Family living in SF (San Francisco, Oakland: 2013, rental, condos)

[MaxLTV]

I know there were threads on this, but things change so fast in SF, maybe there is something new :-).

I am moving to SF with a wife and a baby. My wife is a consultant and works from home, which makes a nice place extra important (also my way of making it up to her for making her move). I work in SoMa, but may move office to Fisherman's Wharf, and I'd like to keep the commute short, because I work 11+ hours every day.

At the same time, I do not like urban living much - noise, crowds, tiny spaces, homeless people and garbage are a really big deal for me. Those years in pristine and perfectly safe Toronto spoiled me rotten. I also need a pretty big place - 3+ bedrooms & 2 car garage - because my parents will come to stay and help with the baby often. I am not worried about restaurants or urban hustle around where I live - I can get enough of that around the office. But having some gyms, yoga, dance etc. places would be great. I'm looking for under 9K/month rent (a shocking number for me, but I am not willing to compromise on quality of life). As for commute, I'd rather not drive. Biking or running all/part of it would be ideal, as it would count towards my workout for the day.

So I thought about the following options:

Tiburon - love the place, the ferry+bike commute seems an attractive option, a bit too empty there, though, and a bit too far to drive/bike to the city in case ferry is not an option.
Sausalito - like it, but areas close to ferry are a bit more crowded and sketchy. A plus is that it has more commute options than Tiburon - can drive or bike all the way to the city.
Tween Peaks/Bernal Heights area - don't know much about it, but seems nice enough and has a lot of options on the market. A bit too dense, but acceptable, I think. A nice and sizeable place would be expensive. Also, traffic to the Ferry building seems bad, so looks like I'd have to take BART or bike all the way.
Around Rockridge in Oakland, maybe towards Berkeley - have some friends who live there, and they like it. Seems like a nice view of SF from many houses, lots of space. But it seems not as nice as Tiburon or Sausalito, and has very few rental options available.

Any thought or other areas I should consider?

Thanks!

[ruckerz]

Since I'm on the east bay I can comment on your east bay options..

3BR and 2 car garage ? If you like the east bay I'd suggest Orinda and take BART to work. I personally love small town feeling of Orinda, close to Tilden Park for all your running / biking needs, and its not exceptionally populated.

If you want west of the Caldecott, try Piedmont... Berkeley and Oakland are pretty congested/dense. A house with that size you might find in the Berkeley hills and Oakland hills, but they can be quite isolated (mostly residential, not a lot of commercial).


The 3BR/2 car garage AND having the city amenities without the crowds is a tough one for me..

[jade408]

Check out Montclair in Oakland. Pretty quiet. Cute commercial area. Or the Glenview. A little denser? Crocker Highlands or Trestle Glen. Not sure your definition of busy. The last 3 areas have larger home on smaller lots. You could either but to SF via the Transbay bus or bike about 3 miles to a BART station. The buses are about 30 minutes or less from Oakland and bike racks are rarely in use in my experience.

Also try Kensington or Albany.

I think you would love Montclair. Lots of big homes in the trees. .


On an autocorrecting iDevice.

[Ruth4Truth]

I would also suggest Claremont, in Berkeley/Oakland, which has a nice little commercial area with grocery on Claremont Ave. Nice neighborhood for walking and biking. AC Transit runs an SF commute bus that serves that area.

Also take a look at Larkspur in Marin County, which has ferry service to SF.

Take a look at SF listings on Craigslist, as well. There's a very nice townhouse with 3 br. + office, 2 car garage on Potrero hill for 7K. It never hurts to check the listings, you never know what may turn up.

[Ruth4Truth]

Like I said, you never know what might turn up on Craigslist. Here's a home in a suburban area of SF (such a thing does exist, it's beautiful, and very quiet, though near public transit) for a remarkably affordable price with garage. See Craigslist for stunning photos. Yard, tree-lined streets.



Jacky Chow | Alain Pinel Realtors | jchow@apr.com
Undisclosed Address, San Francisco, CA
Remodeled Mount Davidson Park Single Family House in quiet street with garage, yard. Easy drive to Downtown SF.
4BR/2BA Single Family House
$4,300/month
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial
Sq Footage 1,500
Parking 2 dedicated
Pet Policy No pets
Deposit $5,000

DESCRIPTION
Located near St Francis Wood and Forest Hill, this Mount Davidson Park single family house is situated in a quiet street on a 3000-plus square feet lot. The main level consists of a living room with a fireplace and 3 large windows, a formal dining room that can be used as a 4th bedroom, a kitchen with breakfast/dine-in area with all stainless steel gas appliances, a main bathroom with separate shower and bathtub, as well as two good size bedrooms. Downstairs is a good size garage for 2 car (plus a car pad on the driveway), another full bath with shower, a 3rd bedroom that leads to a bonus room that opens to a good-size yard with lawn and trees.

