SF neighborhoods -- Cole Valley, Noe Valley, Duboce Triangle? (Oakland: apartment, city hall)

[InternationalOrange]

We're moving to SF later this spring and are a straight couple in our early 40s, no kids, and are looking for quieter parts of SF that are near a light rail/BART station, near shops and restaurants, but not in the fog belt. Before we rent a place, we're going to be staying with friends in the Castro, so we'll be able to see the neighborhoods first hand before we choose.

From my research, it seems like Noe Valley, Cole Valley, Duboce Triangle, and/or parts of Potrero Hill would be good areas for us to live in. Are there any other areas that might work as well? As for commuting, my job will be near Lake Merritt and my husband's will be near AT&T Park.

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by InternationalOrange

We're moving to SF later this spring and are a straight couple in our early 40s, no kids, and are looking for quieter parts of SF that are near a light rail/BART station, near shops and restaurants, but not in the fog belt. Before we rent a place, we're going to be staying with friends in the Castro, so we'll be able to see the neighborhoods first hand before we choose.

From my research, it seems like Noe Valley, Cole Valley, Duboce Triangle, and/or parts of Potrero Hill would be good areas for us to live in. Are there any other areas that might work as well? As for commuting, my job will be near Lake Merritt and my husband's will be near AT&T Park.

If you're looking for quiet, Castro may not be your cup of tea.

Noe Valley is quieter, so that's a good choice. Sunset actually works for you, it's suburban (as it gets in S.F), and there is a quick MUNI line that will take you close to Civic Center BART.

[InternationalOrange]

Thanks DocGoldstein! Is Sunset in the fog belt, though? Definitely looking for non-fog belt areas.

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by InternationalOrange

Thanks DocGoldstein! Is Sunset in the fog belt, though? Definitely looking for non-fog belt areas.

Yes, Sunset does fall in the "fog belt" since it's technically west of Mount Sutro (king of the fog belt). But to be honest, there isn't any place in S.F that is going to be devoid of fog entirely IMO. It is quiet though, and a very nice place to live.

I've been in Hayes Valley (supposedly not in the fog belt) in the middle of Spring, and it was thick enough to feel like someone was spitting in your face (Hayes is a good option for you BTW).

[InternationalOrange]

Thanks. Could you tell me a little more about Hayes Valley? My husband also looked into the South Beach neighborhood, but it appears to not be what we're looking for (we'd rather live in a Victorian than a high-rise).

[DocGoldstein]

Hayes Valley is a pretty sought after neighborhood. Funny you mention victorians because that's what Hayes is all about. There are lots of Victorian homes in Hayes, as well as numerous small independent shops.

Fashionable, trendy, and hip is how I'd describe Hayes Valley.

[dmode]

What's your budget for renting?

[mayorhaggar]

- Cole Valley can be foggy and gray a lot of the time.
- For BART access, you could live around Dolores Park or Noe Valley, and hop on a BART train at the 16th or 24th street stations. There is also the J light rail line nearby on Church. Glen Park is also a great neighborhood and has a BART station.
- I used to live in Hayes Valley and I wasn't really crazy about it. Almost all the restaurants cater to the opera/theater crowd (the SF opera and a bunch of theaters and museums are nearby) so they're all kind of expensive and not that good. All the shops are high-end boutiques. There's no grocery store or any other sort of store that is useful for everyday stuff. Street parking is impossible because of all the people parking for the opera, and HV is also right next to City Hall so a ton of city workers park in HV during the day. Also honestly it's a very noisy neighborhood, there's a ton of very noisy one-way streets with heavy traffic feeding onto the highways. Some of the deadliest pedestrian intersections in SF are in HV. And to get to BART you have to walk down Market about 10 minutes through a rather dumpy area to the Civic Center BART station.
- if you can avoid taking the Muni Metro light rail as much as possible...it's ok if you're going on a short trip and don't need to transfer to another train, but the Metro system is super flaky and very unpredictable and the trains are always either breaking down or getting stuck sitting in the tunnel because they try to run too many trains. BART is way more reliable.
- and last of all if you are priced out of SF or you are unable to get an apartment you can afford because there's so much competition, I'd look into Oakland, it's cheaper than SF and the rental market is less competitive, though prices are going up there too. A BART ride to Embarcadero from North Oakland is 20 minutes, then you'd hop on the N or T and go to AT&T Park.

[InternationalOrange]

Thank you -- could you tell me a bit more about Glen Park?

[sfcambridge]

Cole Valley is perfect for you. It is less foggy then Sunset... it's amazing how just getting past the hospital and over the little "hill" into Cole Valley leads you to more sun.

Quiet, BART right there, nice strip of a few restaurants/hardware store/local market (not great, but big enough to help between regular shopping trips), pubs etc... and lots of nice houses. But it is a small neighborhood. Noe Valley has a bigger "downtown"/shopping area ..... a little trendy/yuppie for me, but very very popular and a bit sunnier then Cole Valley. I like Dolores Park idea too.

But of course, pricey. All the neighborhoods you are discussing are pricey.