Cheap housing near Palo Alto? (Redwood City, Alameda: environment, budget, apartments)

[hurz]

Hi,

I can get an internship in Palo Alto and I'm looking for a studio to rent. It would be perfect if commuting to Palo Alto doesn't take longer than 20-30 minutes (one way). And it should be in a safe area. My budget for the rent would be 1,000 - 1,500$ although i don't know yet how much i'll be payed. Can you please give me any advice in what city i should look for a studio?

And should I try to rent in advance online or just move there, live for a week in a motel or something and then search on location? I'm from Germany, so I'm not familiar with US housing conditions. How can I find a studio on location? Is there some central register or do i just have to look out on the street for rent signs? Are there any other things I should watch out for when renting a housing in the U.S.?

Thanks very much for your help.

[sonarrat]

If you want CHEAP, that's East Palo Alto. You can still get a one-bedroom there for under $1,000, and with the "strict rent control" they have in that town, you probably always will. But you live there at your own risk, even if it is no longer the murder capital of the USA it is still not the place where anyone lives by choice. Next step up from there would be Redwood City, which has also calmed down quite a bit ever since they put gunfire sensors in key areas on the city's east side. Then you have some very cheap, but very old and very bad apartments in Palo Alto and Menlo Park themselves, usually right by the train tracks and usually noisy like you would not believe.

I lived in that area once, and I picked Redwood City - a nicer area at the bottom of the western foothills, at Jefferson and Alameda de las Pulgas. That area has a middle-America kind of vibe, and the people I met on the streets were very friendly, but my neighbors were terrible and the place was a bona fide dump in all senses of the term.

[al_roethlisberger]

It's all relative, but "cheap" and Palo Alto are pretty much oxymorons unfortunately

That being said, you do have options if you don't mind a room-mate, and if you like a more pedestrian or urban experience you may be able to find an efficiency or small unit above a downtown business that is affordable. Some people really like living in a business district, so that may be an option.

As already suggested, I have family in Redwood City and really like the area. It is a good location right between SF and the South Bay, has a great micro-climate, and is just generally a nice place.

There are a lot of great modest sized homes in the area, although pricey, you may be able to room with some partners to make it affordable.

Good luck!
Al

[ElleBebe]

Please don't live in East Palo Alto. It may have improved a lot over the past 5-10 years, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

Redwood City is a nice place to live; Palo Alto itself also has some affordable studios that fit in your budget. You can also look at Menlo Park. I grew up in and near these three cities, and enjoyed it. It's also international because of Stanford University and its location near silicon valley.

Another option would be finding a family that has a room to rent out; since the area is really popular with university students, there are a lot of families that do this with grad students. You might try searching for websites that have programs for that sort of thing, or perhaps Craigslist has listings like that.

I'd check Craigslist (peninsula housing classifieds - craigslist) to get an idea for rent in different areas, but I'd highly recommend checking out different areas before you decide on a place for sure; neighborhoods vary in terms of the atmosphere, environment, type of peope living there... Apartment buildings often post signs indicating they have a vacancy available for rent. You can drive around and write down phone numbers to call (as sometimes you have to make an appointment to view a unit) or you can just stop by the office and talk to the landlord or manager.

Since you're coming from Germany, I'll assume you can't visit beforehand. Do you have anyone you can stay with for a few days while you find a place to live? Staying in a motel for a few days might be a good option, if you can afford it.

Also, be aware that internships are often unpaid; make sure yours is a paying internship before you accept.