Parking? (San Francisco, San Mateo, Redwood City: apartments, rent, houses)

[richzip]

One thing I hadn't considered (because I've never dealt with it in any other city I've lived) is the cost of parking. Someone mentioned parking can be quite costly in SFO. What insight can anyone give me?

I will probably be trying to either rent a room in house, or find a decent 1BR apartment, somewhere in the Burlingame/San mateo/Redwood city areas.

Is parking an expense in all areas, or just in the city? Do many of the apartments have their own parking lots in the suburbs? What about houses? What could I estimate to pay for parking?

[gizmo980]

It's only a problem in the city itself, generally speaking... and fyi (just so nobody gets confused), SFO is the abbreviation for our airport - which is actually in San Bruno, not San Francisco. If you live in the city of SF, parking is definitely an issue, though I personally got lucky with our own driveway and garage. But if you're not that lucky, expect to either search for street parking, or pay an extra $150-250/month for a lot/space. Street parking is even a huge hassle, not only because it's hard to find, but also expensive - $2.00/hr. for metered, and the non-metered spots have street cleaning once a week (so you have to move or get a ticket). That's all part of city life! Now if you end up living in the suburbs, it really shouldn't be a problem... I've lived in San Mateo, Belmont, Pacifica, and East Palo Alto, and only my Pacifica place didn't have free assigned parking. Good luck!

[gizmo980]

P.S. Most HOUSES, whether you're in the city or suburbs, have their own driveway and/or garage... if it's an apartment IN a house, that's a different story though.

[sonarrat]

Parking is only a problem in San Francisco, and then it's only a serious problem downtown. Anywhere else, or anywhere down the peninsula, you'll be able to park where you live for free. But the quality of accomodations for your car might vary widely..

[richzip]

Thanks for the input! I'm not worried as much about my car's "accomodations" . .I'm used to parking outside in the AZ summer heat of 115+, where you literally need to keep oven mitts in your car to avoid 3rd degee burns from touching the steering wheel!

And as long as I dont have to pay to park in the suburbs . that's a great thing!

[sonarrat]

Well, you might have to pay in certain shopping areas.. the malls generally have free parking, even Stonestown in SF, but the downtown strips in Burlingame, San Mateo, and Redwood City, just to name a few, all have parking meters. Like I said though, you should be able to at least park where you live.