Marina district (San Jose, San Francisco, Fillmore: fit in, transplants, apartment)

[BaseballSavage27]

I am in my mid-20s and single guy and moving to San Francisco I actually I am staying temp with my aunt/uncle in San Jose until my new job stars in downtown SF and I find a place. I was doing some research and I think that the Marina district might be a good area for me. However before I go look for a place there I did have a few questions I though you local in SF’s could answer for me
1) Is the Marina district very open and friendly place, where getting to know people, like your neighbors and people in your neighborhood a very easy thing, where u build friendships right there in your neighborhood
2) From my research I know that the marina is filled with 20s and 30s crowd with young families. However within the marina its self, which part of the district is dominated by mostly people in my demographic (single, mid-20s). Which part of the Marina do they live?
3) Where are some cool hangout spots to meet new people
4) which gym should I join, in the district if I want to socialize with others
5) Lastly, I am going to be working in the financial district, and was wondering are there others that live in the Marina work in the financial district also?

I hope the Marina is a cool place for a newbie single guy in his mid-20s.

Thanks and hope to get some good feedback from this forum.

[dmode]

Anywhere within walking distance of Chestnut or Union street in the Marina district would satisfy most of your requirements

[mayorhaggar]

Are you gonna be that one guy who goes to the gym just to pester the women?

Anyway, the Marina has kind of a reputation of being full of ditzy blondes. I've never really spent much time there though so I dunno really what it's like but if you ask anyone about it that repuation comes up. I once looked an apartment there (it was sooo cheap but the jerk of a former tenant decided to move back in at the last minute so the landlady put the kibosh on my plans) and when doing some research it seemed like getting to downtown SF would have been kind of annoying, I guess there are some express buses though.

If you want some more options that are more down to earth and have more of a direct route to downtown SF, I'd look at Nob Hill, North Beach, Lower Pacific Heights, Hayes Valley, the Western Mission. BART is the best way to ride to work, then the Muni Metro which at least runs underground and beats traffic but often gets too crowded to board or stuck in the tunnels because Muni sucks. The Muni buses are ok if you are going a short distance but they can get REALLY crowded during rush hour and they move slowly through SF traffic.

As for meeting people, well, SF is a big city and that can be a bit overwhelming at first especially if you're not used to urban living. In SF people have their shields up and aren't really open to strangers, you get this in any big city and SF has so many crazy people and homeless people that the residents aren't really willing to give strangers a chance. Maybe your job has some cool young people you can hang out with, if not then maybe look into joining some kind of social group. If you expect to just walk down the street in SF striking up conversations with random strangers and making friends and meeting hot women who want to go out with you every day, I think you'll find you need to make more of an effort here.

[jade408]

The Marina is the neighborhood for former sorority girls/guys. It is pretty "white." This may or may not be a good thing in your book. The guys I have met from the Marina generally represent "douche-y" to a t.

[SunDevil1212]

Just be aware that if you live in the Marina, as soon as you tell someone that they are going to make all sorts of assumptions about you. You're a yuppie, you have a trust-fund, you are a frat-boy, you wear polos with popped collars, etc...

Is it unfair? Probably....but either way, what I'm saying is just make sure you are aware those stereotypes exist. There is this pervasive habit among many 20-something San Franciscans to judge you based on the neighborhood you live in. If you're not a Marina "type" this could get really old, really quickly. Because as silly as it sounds, there are people that you might otherwise get along with who will write you off immediately.

That said, I'm sure most of the people in the Marina love it there. But I get the impression they hardly ever venture outside that neigbhorhood.

[NYC809]

Marina = Midtown East (Murray Hill) NYC.

[beb0p]

I lived in the Marina for three yrs and if there's one thing I want to stress is: Don't believe everything you read about the Marina from people who never lived there.

1) Yes, but I think it's a SF thing, not a Marina thing. Though being surrounded by people in that age group and many of them are transplants definitely help.

2) They live all over the Marina, but living close to Union St, Chestnut Street, Fillmore St., the baseball field, and the Safeway would give you more opportunity to meet people since that's where they hangout.

3) Anywhere but the bars There are nothing but douches who hang out there, and hence the Marina's reputation; since visitors only visit the bars too. Imo, most of the douchebags in the bars are not from Marina. Also, grab a slice of pizza from Orgasmica on Fillmore St after midnight on a weekend, you meet a lot of people just by virtue of standing in line with them. I once got a date that way. The Safeway in the Marina is nicknamed Dateway. Enough said.

4) 24 Hr Fitness but it's not really for socializing. The place is too small and too packed for the ladies to feel comfortable. Do workout because you'll need to look good to fit in, in addition to feeling like you have to dress up every time you leave your apt, even just to mail a letter. It's normal.

5) Dude, throw a rock and you'll hit someone working in FD. Take the 30X, it's packed but it's the fastest way there.

[gone down south]

If you want to join a gym to socialize, please don't join any gym I'm at.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by gone down south

If you want to join a gym to socialize, please don't join any gym I'm at.

You don't have to socialize with anyone at the gym, but that comment was just plain rude.

[gone down south]

No, what's rude is a clatch of people standing around chatting and tying up the stations while I'm trying to work out. Talk outside. Work out inside.