Hey fellow skullbrainers... I'm looking to move to San Francisco very soon. I'd love to get your input, places to live, places WHERE NOT to live, etc. I own a vehicle, but I'm in a favorable situation where I could rid myself of it if a vehicle is unnecessary, and parking and stuff will end giving me more hassle than it's worth. I'd like to live in the general area of Pacfic Heights/Japantown/Downtown/Chinatown. I'm going to take a guess that everyone wants a place there too. I'd definitely be open to a roommate situation, in fact, I don't think it will be financially possible otherwise. So if anyone here would want a roommate, or know someone who needs one, drop me a line! I'm a super easy-going guy, if I may be so bold, I'm as ideal a roommate as they come. Anyway, I thought I'd throw this post out there, as I don't really know anyone in the area to connect with directly. I absolutely love San Francisco and have wanted to live there for as long as I can remember. Seems like the right time now. Thanks in advance for the advice and thoughts everyone!
Hubby and I LOVE San Francisco. But it's quite expensive and chilly (weatherwise) for our preference. If you love city-life, then SF has a lot to offer. Hubby and I prefer warmer weather and quieter surroundings. We lived in San Bruno for awhile, at the Crystal Springs Terrace http://www.crystalspringsterrace.com/ It's 2 minutes from the freeway and very conveniently located, and at the same time, the apartments are surrounded by trees on top of the hills. Generally very peaceful (lots of sun, squirrels, birds, and bats too!), but some units are quieter than others (I think there is a line of apartments right next to the freeway). You may be able to negotiate a lower rate, depending on vacancy levels. Millbrae and Burlingame are also nice places to live. Good luck!
pac heights is boring. strollers and nannies during the day. joggers on the weekends, but close to the marine and golden gate bridge. I stayed in pac heights for a couple of months when i first moved here, it is a snoozefest up there, although less street people than the haight or mission district. japantown is nice, but bert and some others can chime in on actually living near there. do not live downtown, it's the least attractive part of town to live in and its virtually dead past 6pm. i reccommend the mission if you can handle the bustle of street life and urban culture. its a fun part of town and where I've lived for three years (I just moved to Palo Alto for a year now tho). I also like bernal heights, noe valley, portrero hill and others. If you want to be near the beach, I don't know as much about those neighborhoods.
SOMA is boring and expensive, and unless you like baseball, its torture during the season, but you are near caltrain and a couple blocks from market. other then that meh. poterro hills is nice but i think costly as well
It's an Island. There is no treasure. You have to cross the bridge to get into SF. I would pass on that...unless you want to be isolated when the bridge collapses... If you have a car, parking on the street is hell no matter which neighborhood you live in. I live right on the edge of the Western Edition/Cathedral Hill and the Polk Gulch. My car has been broken into almost every year since I got it. I love my neighborhood because everything is around it. Bars are near by, I'm a block away from major bus lines, there's a good amount of places to eat if you don't feel like cooking...and the art store is just 2 blocks away (Super 7 is about 5-6 blocks with both up and down hill). If you're feeling lonely that night, then your first question is Pre or Post-Op. I've been in the same apartment for over 12 years and in the same neighborhood for at least 15 years. It is expensive to live in. If there was no rent control (thank goodness), I'd be looking at $1200-$1800 a month...maybe higher for a 1 bdrm and not a lot of space. If you want quiet, you're looking at Richmond or Sunset districts...even SOMA (except during baseball and football season). If you want quieter, you're looking outside SF like Burlingame to San Mateo. Part of your decision is where you'll be working, then how easy it is to get to by public if you don't plan on driving, then look at what is around that neighborhood. Plug the address into google maps and see what the area looks like. The buses in SF are not too bad. Some of the major bus lines get pretty packed in the morning...but that comes with any big city. Moving is stressful so do as much homework as you can and think of other options like a live-in instead of an apartment. The place you find might not be the place you stay at for very long. Oh...and count the steps as you walk up them.
A good way to try different neighborhoods on for size is to do sublets. Craig's List usually has plenty of them and they're typically already furnished (not sure if that would be a plus or minus for you). You could get a reasonably priced place in a different part of the city every month! I live in Cole Valley, which is part of Haight Ashbury (a.k.a. "The Haight"). It's a great little neighborhood that doesn't require you to drive everywhere. I'm an easy 5-minute walk to reasonably priced restaurants, bars, Golden Gate Park, Amoeba Music, Giant Robot, and everything else that Haight Street has to offer (which would also include K-R if you're so inclined...). The N-Judah Muni takes you to Union Square and downtown SF in just 10-15 minutes. But most importantly, it's a fast 10-minute car ride to Super 7 and Japantown. Good luck!
Welcome to the Bay. As Bert said, forget about Treasure Island. It's a ghost town with no amenities whatsoever. The wind whips up there so fierce, you cannot stand to be outside sometimes. If I were single, moving to SF I would consider living in the Mission / Cole Valley / Noe Valley / Potrero Hill / Inner Sunset (around 9th and Irving) / Inner Richmond. good luck.
If you have a car that you will be parking on the street, make sure it is a car that you do not care too much about. Most likely it will be broken into and dents, scratches, etc can be expected. I have a garage space now, but I've had my car broken into many times in the past when parking on the street. And it doesn't really matter what area you park in... they get broken into all over the city.
I totally agree with Kirkland--the neighborhoods he listed are the best in SF. I might even throw The Fillmore and Hayes Valley in the mix too. The Inner Sunset, which he mentioned, is a really great area too. Tons of fun stuff to do around there, good transportation, etc. It's pretty much one neighborhood over from Cole Valley, and one of the city's areas that I often head toward myself.
hmmmm, I think Hayes Valley is better conceptually (and certainly during lunch time hours) rather than in reality. nonetheless better than it used to be. can you say gentrification?
come spend two weeks here and go to three neighborhoods a day. after three days, start spending a whole day in the neighborhoods you'd like to spend more time in. go to the cafes in each neighborhood and talk to somebody there. they probably live in the neighborhood and can give you a heads up look. like all californians, san franciscans are friendly, laid-back, and love to complain -so you'll get to see the darker sides more clearly.
I need a room mate! I live in Noe Valley conveniently located about a 5 minute drive from Super7 HQ... large 3 bedroom house... back yard... 2 nerds living there. PM me if you are interested
