Is it a good time to move to San Fran (Richmond: transplants, apartment)

[mojo101]

I always want to live in San Fran,is this a good time to move there?
How much does it cost to buy a small condo?studio/one bedroom in a safe neighborhood?
Can i get around without a car?
Do people still go to Fisherman Wharf?
How is Chinatown,are they moving out as well?

[pathrunner]

First of all, if you move there and call it "San Fran" you may or may not get corrected. That's because the old-timers and the long-timers are almost gone. The new people probably don't know or worse, don't care about the dastardly reductions. And for Pete's sake don't ever say "Frisco." Now of course some people will come on and do that just to irritate. It's happened before.

The other issues I will leave to those who are more current than I am. I left years ago.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

I lived there for a year (2022-23), left recently for a job in Washington state.

Originally Posted by mojo101

I always want to live in San Fran,is this a good time to move there?

If you want to move there, move there. Maybe rents will go down some, but that'll take years. You'd be better off just moving now.

How much does it cost to buy a small condo?studio/one bedroom in a safe neighborhood?

Almost everything is going to be over $2000, usually more like $2400-3000. And there's competition -- looks like not much on the market right now, so you'll want to apply to a lot of places and also look for alternative housing options (like with roommates on housing Facebook groups). I lived in an apartment with three other people in the Mission, and our total rent was like $5000 -- I paid $1400 just for my bedroom.

Can i get around without a car?

Yep. The buses come pretty frequently, every 8-15 minutes for most routes. BART is a fast way to get between a few of the core neighborhoods (the Mission, downtown, the Tenderloin, SoMa), but it only covers those neighborhoods. MUNI is kind of slow, but it covers areas BART doesn't and it's still faster than buses. Most of the city doesn't have great parking anyway; I took transit unless I was going to areas in the far west of the city.

Do people still go to Fisherman Wharf?

Yeah. As of a month ago, I still saw people having picnics and throwing frisbees with their dogs there.

How is Chinatown,are they moving out as well?

Chinatown isn't declining or blighted at all. There's a new MUNI subway line there, which makes it easier to get in and out of Chinatown than ever.

[2020's YouTube Vlog]

If you really want to live somewhere, there isn't really a wrong time to move there.

Some times might be more ideal than others. But if you want to be there, there's no wrong time to do it.

[mojo101]

Thanks all,all my life I want to live there but afraid of earthquake,but now I dont really care.
I would be interested in buying a condo in a good area where I can walk to stores ?either studio or one bedroom,how much do I have to spend?

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, how much can you afford? You can check RE listings yourself. The west side of town (close to the beach) is a little more affordable than some other parts: the Richmond District, the Sunset District*. Also Bernal Heights, which is toward the east side of town. All relatively safe. If you want even-more-safe, it will cost you. The Mission District is also more affordable, but not as safe, thought it's gentrifying.

You can start out looking in those areas, to get a general idea. If you don't come away with hopes dashed, and you're still in the game, get back to us. We can answer your questions, and point you to additional options.

In sum: do your own research, then get back to us.


Most nabes area walkable, have grocery, ph'cy, transit. Nicer/safer: take a look at Noe Valley, and see if you can afford something there. There are many neighborhoods, but there's no point in sharing that info until we know whether you're going to go into shock at the prices of even the more moderate areas, or not.




*There's Inner and Outer Sunset, and Inner and Outer Richmond. "Outer" means bordering the beach. Note: the west side of town gets more fog. Some transplants can't handle it. (Cold, damp, overcast when fog is present.)

[pathrunner]

The thing about Bernal Heights, where I once lived for years, is that there are two sides to it: north of Bernal Hill and south of Bernal Hill. Cortland Avenue used to have some shops you could certainly walk to; not sure about now. Last time I checked they were pretty trendy/pricey.

North of Bernal Hill you can walk to shops as long as you don't mind walking down or back up the hill. But there again, it's mostly residential. Bernal Heights can be pricey because it's pretty close to downtown and has views. Really miss that view I once had... all 270 degrees worth. It all depends upon which part of Bernal Heights you're talking about.

[Ruth4Truth]

SF neighborhoods map:


https://www.bayareamarketreports.com...d-district-map

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

The thing about Bernal Heights, where I once lived for years, is that there are two sides to it: north of Bernal Hill and south of Bernal Hill. Cortland Avenue used to have some shops you could certainly walk to; not sure about now. Last time I checked they were pretty trendy/pricey.

North of Bernal Hill you can walk to shops as long as you don't mind walking down or back up the hill. But there again, it's mostly residential. Bernal Heights can be pricey because it's pretty close to downtown and has views. Really miss that view I once had... all 270 degrees worth. It all depends upon which part of Bernal Heights you're talking about.

OK. But I"m not sure I'd call anyplace south of the Mission "pretty close to downtown", but it's all relative, so ... maybe. But it's a good point about hills. OP, SF is known for being hilly. Some neighborhoods more than others, of course.

The westside neighborhoods I mentioned are flat. The only downside is, it can take a long time to get downtown on transit, but there are express buses. Still takes a long time, though. Just not as long. On the plus side, you're near the beach and Golden Gate Park. And both the Richmond, and the Sunset, have their charms.


Anyway, just for now, the suggestion to check out those areas is about getting a price orientation to the city in general. If you can afford those areas, then we could suggest others that would be closer to downtown and a little pricier.

[tikkasf]

Originally Posted by mojo101

I always want to live in San Fran,is this a good time to move there?
How much does it cost to buy a small condo?studio/one bedroom in a safe neighborhood?
Can i get around without a car?
Do people still go to Fisherman Wharf?
How is Chinatown,are they moving out as well?

SF is going through some challenges at this time. But, I would not go by all that is floating around on the internet or on some news outlets/radio talk shows. Would it be feasible for you to make a trip to SF for 2 or 3 days to explore and see for yourself? SF has micro climates and that is something you might want to be aware of when considering the different neighborhoods. For example, in my area except for yesterday, the marine layer (sometimes referred to as fog) has been stubbornly sticking around for much day, if not the whole day so far for much of this month. Typical late Spring & Summer weather pattern.

Muni transit options can vary by the neighborhood. Yes, you can get by with out a car in SF. But,some areas of SF are better suited for that option then others. Outer Sunset district being one area that comes to mind as not the best area to choose to be without a car


https://housing.sfgov.org/listings/for-sale