Young Couple (San Francisco, Marina, Bayview: apartment, to rent, condos)

[COOLIDGE AVE]

How much should i expect to pay for a 3 bed 2 bath high rise apartment or condo in the city ( thats san fran right ???) could a family of four with a dog live on 100k what areas should i stay away from how does the transit work what are the schools like are all schools city wide is a family car enough

[gizmo980]

Wow, a lot of questions! I'll see if I can answer them for you...

Originally Posted by COOLIDGE AVE

How much should i expect to pay for a 3 bed 2 bath high rise apartment or condo in the city ( thats san fran right ???)

Yes, we call it "the city" or "San Fran" - but never "Frisco", LOL. Are you talking about renting or buying? Assuming you mean buying, a 3bed/2ba condo in a decent area will probably cost $700K and UP. Interesting though, I just did a quick search on mlslistings, and there weren't many results... I think 3-bedroom condos are rare here, so you might consider a single-family home or townhouse instead. Most of our houses are attached too (row-houses), so they still have that "urban" feel you might get in a condo.

could a family of four with a dog live on 100k

I'm sure you could, since many live on that kind of salary... I don't have a family (I do have a dog, though ), so it's kind of hard for me to judge, but I do have friends who support families on less. I'm not sure if you could purchase a home right away, so that's something to keep in mind. Good news is that SF is very dog-friendly! We have some terrific off-leash parks, beaches, outdoor shopping, and so forth... only problem is how they don't allow doggies on BART.

what areas should i stay away from

Our "bad" neighborhoods include Bayview/Hunter's Point, Tenderloin, Lower Haight, Civic Center, Western Addition (so I've heard), and parts of Excelsior and Mission. With a family & without 20 million dollars, I'd suggest looking in the Sunset, Noe Valley, Presidio and Marina.

how does the transit work

We have 3 basic forms of transit here - Muni (the bus), BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), and CalTrain. Muni will get you everywhere, but very very slowly; BART can get you there quickly, but only around downtown and out to the East Bay; CalTrain only hits a few spots in the city, and is best for commuting south to the Peninsula. If you don't want to be car-dependent, try finding a location near BART - that's the best way to get around, and transfers easily to Muni or CalTrain. Some neighborhoods (like Sunset & Embarcadero) also have light-rail Muni lines, which are pretty fast and convenient. Here's more info on everything:

BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit District
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA, Muni, DPT)
caltrain.com - home
511.org - Your Bay Area travel guide (a great site covering all transportation)

what are the schools like are all schools city wide

Some schools are better than others, but overall I guess they're "okay"... I'm pretty sure you get a choice of schools, so you're not locked into one neighborhood. Here's the main website for our public school district: San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)
It's a very diverse school system, so you can probably find one that suits your family!

is a family car enough

Not sure exactly what you mean, but I think one car would be sufficient... especially if you're living near BART or Muni express, as I suggested above. Driving in San Francisco is NO fun - unpredictable & heavy traffic, highly aggressive drivers (which includes me sometimes, I must admit ), horrible parking, ticket-happy meter maids, "no turns allowed" for miles, and those crazy SF hills! I unfortunately live off the BART line, so I'm fairly dependent on my car... thankfully my work is just down the street, which is one reason I chose this part of town. But if you don't want to drive much, live near the good public transit!!

[COOLIDGE AVE]

thanks and yeah thats kind of what i meant about the family car but it sounds like driving around here i haved lived in manhattan the bronx and newark for the past three years

[sliverbox]

If you mean to buy, then no- 100k won't buy you anything here unfortunately. But... rent is a steal in comparison. SF will generally by 30% more to rent versus the East Bay.