visiting san fran, is staying in hayward really that bad??? (San Francisco: rental, crime rate)

[eastontracks]

hey guys, hope you can help on a situation im in,

im gonna be visiting san fran for the first time this weekend. i'm excited and can't wait to make it up there. the only thing is i have some marriott rewards points that i plan to use for the two nights i'm there. i didn't have enough points for a hotel in the smack middle of the city, but noticed i could stay at a fairfield inn in hayward. when i tell people i'm staying there they get make an uneasy facial expression and tell me not to stay there.

i understand there are sketchy areas and some should be avoided, but do you think it's worth staying there or should i just find a hotel in san fran? if i stay there i don't have to spend any money on hotels, plus reviews seem ok and its right off the freeway.

i'm also curious how long it would take to get into san fran, and how roads/tolls are because i noticed some as i'll have a rental when i'm there.

your advice is appreciated, thanks !

[mayorhaggar]

Maybe see if you can stay at a Marriott near the SF airport, the airport hotels are pretty cheap and BART from Millbrae takes you right into SF.

[eastontracks]

^^^ cool i might do that too then, thanks

[rah]

Originally Posted by eastontracks

hey guys, hope you can help on a situation im in,

im gonna be visiting san fran for the first time this weekend. i'm excited and can't wait to make it up there. the only thing is i have some marriott rewards points that i plan to use for the two nights i'm there. i didn't have enough points for a hotel in the smack middle of the city, but noticed i could stay at a fairfield inn in hayward. when i tell people i'm staying there they get make an uneasy facial expression and tell me not to stay there.

i understand there are sketchy areas and some should be avoided, but do you think it's worth staying there or should i just find a hotel in san fran? if i stay there i don't have to spend any money on hotels, plus reviews seem ok and its right off the freeway.

i'm also curious how long it would take to get into san fran, and how roads/tolls are because i noticed some as i'll have a rental when i'm there.

your advice is appreciated, thanks !

Hayward has bad and good parts. In total it is not that bad a place, and seems to have a worse reputation than it deserves. It's actually kind of funny because San Francisco has a higher crime rate than Hayward, and it's been that way for ever basically....but more people talk crap about Hayward's crime than they do the crime in SF, as is proven by those people who warned you away from Hayward but who gave no warning for SF itself (seriously, a hotel in Union Square in SF for example will be near a whole lot more sketchy/ghetto/messed up stuff than exists anywhere in Hayward). Basically, unless you're in a bad neighborhood in Hayward, don't worry any more than you would in any other big city. It's not like it's Camden, NJ or something...Hayward's crime rate is more similar to a city like Berkeley.

[eastontracks]

yeah thats what i figured. i doubt ill have any problems at a hotel. ive traveled all over the U.S. and for some reason i just don't see this as a problem. hows getting into san fran from hayward?

after looking at mariott, this is closest hotel i can afford with my points :/

[mayorhaggar]

If it's near the highway and isn't in some ghetto area, it should be ok. Look at yelp or whatever for reviews, people usually mention stuff like that. Hotels generally do a good job of keeping riff-raff out unless they're total flophouses.

You'll probably want to take BART into SF, it takes you right into downtown SF and then you can walk everywhere or take local buses. If you drive into SF you have to pay a toll for the bridge, there can be traffic (esp. at rush hour) and parking can be a pain in the butt in SF especially around downtown, expect to pay $20-30 for a few hours of parking around downtown SF or Fisherman's Wharf. The other alternative is driving into SF and parking on the street in some out of the way area but it can take a long time to find a space. I think BART would make more sense.

Also nobody here calls it San Fran, I dunno where people pick that up.

[capoeira]

Staying in Hayward is a good idea if you get a free hotel. The Fairfield Inn by SFO will be at a higher points award level. The Hayward location is in a safe although deserted on weekends office park type area. It is very convenient to the San Mateo Bridge. It is a $5 toll going westbound. The weekend traffic on this bridge is a lot lighter than traffic on the Bay Bridge. You can easily drive across the bridge and up the 101 into SF.

You could also drive to the Hayward Bart station from here,park your car and take the train to downtown SF if you do not want to drive in SF.

BART - Hayward

I suggest taking Bart to SF downtown for a day to see the downtown area,Chinatown,Ferry Building,North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. On your second day drive up the scenic 280 freeway and take 35 N up the coast to explore the western part of the city including Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor. The western half of the city is much easier to drive and park in,especially if you are smart enough to avoid driving 19th ave.

Avoid driving the 880 North on Sunday afternoon. It is the Raiders home opener!

[eastontracks]

sweet, thanks for the last 2 posts, that helped a ton. and ya, i dont know all the terminology for cities lol. my bad. sf it is!

[18Montclair]

Hayward is generally fine but a little far from the City, the worst part will be traffic.

How about the Courtyard Marriott in Emeryville? That is extremely close to the City.

[gone down south]

The hotel and area are fine, but why would you want to stay in a suburb/industrial area with no attractions of it's own that's 40 minutes away from San Francisco?