Possibly Moving to San Francisco Area from Dallas (Oakland, Daly City: apartment complexes, student loans)

[esuperlife]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

I read your entire list, OP. I am not trying to be snarky or unfriendly.

You will not be happy with a move to San Francisco.

I don't think I would be, but certainly keeping my options open. Especially if it means a big pay raise for my partner and a lower amount of overall stress. Glass is half full...

[esuperlife]

Originally Posted by tikkasf

OP, I would not concern yourself much with item #12 on your list.
Will you both be working in SF? As you likely know, SF housing, either to buy or rent is very expensive. If your expected combined income is in the 160K range, then in my opinion you can certainly afford to rent something in SF that you will be happy with. Regarding a garage, yes many apartment buildings in SF are available with individual parking garages...rent is higher of course. Street parking is not too difficult in some neighborhoods....such as the Outer Richmond or Outer Sunset Dist or Protero Hill area on the other hand, some neighborhoods can be very difficult, if not next to impossible to find street parking. Something to keep in mind, is the western neighborhoods in SF often have overcast/cloudy weather......referred to as the "marine layer". If you enjoy outdoor nature activities such as hiking trail walks, exploring beaches....then the SF Bay area has much too offer

I would be working in SF or a nearby city (I'm guessing). Good to know about the garage and parking options. Little bit of background. First 27 years of my life I lived with my parents and 16 of those was with my grandmother. In the 90s her car was stolen out of driveway and my car was vandalized on mother's day by some crazy person with a bb gun going around town. Had to get two windows replaced. Also had coworkers who parked at a train station, only to find their stereo system stripped or in their driveway and the Xenon headlights in their Maxima stolen...

Outer Richmond looks cute, we haven't discussed renting criteria yet but a 2br/2ba is likely the minimum we could do. Two cats, a dog and we have company over at least twice a week. Not sure if I mentioned this, but our place now is a 3br/2ba, 1785 sq ft. It's a bit on the larger side, but just right for all of our belongings without looking cluttered if you ask me.

Potrero Hill has some nice listings too, a bit in the high end for rent though. I think low 3000s would be the ideal amount. Fascinating that the weather patterns would be so different for an an area just a few miles away. Just saw a neighborhood map and a little overwhelmed at how many neighborhoods are next to each other.

I do love the outdoors. Biking, walking, beaches. Just being one with nature. I sit in a cube for 8-9 hours a day on a computer and another few hours at home way more often than I care to admit.

[comingbacktocali]

Originally Posted by andyadhi01

I don't know what Dallas suburb you live now but Brisbane is a very isolated place adjacent to very bad neighborhoods, sewage/waste treatment plants and industry! And it has absolutely nothing in terms of retail, grocery, public transit and restaurants (basically densely populated but rural area like amenities). The older parts of Brisbane look pretty dumpy and have large number of rather creepy/weird people that live in a different era compared to rest of civilization- You will have to drive far for every single thing.. Dallas suburbs will look like NYC compared to the lonely place that is Brisbane.

That said, Brisbane has some nice views and generally good weather by the standards of upper part of peninsula.

this is truly a 'your mileage may vary' situation.

brisbane is isolated from bad neighborhoods, has shuttles to caltrain, a very short drive to the T Muni stop, has the weirdo people of old san francisco that everybody is wishing they still had in their neighborhood, ample parking, most of the 'industry' are warehouses and distribution centers, a small independent school district with approx 500 students, a very close knit and friendly community, and several walking distance restaurants.

true, it does have some dumpy houses. but it does have some very nice ones, too. it is extremely friendly and sunny. i can get to trader joe's, costco, safeway, lowe's, and other retail destinations within 10 minutes and actually park my car without issue when i return home! it has drop dead gorgeous views and hiking trails. it is 12 minutes from the airport and adjacent to SF. there is a market if i am in need of the essentials and farmers markets twice a week.

plenty of people are happy with this little town!

[Blackhawk4440]

I've been to both Dallas and SF; though Dallas a long time ago. One thing that's definitely different is that SF is more accessible and not spread out like Dallas. Also, regarding #12; Dallas is in just as much danger of being blown away by a tornado!

The bum problem in SF is bad; though I remember the bums in Dallas being more violently inclined. They're disgusting in every city.

The downside is that SF could really profit from importing some of Dallas' BBQ and Tex-Mex places. But if you like Chinese food and seafood, SF's on the top and their Italian places aren't bad either.

[esuperlife]

Originally Posted by pch1013

Within the city of SF, I'd venture to say that the only gay-unfriendly neighborhoods are the ones that are unfriendly to *everyone*, i.e. low-income, gang-infested areas. You might encounter some homophobia, or perhaps just the occasional scornful glare, in the Outer Richmond, which is heavily Russian and Asian -- but otherwise, no one cares.



Not necessarily. Most San Franciscans don't have AC, nor is it really needed more than a few days a year.



That's geologically impossible, so no.

It is, however, inevitable that there will be a major (7+) earthquake at some point within the next few decades. The good news is that SF has comprehensive emergency plans in place, and most construction is seismically sound -- so you're not likely to die, but you might suddenly find yourself homeless or, at the very least, unable to work or get around. So preparation is key.

