Work in San Francisco but don't want to live there (Oakland: apartments, neighborhoods)

[JF1]

Hello,

I got a new job in the San Francisco city area, but I do not want to live there. I would like to live somewhere outside the city that is within an hour commute. What areas would you suggest? My budget for apartments is anywhere from $1200-$1500 but prefer to spend as little as possible on rent.

I read about Caltrain, and have considered using that as a form of transportation to and from work. How is that? It's better than driving to work, right? How bad is the commute? I currently live in LA and endured commutes from 1-1.5 hrs and I would prefer not to do that anymore, but it sounds like I might have to. Any insight will be very helpful. Thanks!!!

[capoeira]

My first suggestion is Mountain View. It is a great town with an interesting little downtown area. You can take the Caltrain express train from Mountain View at 6:57 am and arrive at San Francisco at 7:42. This actually makes the commute from Mountain View a shorter time trip than closer places on the peninsula that do not have the express stop.

You can also live somewhere in East Bay and take the Bart train. The traffic is not nearly as bad as LA however the issue in San Francisco for commuters is where to park.

You could also have a much shorter commute by chosing somewhere like South San Francisco,it depends what you are looking for in the town you live in.

[krudmonk]

I would rely on BART before Caltrain. It reaches the FiDi and travels much faster. Look somewhere in the East Bay.

[JF1]

The only reason why I don't want to live in San Francisco is because it seems like it's way too expensive. I have looked for apartments on craigslist, and they are easily $2500-$3000..... And if I were to bring my car up there, it would cost me an add'l $500 or so just to park it..... ouch.

[beone]

Originally Posted by JF1

The only reason why I don't want to live in San Francisco is because it seems like it's way too expensive. I have looked for apartments on craigslist, and they are easily $2500-$3000..... And if I were to bring my car up there, it would cost me an add'l $500 or so just to park it..... ouch.

What type of place are you looking for? Believe me, you don't need a car here. I LOVED getting rid of my car. It was such a hassle and even before I moved here I got rid of it. I love not having a car.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by JF1

The only reason why I don't want to live in San Francisco is because it seems like it's way too expensive. I have looked for apartments on craigslist, and they are easily $2500-$3000..... And if I were to bring my car up there, it would cost me an add'l $500 or so just to park it..... ouch.

You can definitely find a cheaper place in SF, unless you're only looking in Nob Hill, Twin Peaks, etc. I live in the southeast part of town (near but not IN Bayview), and only pay $1300 - with parking! I have a roommate, though, so I'm not sure if you want that... but even without roomies, you can find something for less than $2000 in the right neighborhoods.

If you still want to live outside of SF, I'd suggest the East Bay or North Peninsula... the latter including towns like Oakland (certain parts), Berkeley, Hayward, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, etc. On the north Peninsula, I'd suggest the western parts of Daly City & SSF, Pacifica, Brisbane, Burlingame, Millbrae, or San Mateo. Like another poster said, you'd be better off commuting by BART, which goes into the East Bay, and as far south as Millbrae... it's quicker than Caltrain, more reliable, and gets you to more places in SF. What part of the city will you be working in? Anyway, hope this helps!

P.S. I could give better suggestions if you give us an idea of what you like... climate, population, activities, demographics, etc.

[humboldtrat]

Anywhere south of San Francisco, including Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Belmont and/or Foster City would be good places to live within a short distance of SF. Both BART and Caltrain connect in Millbrae at the same station and you could take either one into SF from there. caltrain.com - home and BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit District. The weather is also warmer down on the peninsula than in SF - less wind and fog.

[cardinal2007]

I personally prefer the weather more south of of the city than Millbrae, even there there is fog. For commuting into the city during commute hours Caltrain is faster than BART, from Millbrae BART would take 35-39 minutes, and Caltrain takes 17 to get to 4th and King, at which point you can walk to the financial district in 20 minutes since it is less than a mile, or take a Muni bus which can take an additional 17 minutes.

I would personally would prefer downtown San Mateo which has nicer weather and is a nicer neighborhood than Millbrae, and is also a Baby Bullet stop, the commute from there would be only 6 minutes longer.

In addition to bart.gov and caltrain.com I also use the websites: Bay Area Transit Maps, and HousingMaps, and rent.com, to find places near the BART and Caltrain stations in terms of commute time it is much shorter if you're walking distance you the stations. Parking at Caltrain cost $20/month, and will fill up before 8:30 at some stations along the peninsula, notably Mountain View, I think some have parking available all day long though. Most BART stations are still free to park, including Millbrae, regardless of whether you use BART or Caltrain, I don't know about when the parking fills up, I've heard of people complain before though, for BART. Daly City, and Colma charge for parking.