Apartment Renting In Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland: apartments, rent, lofts)

[gearedtowardssalad]

Hey everyone. I am considering moving to San Francisco for work this October and was wondering if anyone could give me some info on living in the Bay Area. I'm on a tight budget and was wondering if there is anywhere around SF where I could find a studio apartment for 750-800 dollars a month. I'll most likely be in the city for work, is the public transit good?
If you would like to tell me anything else about the area please do so! Thanks a lot.

[sonarrat]

If you're on a tight budget, I would not recommend renting your own apartment. Rent a room in someone else's place and share their kitchen. Otherwise, to get down to the $800 mark you have to cut some corners, though it is possible even in SF if you're willing to live in a seriously spartan place. I mean like no kitchen, no heat, and 300 sf of space.

[gearedtowardssalad]

Would finding a studio in that price range be possible in the surrounding cities? I've seen studios on Craigslist from 600-800 a month in the Bay Area but I don't know if those ads are real or not.

[gizmo980]

DO NOT fall for those ads of "nice condo/apartment" for less than $1000... they're all scams (at least the ones in SF), since apartments at that price don't exist. Just for kicks I responded to one about a loft in Mission Bay for $1700 (very cheap for what it was offering), and he gave me the classic "I'm in London but my courier will meet you with the keys, etc." Suuuuuuuuuure, like I was born yesterday. To get rid of the scams, just put in a minimum price of $1000 when searching for stand-alone apartments. The cheaper ads outside of the city MIGHT be legitimate, but I'd be wary of anything that inexpensive around here - just don't hand over any money until you've met the landlord, seen the place & signed the papers.

So with a budget that low, I would agree with sonarrat about finding a room or in-law... then you could possibly get something in SF for $800-900, depending on the neighborhood. I live in a 3-bedroom house near Candlestick Park, and rent my spare rooms for $850 and $600 respectively - but the $600 is only because that roommate is an old friend who needed help. So I'd estimate you'll be at the very top of your budget, even with getting a room rather than studio or 1-bedroom. Outside of the city, you may get lucky with a studio in that range. Try looking around Emeryville and Oakland, or the Peninsula towns of Daly City, South San Francisco and San Bruno.

As for public transit, getting to SF is easy from the East Bay if you live near a BART station. From the Peninsula you'd have to take Caltrain or drive to the nearest BART station - it goes as far south as Millbrae, and also has stations in Daly City, SSF and Colma. Check out the system maps to get an idea of convenient locations, and good luck!
BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit
http://www.caltrain.com/caltrain_map.html

[gearedtowardssalad]

Thanks a lot!

[Kalifornian]

You could also try Castro Valley or even Livermore/Pleasanton which are both outlying suburban towns but very nice. The BART ends at Pleasanton but buses run to Livermore. The BART(a different line) also runs to Concord, on the other side of the mountain. If you have a car, Pittsburg or Antioch might be options (both are very industrial but considered in the bay area). BTW Emeryville is very ugly and industrial--yuck! These would be longer commutes, of course--but still reasonable. I just think you will have trouble finding a place in SF within that price range. Yes, public transport is excellent making these viable options. Be aware that Bruno/Daly City in particular get ALOT of fog in the summer, even when the rest of SF is sunny it may be foggy in those places (and chilly).

[gizmo980]

Kalifornian, your post shows that preferences vary from person to person... LOL. I like Emeryville, and actually thought about moving there recently - it has a cool urban vibe, awesome lofts/apts, good transit (including a FREE shuttle around town and to BART), proximity to everything, great shopping, and some decent views near the water. JMO, but I'll take "industrial" over a dull suburb any day! I'd probably hate to live in Livermore, Antioch, etc., mostly because of the lack of excitement and HOT HOT weather. For example, yesterday the weather predicted a high of 103 in Antioch/Pittsburg, yet it was only 67 here in SF. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

These are just my thoughts, but I felt they were important to throw out... since we really don't know exactly what the OP likes and needs. Speaking of which, could you (the OP) give us some more specifics? What are your preferences in terms of weather, environment, demographics, entertainment, etc? How far are you willing to commute, and will you have a car? Towns like Livermore might be great for some people, but could be a disastrous choice for others - same goes for Emeryville, and the other cities we've mentioned.

[Jonotastic]

You could rent a room from an apt, but you could not get your own studio or your own apt. If you find one for that price range, it will be in VERY bad shape.

[gearedtowardssalad]

Do you think it would be possible to find a place in this price range in Oakland?

[7035683216]

You might find a 1 bedroom for $800 in Oakland, but visit the neighborhood first to see if you feel safe.

Also, factor in the cost of commuting to San Francisco. If you rely on the Bart it may cost you $8-12 a day for Bart, and then $80.00 per month for the Oakland bus pass. However, some people in Oakland use a bus pass that allows them to catch commuter buses during peak hours which cost $132.50 per month. Then you have to pay to use SF's muni when you arrive in SF.

Not to mention, Oakland's transit doesn't spoil you like San Francisco's. The buses don't come as frequently, and you may have to walk further from the buses.