young couple coming from denver... where to live?

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by denver to sf

thanks for all the advise! so far the neighborhoods listed seem to be well above our price range . i am curious though.. the term "[SIZE=-1]downtown / civic / van ness" particularly o'farrell and geary streets seem to produce the lowest rents in a craigslist search (and ones that are actually in our budget)... what do i need to know about this area? i am guessing there is a reason rents are so much lower?

thanks again.
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The area around Van Ness Ave actually isn't too bad. There are lots of restaurants, bars, stores and a AMC movie theater. You are near a Whole Foods store. It's a short bus ride to downtown. There is a high homeless population in the area, which makes things more dirty looking etc. However, it's not a bad area if you are on a tight budget. The further past Van Ness Ave (east of Van Ness Ave) the worse the area gets and the closer to Tenderloin you get (Until you reach Union Square). If you give me exact cross streets I can tell you more about the specific area.

[denver to sf]

thanks! i was guessing that might be the case. for curiosity, what makes that area so bad? also what would be a realistic rental budget for a studio (that accepts dogs) in the hayes valley area?

[denver to sf]

as far as exact cross streets, there seem to be a bulk of low priced listings around where o'farrell, leavenworth, geary, and hyde all meet.. thoughts?

thanks!

[bmw335xi]

1) Like I said I don't think the area is that bad. I'd much rather live in this area vs the Mission District or even Outer Sunset.

2) If you go on craigslist you can select the specific neighborhood. So check Hayes Valley, rental rates change all the time because of the tech boom in the Bay Area.

3) That area is located in the Tenderloin. That specific area is where one of my favorite Pakistani/Indian restaurants is located Lahore Karahi. There's just a lot of homeless people and it's more dirty compared to the rest of San Francisco. However, I don't think it's that bad of an area because you are walking distance to Union Square, Nob Hill, Chinatown, Financial District etc. Based on location only, the Tenderloin and these streets are actually well located. Use google maps "street view" feature to actually see a driver's view image of this area. I walk to this restaurant all the time and park in Union Square late at night. There are bars, restaurants etc right there. If you own a bike, you probably won't use your car much at all unless you go out of town. You honestly don't need a car in this area or even a bike. There are so many public transportation options. You are walking distance to buses, cable cars, bart, metro, and street cars. Someone actually created a thread not long ago basically saying, why do people hate the Tenderloin so much, I live here and I like it.

[jade408]

Sometimes I think the Tenderloin can be a bit depressing. You'll have day to day contact with people in the worst situations: former or current addicts, former or current homelessness and a plethora of social services for all of these situations. The Tenderloin is in just about the best possible location in SF, is very dense, and has some of the loveliest architecture in all of SF. But for me, all those social issues are just too close for comfort. (I currently live in the Piedmont Ave area in Oakland, grew up in middle class suburbia for reference)

[jade408]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

3) That area is located in the Tenderloin. That specific area is where one of my favorite Pakistani/Indian restaurants is located Lahore Karahi.

Love that restaurant. Two words: pomegranate naan!

[denver to sf]

Thanks for all your thoughts!! I think we need another trip out there to get a better feel for the neighborhoods.. as far as tenderloin, i will go back and read old threads specific to that area. thanks! an interesting take from my point of reference... i work with the population described and as such it does not make me at all uncomfortable... however because this is what i am around all day, i am not sure if i want to go home to this also....

[gotigers123]

Originally Posted by denver to sf

Hello all,

I have read through several posts but thought it would be helpful to post one of my own. My boyfriend and I will be moving to the city (from Denver) this December. We have visited the city a few times but we are definitely still trying to get to know the neighborhoods. I would love your opinions on where we should consider living...

more about us and what we are looking for:
-age: 26/27
-he will be going to school (in the financial district) and working part time (job already lined up in SOMA area)
-i am looking for work in mental health
-combined savings of approx 20,000 (we obviously do not want to use this but it is there if we absolutely need it)
-we have 1 dog: jack russell
-rent: $1300 - $1600 (we are fine with a studio but would like decent closet/storage space)
-we would like to bring 1 car but that depends on how much parking will cost us
-easily walkable to restaurants, grocery, nightlife, shopping, etc.
-we would like a neighborhood that feels young and lively (day and night) but not the college party scene
-walk or public transportation to financial district and SOMA area
-park/beach nearby for the dog would be great but not a deal breaker.

i appreciate your thoughts!

Lots of good responses so far. I'll add my .02.

Rents are INSANE in San Francisco right now. The worst I've seen in the last 5 years.

Landlords in SF are not pet friendly. At all. Maybe 10% of apartments accept dogs.

Young and lively neighborhoods would be the Mission, Hayes Valley, Lower Haight, Alamo Square. Avoid the Marina if you're trying to avoid the college party scene.

Best restaurant scene in the Mission IMO. Try to stay west of Valencia if possible. East of Valencia can be sketch and could be a tough transition. There are also some great spots over there.

Park/beach nearby? Hmm, well the neighborhoods bordering the beach are NOT lively in any sense. I would avoid the Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond. Near a park is certainly do-able. Dolores Park is in the Mission, Alamo Square park is near Lower Haight and the Divisadero Corridor.

Long story short - it's going to be tough to find a place in your budget. As others have mentioned, you might want to consider Oakland. Two areas I would suggest are Rockridge and Adam's Point.

Good luck!

[mayorhaggar]

I once went to see an apartment in the Tenderloin. I figured what the hell, I've been in the TL before and it wasn't so bad, and hey, I'll at least be able to walk to work. The place was like $750 for a studio, this was in late 2007 and it was so hard for me to find an apartment that I was getting desperate. Anyway I showed up and there were literally like 100 homeless people sitting around all up and down the block. The apartment itself wasn't that bad but I just could not imagine walking out the door every morning and seeing that.

Really it just depends on what block you're on--some are fine, others are sketch city. Polk Gulch and Lower Nob Hill are nearby and are pretty decent (if a bit gritty here and there) but rents there might be out of your league.

In any case if your choice was between living in the Tenderloin, which is really one of the most crime-ridden parts of SF, and living in a nice part of Oakland that was about as expensive, I'd pick Oakland. Even if you're on a nice block of the TL you're close to crappy blocks and you never know when a drug dealer or crazy homeless person or crazy junkie will stray over. Plus you wouldn't really want to go out at night. I'd go for Oakland and avoid the stress.

[Isebiel]

Just for reference, the typical price for a 1 bedroom that accepts pets in a decent SF neighborhood (as of last week) was $2,100, + $50/mo for pet rent, +$200-300/mo for parking. Deposit is anywhere from $750 to 1.5x a month's rent. Add or subtract a couple hundred dollars for view and if the unit has been renovated.

All the building managers I spoke to said rents had risen recently, but they don't have any prediction whether that trend will continue or reverse.