Moving to SF area, wife and baby (+cat)...Palo Alto and Laurel Heights jobs

[syborg]

Thanks all. regarding the wife, its more a perception issue of buses in NY and Chicago, where we lived before. Shes also been mugged before, and the thought of her relying on mass transit in a city like NY with an infant...concerns me too...with that said, we dont know the SF system, but based on everyones input, its much better! I like the idea of getting around SF via buses and train on our next visit.

Living near the ballpark would be amazing, as Im a big Giants fan...it will just be a matter of finding something in our price range.

Regarding the PA stations proximity to my work, it is apparently very close..less than 20 minute walking distance.

My wifes work offers onsite garage parking for employees, so we have that option...albeit not a cheap option.

[mayorhaggar]

Like I said most people on Muni are pretty normal, especially on the Metro where it's mostly yuppies, but the buses are definitely dirtier and more crowded than in Chicago, and some lines like the 14 are really full of ghetto people. But I do agree that if you can't stand to ride on a bus in SF you're not going to like SF, it's a very crowded and dense and dirty city. It offers a lot and you get used to its negative aspects, but I can't say that riding a Muni bus is exactly a pristine public transit experience. And riding with a kid and a stroller, while totally normal here, would be more of a pain in the ass.

Also a 20 minute walk from Caltrain to your office is a bit of a drag, though if you had a bike it would be more like 5 minutes. Keep in mind it rains here a LOT most years from around mid-December to late February and sometimes just about every day until April and May (seems dry so far though) so walking 20 minutes could be a drag. I walk about 15 minutes from BART to my apartment though, with a good raincoat and an umbrella it's ok.

[mdwstrnkid]

Originally Posted by syborg

Thanks all. regarding the wife, its more a perception issue of buses in NY and Chicago, where we lived before. Shes also been mugged before, and the thought of her relying on mass transit in a city like NY with an infant...concerns me too...with that said, we dont know the SF system, but based on everyones input, its much better! I like the idea of getting around SF via buses and train on our next visit.

Living near the ballpark would be amazing, as Im a big Giants fan...it will just be a matter of finding something in our price range.

Regarding the PA stations proximity to my work, it is apparently very close..less than 20 minute walking distance.

My wifes work offers onsite garage parking for employees, so we have that option...albeit not a cheap option.

Actually, $150/month for garage parking is relatively cheap for the city, especially in that area. Garage parking in the city can run up into the $300+ range.

[syborg]

Originally Posted by mdwstrnkid

Actually, $150/month for garage parking is relatively cheap for the city, especially in that area. Garage parking in the city can run up into the $300+ range.

I should backtrack, not 100% sure if its garage or covered. At a minimum, it would be a parking lot very close to the office.

[syborg]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Like I said most people on Muni are pretty normal, especially on the Metro where it's mostly yuppies, but the buses are definitely dirtier and more crowded than in Chicago, and some lines like the 14 are really full of ghetto people. But I do agree that if you can't stand to ride on a bus in SF you're not going to like SF, it's a very crowded and dense and dirty city. It offers a lot and you get used to its negative aspects, but I can't say that riding a Muni bus is exactly a pristine public transit experience. And riding with a kid and a stroller, while totally normal here, would be more of a pain in the ass.

Also a 20 minute walk from Caltrain to your office is a bit of a drag, though if you had a bike it would be more like 5 minutes. Keep in mind it rains here a LOT most years from around mid-December to late February and sometimes just about every day until April and May (seems dry so far though) so walking 20 minutes could be a drag. I walk about 15 minutes from BART to my apartment though, with a good raincoat and an umbrella it's ok.

Great feedback, this thread is helping A TON. You hit the nail on the head regarding public transit while lugging an infant with you.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by syborg

Thanks all. regarding the wife, its more a perception issue of buses in NY and Chicago, where we lived before. Shes also been mugged before, and the thought of her relying on mass transit in a city like NY with an infant...concerns me too...with that said, we dont know the SF system, but based on everyones input, its much better! I like the idea of getting around SF via buses and train on our next visit.

Living near the ballpark would be amazing, as Im a big Giants fan...it will just be a matter of finding something in our price range.

Regarding the PA stations proximity to my work, it is apparently very close..less than 20 minute walking distance.

My wifes work offers onsite garage parking for employees, so we have that option...albeit not a cheap option.

If you can swing it, I think living near the ballpark would work really well for you. A 20 minute walk, while not ideal, is not that bad. If you're working in downtown Palo Alto (which I assume), that would add probably 20 minutes to your drive from 280, anyway (looking at an at least 50 min to easily over an hour drive each way). That would be a really hellish commute to do every day by car. I know, I know...there are people that "do it" and "deal with it"...but just remember what committing to driving means in terms of mileage on your car and time spent behind the wheel. If you take the train, you can at least put that time to good use (work on a laptop, respond to e-mails on your phone, read a book, etc...).

Not sure how far driving from that area of SF (SOMA/south beach) would be to Laurel heights, but I' imagine it would vary greatly by time of day. Either way, if she has a place to park, that could work well. And, if you do need to drive sometimes, the area near the ballpark is at the terminus of 280, so you'd just hop on that (probably one of the most convenient areas of town for freeway access).

If you decide not to live near the ballpark and decide to drive, many of the suggestions others have made here might work best for you. Just know what kind of car commute that will mean for you every day...

Hopefully you can take some time to visit the area more thoroughly and explore these commute options before you make the move.

[jade408]

Keep in mind that area around the Ballpark is full of traffic, during baseball season and the evening commute. It's pretty annoying to drive there during those times. Especially game day. Ugh. Definitely a good area to take transit when possible. You also have good access to Muni Metro, which is much more pleasant than the Muni buses. Also, there is a Safeway right there. Standard grocery stores can be hard to find in SF.

[skyao]

you could also live in the Inner/Outer Richmond or Outer Sunset close to 19th ave to commute to PA. Laurel Heights abuts the Inner Richmond and generally cheaper than lower pac heights.