moving to S.F. questions, Help !!?? (San Francisco, Oakland: apartment, lease, good credit)

[fys]

Hello,

I am planning to relocate to San Francisco in the next few months or so, and had a couple of questions about some neighborhoods, i was hoping someone may be able to help...

I know I wont get much for a $1100 or less rent, but I only need a studio, is it possible ( I DO NOT WANT TO DO THE ROOMATE THING ) and was wondering is it really bad to live in the tenderloin area????

also how is "lower nob hill" ?? and what is the difference between richmond/seacliff and inner richmond ??? safe areas ???

what about the "downtown / civic / van ness" area ???

ALSO, are there plenty of retail, deli, coffee shop jobs around ??? do you notice lots of "Help wanted" signs around the city ???
I need a Part time job, about 20 - 25 hours a week....

any answers would be appreciated ,
Thank you ,
FYS

[NorthernCalifornia]

If you want to work 25 hours a week, work in a coffee shop and not "do the roomate thing" you're living in fantasy land or the GHETTO.

Do the roomate thing, seriously.

[fys]

I am Poet/free verse writer, and I have some current income and also some risidual income coming in, and I would like to only work part time, because I need "time" to write.... I am just seeking to find a stress-free job, maybe a bookstore , cafe , etc.... I dont mind living " poor ", I have done this before in, and I am okay with it, I am content, with having "time" rather then $$$....
thanks for your concern, as to how I am going to make it in S.F. with a P/T job, but I will have about $1500 a month or so coming in from my royalties and risidiuals, I also have a small % ownership of an eco website that helps out....
I also do not have a car, and I have no debt.....

So you see, my question is not so "crazy", and I am not living in a fantasy land

thanks though -

[superman1]

Lower Nob Hill can be OK, theres a lot to do in that neighborhood, it's really really busy pretty much all the time.

Inner Richmond vs Richmond Sea Cliff basically boils down to Inner Richmond being closer to everything. I would say its the break down of the Richmond Ave's between 19th Ave, roughly. So 2nd Ave to about 19th would be inner Richmond, everything beyond that is generally Richmond Sea Cliff. At least that's how I see it.

[KRISTINsf]

The Lower Nob Hill is full of roaches. Trust me. I used to live their with my Father and I remember roaches everywhere.

The Richmond District can be done! I live in on 28th and Geary and the rent is $1100 a month for a 1-bedroom. So around my neck of the woods can definitely be done. But working 20-25 hours a week is not going to cut it.

Richmond-Russian-Jewish, Asian immigrants
Seacliff-You can't live their.
Inner Richmond-Clement Street area. Some food shops and etc. things to do, but the rent is much more expensive.

[idamoved]

i had a great apartment in the lower nob/tenderloin (tendernob) region. there are a bunch of great ones there around Geary. I felt safe, knew my neighbors (mostly art types). There are cool old buildings and lots of culture if you aren't afraid to live somewhere not completely gentrified (the marina comes to mind). Good luck! I also think inner richmond is pretty cool, but I prefer living downtown just because I like to be central.

[sonarrat]

Most apartment owners will ask for proof of income 3x the rent rate they're asking. So you'd have to make twice as much to avoid the roommate situation.

The first time I struck out on my own, I rented a master suite in a house for $700. It really wasn't a bad experience at all, and it's a great way to get into areas you otherwise couldn't afford.

[ctrres]

You need to at least check out the Lake Merritt section of Oakland. You have two BART stations (12th/City Center, and LM) minutes away by foot, and a strong bus system. (All night service from the Transbay Terminal.)

You have Alameda to the south and Berkeley to the north.

[NorthernCalifornia]

downtown/lowernobhill has gotten rather expensive in the past two years. overpriced compared to rest of city now.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

Most apartment owners will ask for proof of income 3x the rent rate they're asking. So you'd have to make twice as much to avoid the roommate situation.

True, unless he has either really good credit (which is how I did it) or a co-signer... do you (the original poster) have a parent/guardian who'd be willing to put their name on the lease? Doesn't even matter how old you are, since my mother co-signed for my last apartment, and I was 28-30 years old at the time.

As for "Lower Nob Hill," I personally think it's just a fancy name for the edge of Tenderloin. My friend rented a studio there for $1250/mo, and told us it was in Nob Hill... uhhhhh, last time I checked, Nob Hill didn't have bums & liquor stores on every corner. Maybe some spots are nicer, but the majority of it is basically the Tenderloin - he lives around Geary & Leavenworth, fyi. Not that there's anything wrong with the 'loin, if you can handle a little grittiness... it's not really that dangerous, just a bit seedy/dirty.