I am getting ready to apply to the studio as an animator, and was curious where, in the remote chance that I am hired, what areas that employees tend to live. I have heard that the salaries are pretty low by studio averages, and am curious what areas a junior could afford to live.
I’m not so sure about price. But I will warn you that Pixar is in Emeryville, which is right next to Oakland. Both have a reputation for not being a nice or safe area to live.
From what I hear, Oakland is pretty cheap. But if you want to live somewhere nicer, you might want to look into the City, Marin County, The South Bay and then commute. Sonoma and Napa counties to the north are very expensive.
The northern half of Oakland is perfectly nice and reasonably safe. It’s the southern half that’s a bit alarming. There’s also Berkeley, Piedmont, Concord, and the LaMOrinda area. Commuting from the South Bay would be an awefully long commute (well over an hour during rush hour) and living in the city is crazy expensive (you can rent a decent sized house in one of the nicer neighborhoods of Oakland for the cost of a studio apartment in SF).
Good to know. I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life, and I’m just going off the reputation that I was grown up with. I’m not too familiar with the specific areas of Oakland. I live about 45 minutes from Pixar, and even with that commute there’s Pixarians who live in my neck of the woods.
You lucky duck! How could you? 
(bad jelly feel!)
Just kidding! 
Seriously though, that is so cool! I bet that feeling rocks! It’s strange thinking I’d actually have to consider a life in or very close to Emeryville, but I’m all for it.
haha! Yeah, when I was about 10 my family was looking for a new house. And one of the houses we looked at was being sold by the guy who directed For The Birds. And my dad works in the wine industry, and has actually been at a few parties with John Lasseter!
I actually drive by Lasseter Family Winery on my way to work. I haven’t been lucky enough to see him, but my sister saw him at the grocery store. (in his trademark Hawaiian shirt of course). The local theatre is decorated to the brim with Pixar posters and figurines.
I live in a good area for artists actually. Charles Schulz of Peanuts fame lived in the next town over, and his cartoon research museum is there. And the author of Pearls Before Swine lives there too.
Ralph Eggleston’s old home? Nice! Oh gosh, to have so many close encounters to John Lasseter, not to mention family members having already met him 
…I think my head would be spinning, and then I would faint…and then I would feel strange to not have anything for him to autograph.
How awesome for you to live near so many cool artists! I also love Peanuts and Pearls Before Swine. Sounds almost like Animation Heaven…
I know, I don’t know what I would do if I met him! Actually, when the Pixar movies come out, there’s usually a special event going on at the local theater. And sometimes Lasseter is there.
I was in New York when Cars 2 came out, and in New Orleans when Toy Story 3 came out. So I was unable to go to the premier things. And I saw Brave when it came out, but at a later showing. So idk, maybe this year at Monsters University? Hopefully!
Someone is pretty luckly. May I ask, what exactly is “Bahia”? When I look it up on Wikipedia, it just says it’s an unincorporated community. Is that where you actually live? Just curious.
Woulden’t it make more sense to have this in the mind thread or PM her? The post is pretty off topic from what you wrote, it kinda seems the first sentence was only written to have it was relating to the topic, when most of it was about something else. If you write it in the mind thread I’m sure she’ll see it.
Alrighty, I apologise.
Being somewhat on-topic though, I always wondered if Pixar’s employees actually live in the studio itself. I would love to have my own room there.
Thank you Pixarfan, but I can handle it.
Being animators, I’m sure that that many a employee had late nights there! Maybe some have had to sleep over at the studio, if time is tight. I know it’s a stressful job. But I’m sure that no one lives there full time.
As for your previous question, don’t worry about it! I’m assuming you asked because I was talking about where I live, and you looked where my location was and it was ‘Bahia’. Just in the future send a PM. I have Bahia as my location because it’s a reference to this: youtube.com/watch?v=OMQerXNmUfk