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Old 10-21-2010, 07:04 PM
 
9 posts, read 61,713 times
Reputation: 16

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I'm starting a new job on Market St., near the Powell BART station.
I'm moving from the NYC area and want to have water views of some type.
I've narrowed it down to Sausalito and Pacifica. I'd like to spend under $1800 for a 1 bedroom rental.
I'm single, mid-30's male, no kids. Looking for a temperate climate with alot of natural scenery and water views.
Not sure what is better for commute by public transportation, value, rent, space, and pure enjoyment.
I'd like locals opinions on why one is a better choice than the other.

Here's why I'm stuck.

Sausalito
PROS:
more upscale, nicer looking town (I fell in love with the town on my first visit)
Great bay views.
Close to SF by car (yes with a toll).
CONS:
Higher prices for rentals for similar sized apts. w/water views.
Less apartment rental options than other towns
commute by bus isn't that short 45-60 min (according to internet)
does not take advantage of office's BART station proximity.

Pacifica
PROS:
Relatively cheaper rent for more space w/ocean views.
more apartment options than Sausalito
can commute by BART (bus and BART is listed as 40-50 min)
no bridge tolls when driving for leisure.
CONS:
I don't necessarily like two modes of public transportation (SamTrans bus and BART)
Most nicer apartment complexes aren't alot cheaper than Sausalito
Most nicer apartments are on the foggier northern end of Pacifica.

Thanks in advance for your arguments on both towns.
If you have a great recommendation besides these two towns I'd like to hear about it as well.
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Old 10-21-2010, 07:17 PM
 
Location: The High Seas
7,373 posts, read 15,937,261 times
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I live in the South Bay, so I can't comment on having lived in the areas you're interested in, but in your shoes, I'd live right in SF. How about the Marina District, Outer Richmond, or Outer Sunset?
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Old 10-21-2010, 08:13 PM
 
Location: South Korea
5,242 posts, read 13,028,685 times
Reputation: 2957
I would pick SF over either, but if I had to choose only between the two I wouldn't want to live in Pacifica. It's kind of a dumpy town, and the main thing I don't like is that it's really foggy and windy almost all the time. Even when it's sunny in SF it's foggy and cold down there. I find Sausalito to be kind of dorky but at least it's shielded from the chilly Pacific by the hills behind it, and it's usually sunny and warmer than SF.

In SF you could look at the Marina and get a much shorter commute, though it might be hard to get an apartment near the water, plus often it's chilly there compared with Marin.
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Old 10-21-2010, 10:07 PM
 
3,229 posts, read 6,253,795 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dko3tgk View Post

CONS:
I don't necessarily like two modes of public transportation (SamTrans bus and BART)
The way to commute from Pacifca is to drive to the Colma Bart station,pay a $1 to park and take the train. The Highway 1 connection to the 280 North has a direct exit for D St. in Colma which leads you directly into the Colma Bart parking area.

The biggest downside to Sausalito are the weekend traffic jams on the Golden Gate Bridge so you will be jammed whenever you go somewhere on the weekend,especially nice sunny weekends.
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Old 10-21-2010, 10:54 PM
 
9 posts, read 61,713 times
Reputation: 16
Snort & Mayor Haggar (love the Final Fight reference)
The main reason I don't want to live in the city is that I want to be able to park a car. And I want a water view. The nicer neighborhoods of SF that you mention like Marina are way over my $1800 max for a 1bdr, and almost anything in SF with a ocean or bay view is over $1800. Plus there's no parking, available sometimes with a high monthly fee which puts it way over the max budget also. Living in the city would make my commute issues effortless, but I want parking and a water view.
I kind of see what you are saying about Pacifica, which is why Sausalito gets points for being a nicer town.
As for climate, I come from NY where its 80-90 degrees from May to September. And 30-40 degrees from November to March. And I'm very happy to get away from those extremes. I'll go to a tropical island for heat, and I'll go skiing for snow, I don't need to live and commute in it. So I'm not going to complain about the temperatures in Pacifica. The averages are listed at low 60's by day, low 50's by night. And according to weather.com its 1-3 degrees warmerhighs on average in Pacifica than in Sausalito. I'm probably most comfortable in the 55-75 degree temperature range anyway.



Capoeira-Thanks for the info on parking at the Colma BART station. I looked online and it looks like $2 for pay per day parking and $63 for monthly reserved, a little more than the $1 you mentioned, but the SamTrans bus is $2 per ride to the BART station so parking is more convenient at similar costs. What's the traffic like on US 1 during the morning commute to the station?

Last edited by dko3tgk; 10-21-2010 at 11:22 PM..
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Old 10-21-2010, 11:43 PM
 
Location: San Mateo County, CA
101 posts, read 274,510 times
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If you live on the southern end of Pacifica (Linda Mar, Rockaway Beach, etc.) traffic might get a little heavy on the 1 during rush hour. But if you live in Pacific Manor or Fairmont (good ocean views) you can get to Colma or Daly City Bart in NO time. I used to pick a friend up at Colma Bart for work, and from Fairmont, it took 5 minutes or less, tops. However, the southern end of the city is nicer, more white collar folks, some beautiful homes, esp. in Vallemar, and less fog. (Higher rent possibly??) Good luck.
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Old 10-21-2010, 11:48 PM
 
3,229 posts, read 6,253,795 times
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I'm not sure what the traffic is like on Highway 1 in the morning since I don't commute from Pacifica,I live in SF. I go to the the Wed. afternoon farmer's market in Pacifica a lot. When I come back to SF at around 5 to 6 pm there is almost zero traffic on the 1 in both directions,then a lot more when it merges into the 280.

The advantage of the D St. exit is that you hit it before you get to the 280 and traffic. The first right lane goes to 280 south,then the second right lane a little later gives you an exit to D St. and Junipera Serra just before you enter 280 north. When I drive by the Bart parking lot on D street I see a big $1 parking sign,that might be only for certain hours though.
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Old 10-21-2010, 11:54 PM
 
Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
17,531 posts, read 24,594,662 times
Reputation: 9975
Pacifica is a fog bank, Sausalito is too expensive.
Outer Richmond
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Old 10-21-2010, 11:58 PM
 
9 posts, read 61,713 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorCal44 View Post
If you live on the southern end of Pacifica (Linda Mar, Rockaway Beach, etc.) traffic might get a little heavy on the 1 during rush hour. But if you live in Pacific Manor or Fairmont (good ocean views) you can get to Colma or Daly City Bart in NO time. I used to pick a friend up at Colma Bart for work, and from Fairmont, it took 5 minutes or less, tops. However, the southern end of the city is nicer, more white collar folks, some beautiful homes, esp. in Vallemar, and less fog. (Higher rent possibly??) Good luck.
I've been reading alot about the south end of Pacifica being nicer. I was a guest at a company picnic at Frontierland Park last summer and also found the southern end of the city nicer. The way I see it, it's not a price issue, its about houses vs. apartments. It seems the rental apartments are all north Pacifica, and south Pacifica is all single family homes.
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Old 10-22-2010, 08:17 AM
 
Location: Crafton via San Francisco
3,463 posts, read 4,620,626 times
Reputation: 1595
Better weather in Sausalito. But, if you like the fog and a more suburban vibe, Pacifica is good too.
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