO be asking people you see all your questions. Especially ask "have you seen any FOR RENT signs out or do you know anyplace being prepeared, or anyone I can talk to?".....Be aware (wary even) that when the economy gets hot, Palo Alto is one of the first places where big property management companies bump rents up very soon....(But on-site owners or smaller scale management companies are less so; they appreciate good tenants and show it.).....Another of my tricks is to call or visit property management companies, ESPECIALLY of the "investment and holding companies" because the often have non-advertised vacancies or upcoming ones....and they react well when a person who seems of good character walks in....Some of these companies in this town list themselves as "investment management" co.'s or "real estate management" co's. if you go by Yellow Pages or Internet categories.....Finally: Mountain View, just south, is a very pleasant (and cheaper) town with a lot of City services; Menlo Park just north is also VERY pleasant but not much cheaper than Palo Alto.....Good Hunting.