Is living in a studio apartment difficult? (San Francisco, Oakland: apartments, house)

[AbFab]

Hi all,

I am moving to San Francisco and it seems that if I want to live in the city I am going to have to live in a studio apartment. I do not live in the area so I have not seen any of them yet but I am wondering if anyone out there would be willing to share their experiences living in a studio.

The ones I have seen range from about 300-500sqft. I am worried that it will be depressingly small. I am a student and will spend a lot of time studying at home. So I am contemplating both living in the city or living in the suburbs in a 1 bedroom.

[NorCal Dude]

Studio living sucks in my personal opinion, but if its in a reasonably upscale area i could manage as a student. The problem with living in a one bedroom in an outer area is the commuting to school which sucks

[AbFab]

I am trying to find a place on Nob Hill (which I hope will be quiet enough for studying). Anyone else with opinions on studio living?

[Chava61]

I lived in a small studio apt. in San Francisco several years ago. Since I was at work during the day and came home tired in the evening, I found it fine especially since I was in such a convenient location. (I walked to my job in the Financial District.)

[mayorhaggar]

Studios are fine, you get about as much if not more space than you'd get if you were sharing a larger apartment with roommates, and you don't have to deal with the constant drama that roommates usually cause.

Living with roommates is cheaper in SF, like $650-800 a month on the low end, and you'll probably get a larger kitchen than in a studio. But you'll have to share everything including bathrooms and the living room and unless you really, really like your roommates and get along with them, it's just stressful having to share that much space. Roommates always seem to find something to complain about and get into spats with you about, or they steal your food, or they are lazy about paying shared utilities, or they're loud, etc etc.

With a studio you don't have to deal with any of that. A small studio in SF would be about $800-1000 but there are cheaper ones you can very rarely find. A larger one would be more like $1000-1200, and a 1 bedroom in a good area of SF is like $1500 a month now.

Maybe check out the East Bay, you could get a larger and nicer studio for a better price in Berkeley or North Oakland (the nice part of Oakland).

I don't think you'll have a problem with a studio. Apartments in SF in general are pretty small, 500 square feet is pretty decent for a studio. Make sure you have a full kitchen though, it comes in handy to be able to cook at home and a lot of studios only have a mini-fridge and maybe a hot plate.

[Ceece]

Many people, including couples, have started out living in a studio apartment. Find one that works for you location wise and layout wise (they can differ quite a bit) and it can be a really nice place to live. Just don't fill it up with crap you don't really need...that's the hard part.

I have a house now, but if I really think about the areas I use on a daily basis, especially once I'm in for the night and just watching tv or something, it wouldn't be much more space than the average studio apt.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Wash your bedding frequently. LOL!

[xGrendelx]

I live in a studio with a full kitchen and full bathroom, and it's perfect for me. You'll realize just how little space you actually need to be comfortable. Just be smart, and stay away from clutter and excess. Now that I'm used to it, big living spaces often feel like overkill. It's much more efficient and easier to maintain, and since I live alone, it's usually quiet enough to study or read (I'm a student also). I had two friends come stay with me a few weeks ago (that's right, 3 adults sharing a tiny studio), and they were shocked at how small my apartment was at first, but by the time they left they realized how well it actually fits for someone living alone. I mean, thousands of people do it everyday in this city so it can't be too bad! Good luck to you!

[AbFab]

Thanks for all your responses! Sounds like living in a studio will be pretty doable. 6000 sqft to 500 sqft is going to be an adjustment but I imagine that by having my bed in my living room will persuade me to make it every day.

[charbo]

Be careful about paper-thin walls. I have a few friends in studios and they hear everything, and I mean everything, next door in other studios, e.g. piano-playing and singing at odd hours. Stereos and TVs, noise from construction. There is very little place to escape too in a small studio