Moving to San Francisco from NY (Oakland, Daly City: apartments, for rent, houses)

[bxbomba]

Hi. I am moving to SF in April for personal and work related reasons.

I will be working in San Francisco, but not sure where I would be living. I have read that SF is expensive. I am wondering if any one has any suggestions where in SF to move to that may be affordable, or even in Bay Area.

Also, does anyone know a good place to check for apartment listings? Any websites?

Most likely i would need to buy a car. Any suggestions where it would be best and economical to buy one? (used)

Any information would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks.

[gizmo980]

Yes, you've read correctly, San Francisco is EXPENSIVE!! I'll need to know what you mean by "affordable" before I can get too specific, since we all have a different idea of what that is... if you're coming from New York City, prices might not be too shocking, but some people are still surprised. The absolute cheapest you can get in the city, is about $1000/mo. for a studio or 1-bedroom apartment. Some neighborhoods I'd recommend are the Richmond, Sunset, SoMa (South of Market), and possibly lower Nob Hill or the Presidio... these are somewhat affordable, without being dangerous or scary. Ones to avoid like the plague are Bayview, Hunter's Point, Tenderloin, Inner Mission/Civic Center, and parts of the Excelsior & Lower Haight. The first 2 are serious gang-land & the others are crack-land, so don't let their prices tempt you. Priciest parts of town include Nob Hill, Twin Peaks, North Beach, Castro (the gay district - very nice!), Noe Valley, and anything with a view of the water or bridges. Okay, that's a lot of neighborhoods to process, but it should give you the overall picture!

If you're not stuck on living in the city, there are cheaper options along the Peninsula and East Bay... the latter will be more affordable, though slightly less convenient (depending on where you're going in SF). Lake Merritt in Oakland is supposedly nice, as are Alameda & parts of Berkeley. On the Peninsula, you might find something in Daly City, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Pacifica (my personal favorite), Millbrae, Burlingame, or San Mateo. If I were you, I'd try to find a town w/ a BART station, since that's the best way to commute into SF. Parking can be a real b---- in the city! As for websites, the best resource is Craigslist - look under SF City, Peninsula, and East Bay. You can also go to apartments.com, but they tend to only have the big & expensive complexes. Another would be sfgate.com, which links to all the local newspaper's classifieds.

Finally, regarding the car... I'm not sure of where to go in the city, but there are TONS of nice used lots in San Mateo and Belmont. If you drive down El Camino Real between Hillsdale Blvd. and Ralston Ave., you'll see one lot after another. Some have luxury cars, like Beemers and Mercedes', while others have more mid-range models. Though if you're looking for something with a warranty, I'd check at the new dealerships, which usually have used inventory... Burlingame has a lot to choose from, around Broadway Ave. & California Ave. near the San Mateo border. Hope this all helps, and good luck!

[bxbomba]

Gizmo, thank you sooo much! You really gave me a lot of helpful information.

I am not stuck on living in SF, so I will start looking at surrounding areas. I have checked out craigslist, but really wasn’t too sure of which areas to look for. I will definitely take your advice.

San Mateo for cars? I will look into that, as I know I will be needing to drive to and fro home/work. I am very excited about this move and the information you gave me will really help and guide me in many ways. Thanks again.

[gizmo980]

You're very welcome! Glad I could be of assistance, and let me know if you have more questions! I think looking outside of the city is a good idea, as you'll be more likely to find something "affordable" (by our standards). Good luck...

[flyteacher]

If you are making good money, you can rent an apt downtown for about $2000-$3000/month. We have excellent public transportation here, so you can live in the east bay and come into the city using BART and save money for rent. I live in Alameda and pay only $1000 a month. Alameda is a small city right near Oakland close to the bay bridge. You will definitely need a guide when you get here. I am a native to the area and can help you find what you need. I am a teacher and don't like to commute so I work in Alameda. Let me know if you are interested in more info.

Fly

[VRC]

You will not find a more charming place, reasonably close to SF, than Sleepy Hollow [ San Anselmo/Fairfax ] in Marin County ...

We have been here 9 years, having lived in the South Bay [ Los Altos ], in the City [ Twin Peaks ], and in the East Bay [ Montclair ] -- the good news is that housing prices for sellers have escalated by almost triple in those 9 years
-- I'm not going to apologize for having made good choices

Alas, there are NO houses in S H under $1.2 MM [ that's million ] -- Marin is a very upscale place, median income about $90,000 and median home price around $925,000 -- if you can afford to live here, a bus ride to the ferry, a 30 minute boat ride, and free transfers anywhere in the City are a very nice way to commute

The politics in the County is very Liberal generally -- public schools average; private schools very good [ and expensive ]

This is all IMNSHO, of course ...

Good luck

Vince

[Lannie]

I live and work in downtown SF. Rent is just over $2,000 per month but well-worth it for the location and ease of being near my office. No commute time to take away from my "off work" time is well worth the extra rent. Expensive, yes - but a GREAT place to live and work.

[starkt]

If you want to live in the East Bay, consider Albany/North Berkeley (Solano Ave. has lots of nice shops and restaurants; it's a very pretty and affordable area close to BART.) Rockridge, in Oakland, is also considered nice.

[Lisa Eccl]

Where are you from in NY? If you are used to living by the ocean you should consider the San Mateo coast. Pacifica to Half Moon Bay is close to San Francisco. It is a little upside down. Anywhere else in the world it is more expensive to live at the beach.

[NoCalHomes]

Very close to San Francisco, fantastic views and ammenities (gorgeous all throughout), awesome community... Sausalito. Right accross the Golden Gate bridge. Prices can range from about $1350/mo for a 1 bedroom/1 bath to about $3000 for a comfortable 3 bedroom/1.5 bath. Highly recommended.