Looking for family neighborhood - commuting to SOMA - moving from east coast! (San Francisco: apartment complexes, rentals)

[MyraButterfly]

Hello!

My family of 5 is moving from the east coast to San Francisco. My husband will have a job in the SOMA district. We don't know anyone in SF and are not familiar with the area. We want to rent with a budget of $2,400/month, preferably a 3-bedroom house in a quiet, safe neighborhood away from the coastline. We homeschool, so schools are not an issue. He will need to commute via BART, and we will need parking for 1 car at the residence. I was looking at the Walnut Creek area since it is at the end of the highway east from the city. Is that a viable commute via BART? Could anyone recommend any other places, or a good up-to-date web site that lists rentals?

Thanks!

[ippi76]

Walnut Creek or Pleasant Hill or Concord sound like they fit the bill, please commute via BART as traffic going from Walnut Creek to SF is insane.

Problem could be BART parking. Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Center are 2 of the most popular stations and I think monthly parking is sold out and day parking is gone by 7 AM.

People say Concord isn't as nice as Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill though.

Have you considered Dublin or Pleasanton? They have BART stations and would also work I think. Possibly even Fremont or Union City but they are closer to the coast.

[mayorhaggar]

Might be looking at renting a 3br apartment rather than a house, but look on craigslist and see what you can find. Since schools aren't an issue maybe consider Concord, it has rough parts but some nice parts too and is quite a bit cheaper than neighboring Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill because the schools aren't as good.

[MyraButterfly]

Is there some way I could figure out if a place I see listed is in a bad neighborhood? Are there any websites for such things? The Neighborhood Scout site is mildly helpful, but sometimes bad areas are just a few blocks, which wouldn't show up well.

[gone down south]

$2400 is a one-bedroom apartment anywhere near the city. At your budget/space requirements, your poor husband is going to be spending his whole life commuting.

[jade408]

I agree about Dublin/Pleasanton. This is a good option, but I don't know about the parking situation at the 2 BART stations. The ride is about 45 minutes. The newer apartment complexes also tend to have 3 bedroom places. And there are lots of larger condos and townhomes in the area (and single family homes). Also try Castro Valley.

[traderjoes]

We live in a 3bdr/2ba flat in The Outer Richmond District of SF. We pay $2,500 (and we moved here just last year). We are also a family of 5. It is a newer building, so it doesn't have the "charm" of a Victorian, but it works for our needs. We are prior homeowners who aren't ready to buy yet, so it did take some adjusting to our new, smaller living quarters (though considered big by SF standards), but it's working for us. My spouse and I both take the express buses that go down to the Financial District (30 minute ride). Granted, we're "out there" but we enjoy going to Golden Gate Park, The Presidio, Lands End, etc.

We found our place on Craigslist.

[MyraButterfly]

We just found out his office is 2 blocks from the Montgomery St. BART station, which according to the BART web site makes his subway commute 35-45 minutes from Walnut Creek, 45 min. from Pleasant Hill. That is comparable to his current commute, and he has had to drive. I realize getting to the BART station adds time. I guess we'll try and find a house near a station.

[Ceece]

There is a condo development the Dublin Bart station called Elan and I believe rent for a 3br would be right around $2400. There would be no problem with BART parking since you can walk to the station and keep your car in the parking structure at the condo. I have no personal experience with that place, or condo living in general, but I know it exists.

[jade408]

There are 3 bedrooms at the Archstone apartments 2 blocks down from BART as well in Dublin. Dublin is a pretty good option, most of the new condo and apartment developments on Dublin Blvd have 3 bedrooms.