This house is about a 15-minute walking distance to Forest Hill MUNI station that takes you down to Downtown SF. Alternatively, a drive through Portola Dr will take you directly to Downtown SF. Easy access to Highway 1 and 280.
San Francisco
see additional photos below
RENTAL FEATURES
- Dining room - Laundry room - Living room
- Storage space - Workshop - Dishwasher
- Dryer - Garbage disposal - Refrigerator
- Stainless steel appliances - Stove/Oven - Washer
- Fenced yard - Garden - Lawn
- Yard - Central heat - Garage - Attached
- Fireplace - Granite countertop - Hardwood floor
- Tile floor

LEASE TERMS
Unfurnished.
No Pets.
1-year lease.
Available now.
Security Deposit: $5000
Landlord pays for Gardening.
Tenant pays for PG&E, Water, Garbage, TV/Internet
Email Jacky at jchow@apr.com for inquiry/appointment
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Living Room

Dining Room/4th Bedroom

Kitchen

Dine-in/Breakfast area

Main Full Bath

Main Bedroom (1)

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 3

Bonus Room

2nd Bathroom Shower

2nd Bathroom

Backyard

Washer and Dryer

Garage
Contact info:
Jacky Chow
Alain Pinel Realtors
jchow@apr.com


Posted: Jun 19, 2013, 9:29am PDT

[ssmaster]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Like I said, you never know what might turn up on Craigslist. Here's a home in a suburban area of SF (such a thing does exist, it's beautiful, and very quiet, though near public transit) for a remarkably affordable price with garage. See Craigslist for stunning photos. Yard, tree-lined streets.



Jacky Chow | Alain Pinel Realtors | jchow@apr.com
Undisclosed Address, San Francisco, CA
Remodeled Mount Davidson Park Single Family House in quiet street with garage, yard. Easy drive to Downtown SF.
4BR/2BA Single Family House
$4,300/month
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial
Sq Footage 1,500
Parking 2 dedicated
Pet Policy No pets
Deposit $5,000

DESCRIPTION
Located near St Francis Wood and Forest Hill, this Mount Davidson Park single family house is situated in a quiet street on a 3000-plus square feet lot. The main level consists of a living room with a fireplace and 3 large windows, a formal dining room that can be used as a 4th bedroom, a kitchen with breakfast/dine-in area with all stainless steel gas appliances, a main bathroom with separate shower and bathtub, as well as two good size bedrooms. Downstairs is a good size garage for 2 car (plus a car pad on the driveway), another full bath with shower, a 3rd bedroom that leads to a bonus room that opens to a good-size yard with lawn and trees.

This house is about a 15-minute walking distance to Forest Hill MUNI station that takes you down to Downtown SF. Alternatively, a drive through Portola Dr will take you directly to Downtown SF. Easy access to Highway 1 and 280.
San Francisco
see additional photos below
RENTAL FEATURES
- Dining room - Laundry room - Living room
- Storage space - Workshop - Dishwasher
- Dryer - Garbage disposal - Refrigerator
- Stainless steel appliances - Stove/Oven - Washer
- Fenced yard - Garden - Lawn
- Yard - Central heat - Garage - Attached
- Fireplace - Granite countertop - Hardwood floor
- Tile floor

LEASE TERMS
Unfurnished.
No Pets.
1-year lease.
Available now.
Security Deposit: $5000
Landlord pays for Gardening.
Tenant pays for PG&E, Water, Garbage, TV/Internet
Email Jacky at jchow@apr.com for inquiry/appointment
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Living Room

Dining Room/4th Bedroom

Kitchen

Dine-in/Breakfast area

Main Full Bath

Main Bedroom (1)

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 3

Bonus Room

2nd Bathroom Shower

2nd Bathroom

Backyard

Washer and Dryer

Garage
Contact info:
Jacky Chow
Alain Pinel Realtors
jchow@apr.com


Posted: Jun 19, 2013, 9:29am PDT

fro op" I also need a pretty big place - 3+ bedrooms & 2 car garage - because my parents will come to stay and help with the baby often."

so guys is 1500 sq feet a "big place"?

[jade408]

Enjoy

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/3895956174.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/3911988583.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/3911409779.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/3900111208.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/3894820710.html


On an autocorrecting iDevice.

[beb0p]

If you end up working in Fisherman's Wharf, check out the Presidio. I think they only have one garage space though, but it's about as un-urban as it gets.

Simonds Loop - Presidio of San Francisco

.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by ssmaster

fro op" I also need a pretty big place - 3+ bedrooms & 2 car garage - because my parents will come to stay and help with the baby often."

so guys is 1500 sq feet a "big place"?

The rooms look spacious enough. For the price, it's a steal. Looks elegant, too. 4 br.--that's big enough for a guest room, a baby room, an office, and a master br. Plus nice living room, separate dining room, lots of natural light, big windows, and a back yard. What more do you want?

But the Presidio's also a good idea. Take a good look at the listings. You can get an additional 300 sq. feet in one of those condos, but it'll cost you an extra 2500/mo., and it's a condo, not a house.

YOWZA! Take a look at one of the Piedmont homes Jade posted, for $4500, and 2020 sq. ft! (That's BIG!) Very nice! Are you going to be able to furnish a place? Do you need one already furnished?
(Piedmont is in N. Oakland, suburban, leafy, exclusive, nice. Easy commute to SF on transit.)

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

The rooms look spacious enough. For the price, it's a steal. Looks elegant, too. 4 br.--that's big enough for a guest room, a baby room, an office, and a master br. Plus nice living room, separate dining room, lots of natural light, big windows, and a back yard. What more do you want?

But the Presidio's also a good idea. Take a good look at the listings. You can get an additional 300 sq. feet in one of those condos, but it'll cost you an extra 2500/mo., and it's a condo, not a house.

YOWZA! Take a look at one of the Piedmont homes Jade posted, for $4500, and 2020 sq. ft! (That's BIG!) Very nice! Are you going to be able to furnish a place? Do you need one already furnished?
(Piedmont is in N. Oakland, suburban, leafy, exclusive, nice. Easy commute to SF on transit.)

Piedmont is a town surrounded by Oakland. The neighboring areas of Oakland are similar.y nice, but piedmont has its own police and schools.


On an autocorrecting iDevice.