Relocation Advice to San Fran on $90-100K (San Francisco, Oakland: apartment, to rent)

[ZYX123]

Hello,

I am possibly relocating to the San Francisco area in the very near future. I will be working in San Francisco near Folsom Street and need some advice on what areas I should look at to live. My estimated salary is between 90-100K

I am interested in a relatively short commute (max of 45 minutes). I am willing to take public transportation. I am a single female in my late 30's. I have no idea whether to go north, east, west, or south of my downtown work location to locate a place to live.

I plan on renting an apartment as I don't think I could afford a home at this time. What can I expect in terms of rents, utilities, gas, groceries, etc? I have always heard that San Francisco is expensive to live but can one have a comfortable lifestyle at my salary level? Any recommendations on finding an apartment would be greatly appreciated.

[City Boy]

On that salary you can live anywhere in SF since you plan on renting..

[humboldtrat]

City Boy is right - you can live most anywhere in SF on that salary. Check out neighborhoods such as North Beach San Francisco Underground Travel - Brutally Honest Reviews of Hotels, Restaurants, Activities, and Transportation or the Marina Green San Francisco Underground Travel - Brutally Honest Reviews of Hotels, Restaurants, Activities, and Transportation. Both neighborhoods are very nice with interesting shops, restaurants, bakeries, coffe shops, etc. Public transit (both bus and light rail) is quite extensive in SF and you can go most anywhere. There is also BART BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit District which can take you to the east bay (Oakland, Berkeley, etc.) and to SFO airport.

[json.swanson]

You'll practically HAVE to rent. Something like 80-90% of residents in San Fran proper are renters.

[cardinal2007]

Based on your estimated salary you can rent almost anywhere provided you are renting a 1br apartment. Some of the newer buildings in SOMA might be a just out of your price range I suppose.

If you want to buy there are condos you can purchase in Oakland, San Bruno, or San Mateo for less than 400k, sometimes less than 300k, 250k is the lowest it goes in the peninsula for a 1br. The only area I know where you can purchase a condo in SF for less than 400k is in Visitacion Valley, which I don't recommend. San Leandro, or Hayward is even cheaper, (which would be just coming up on your 45 minute max number). Depending on when you leave and what form of transportation you take it will take less than 45 minutes to get downtown.