If people are prepared I think it's much different from when it takes you by surprise. Unrelated but I have seen a lot of homes in Cali affected by mudslides. Makes me wonder didn't residents think of that before they moved there... I forgot how moderate the temperatures are year-round. This would be a big perk. Dallas gets close to or below freezing during the winter for several days / weeks and in the summer it gets above 100°. Here A/C is a must. Without it you're absolutely miserable from June - September.

[esuperlife]

Originally Posted by tikkasf

What U.S. states have the highest and lowest taxes? - CBS News

CA is 2nd on the list.

Homeless is definitely a problem in SF. But, it is more so in some neighborhoods than others. Parking difficulties & traffic are a real problem. Expensive parking meters & costly tickets from meter maids. On the other hand, you find much of what you want in regard to shopping, dining and leisure/cultural activities within walking distance and/or a short Muni ride of where you live and can leave your car in the
garage much of the time.


Here is an reasonable priced (by SF standards) apt with a garage. Neighborhood is not undesirable either.

Large Beautiful 1BR in desirable neighborhood

or in this desirable area

COMING SOON! Huge Remodeled Unit, hardwd flrs, elev, parking available


or a house......

2BR home with bonus room and garage

My folks in NY have two houses, both of which were their parents originally and they took over. The annual taxes on each is about $8k per year and the value is around 300k/each. So that article on taxes is right on the money. I'm not including income tax into the equation. I think it's a balance between having places you want to visit within walking / driving / taxi distance and being able to hop in your car and drive to a place that offers something unique. North Dallas is not very pedestrian-friendly so far as shopping is concerned. There are some nice parks though. The nearest train station is 5 or so miles away, good restaurants are about the same. Closest shopping area here is an old Albertson's in need of renovation.

The 2 is nice, but the 1 is tiny. About half the size of our place now. Still grasping the concept of $3200 for a 'rental'. Hear Dave Ramsey's voice in my head. idk if that's a bad thing though...

[esuperlife]

Originally Posted by tikkasf

If you expect to be working near downtown SF, then perhaps consider Oakland or Berkeley.....look for a place to live close to the Oakland Rockridge or North Berkeley BART station. It's about a 18 to 19 min ride on BART from Rockridge to Embarcadero BART station in SF. OP, is there some reason you are thinking of Brisbane ?

Read about Brisbane here:
Most affordable gay neighborhoods - Jun. 19, 2012

My bf is kind of particular though, based on what I've read here he wouldn't like it. I'm not beneath taking a bus if it saves me time / money.

[tikkasf]

Originally Posted by esuperlife

Read about Brisbane here:
Most affordable gay neighborhoods - Jun. 19, 2012

My bf is kind of particular though, based on what I've read here he wouldn't like it. I'm not beneath taking a bus if it saves me time / money.

May I suggest not relying that much on that guide in deciding where to live in the SF area, if you decide to move here.
The western area of San Francisco usually is a bit lower cost in regard to rents because of the weather. I would suggest passing on the Outer Sunset area. (west of Sunset Blvd)
Protero Hill area has a lot more sunny days and traffic & street parking is not bad compared to other neighborhoods in SF, some really nice views also. It's going to cost you to rent there and the south side of Protero Hill is a area of housing projects......dangerous neighborhood.
If your job is in SF & you choose to live outside of SF, I would suggest you give Berkeley some consideration. Using BART train to commute to SF, it's fast

[cardinal2007]

What kind of suburb do you live in right now? The upper peninsula has plenty of more affordable rentals relative to SF, and parking with a secure garage or in a gated area shouldn't be that hard to find relative to what you can find in SF, if you're used to the weather in Dallas you may find the weather closer to the ocean a little depressing, if it is not foggy it tends to be overcast often, the over side by the Bay is sunnier, especially as you go south on the peninsula and the Mountains start blocking most of the fog/clouds. South San Francisco may have what you're looking for, while it is still in the "fog belt" the weather may be to your liking. Some people prefer the weather further south like San Mateo, but that really depends on your taste.

[clongirl]

I agree with some other posters---I don't think San Francisco would be your thing unless you're absolutely fine and good with, 1. renting forever and 2. being happy with a ONE bedroom with no parking. If you've been only paying 1k for a 3 bed--well, it's about 1k for a rented studio apartment in San Francisco nowadays. Everyone falls in love after a while with the nice areas of course--then rents and house prices become outta control. Suddenly making 160k or more seems like chump change compared to some other couple that makes almost twice as much! People with your income often save for many, many years just to make a down payment on a house---of course in this day and age here, people pay all cash---with multiple bidders for the same property!

On a side note---I certainly wouldn't concern myself with natural disasters as a priority of an issye. It's all about drought right now.

To me, it sorta sounds like WAY too much to give up.

Sorry, no offend anyone about Brisbane, but when I was younger (perhaps it has gotten nicer,gentrified, etc) but some of it used to be gang territory. It butted up against Chamorro and/Filipino gang strongholds. If its changed, then someone please correct me. It was northern part---near McClaren Park in the City.