So where do NEW college grads live in SF? (Richmond: apartment, to rent)

[clevermoniker]

I'm possibly moving out here in a couple of months and have been looking at some of the demographic data for the city. Most of the age distributions for the typical hip urban neighborhoods (Marina, Haight, Inner Sunset, Noe Valley, Hayes Valley, and so on) have their peak between 25-30 and very few residents younger than about 23. I would be a 21 year old fresh off the boat out of undergrad in Chicago, so I would love an area dominated by "young professionals" who are younger than what seems to be the average case in the neighborhoods I mentioned above.

Is SF proper just too expensive for many brand new grads to live there? If so, where do they gravitate to in the Bay Area?

[sonarrat]

Most new grads don't have jobs. It's harsh, but true. I wouldn't recommend anyone try to move here without a job, because the statistics are just not in your favor. And if you're trying to rent an apartment in the Marina as a new college grad.. God be with you.

[mayorhaggar]

The neighborhoods you listed are all fairly upper middle class to upper class. In Noe Valley you're mainly likely to see 40 year old moms pushing strollers. In the Marina you're likely to see...Marina Girls. (you'll see.) The Inner Sunset is a bit more middle class though but many people wouldn't consider it to be very hip, I like it though. The Mission has been the hip area of SF for a while but it's not much less expensive than those areas, you're more likely to see people just out of college around there though. It is really grubby though anywhere east of Valencia.

You can live pretty much anywhere in the city if you have roommates and can afford rent of $600-800 a month, but in terms of white people the city is definitely mainly 25-50 year olds.

More middle class people live in the suburbs like the East Bay because it's more affordable so you'd probably be more likely to see people around 21-25 just starting out after college, but there really aren't many jobs for people just out of college anymore.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Like omigod ... the Ma-REEE-na, you know!

(That's actually a bit dated though ... that was more of an 80s and 90s thing)

[hsw]

Much like in Manhattan, many new college grads share apts w/fellow classmates or co-workers for a yr or two until can afford renting own pad

Most yuppie jobs in region aren't in SF but rather in PaloAlto/Menlo/SiliconValley area, so many kids (esp those working 80hr/wk as many do early in careers) rent a house/condo nr offices until can afford to rent own place in SF (one of newer FinDt condo towers or a tenement in "charming" Marina/CowHollow)

Same applies to both 19yo investment bankers and 19yo engineers w/~$100K/yr starting incomes...much like ~$100K/yr 19 yo traders in Manhattan, except in SF/SV rents are ~40% cheaper and 19yo yuppies commute via a new Mercedes w/the COL savings (vs Manhattan) and CA's car-friendly weather, fast fwys and infrastructure (and typically free parking at offices)

BTW, even illiterate/innumerate bus drivers and many city "workers" in SF earn >$100K/yr, w/laughable "skills" and/or work ethic but much better job security and pensions than any non-unionized yuppie

[jade408]

They live with 2-3 roommates in whatever neighborhood makes sense. The ones who have to live in the city tend to congregate in Richmond or the Sunset. People who need parking tend to move in the East Bay. But it also depends on where your job is. And you can't live here on just any job.

[NorCalLover]

Most of the 20-somethings I know in SF live in or near the Mission area with roommates or in the Outer Sunset where it's cheap.