Moving to San Francisco from NYC (Santa Cruz, Pacifica: apartment, rent, neighborhoods)

[ajcheese]

Hi All!

We are moving to San Fran from NYC for a few months. I have never been, and I know nothing. I have been researching but I need some opinions. We want to live where we will not need a car, and in a fun neighborhood full of bars and restaurants and things to do. What areas would be charming and give us a really great impression of all that San Fran has to offer? Thanks!

[dmode]

There are several threads like this one cropping up frequently here. So, I would make a few points that may be helpful as you consider this relocation:

1. Don't move here with the expectation that SF will be NYC lite. SF is no NYC, both in scale and available entertainment options. Although SF has a pretty comparable population density, you will find neighborhoods that are dead at night, with few people walking the streets. SF is also a very small city. Bottom line, don't move here to replicate NYC lifestyle, rather seek out what the West has to offer and you will be rewarded

2. As for neighborhoods with bars and restaurants, my top 3 will be Marina, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill. If you live in the Marin within walking distance to Chestnut or Union street, you won't have any complaints about public transport, lively neighborhoods etc. There are other absolutely gorgeous neighborhoods as well (e.g., Pacific Heights), but doesn't have the street level density as the neighborhood I mentioned above

3. Contrary to popular opinion here, I will highly recommend having a car even if you live in SF. Find an apartment with a garage to park your car securely without having to worry about street cleaning etc. The reason for the car is that SF is small and one needs to explore other parts of the Bay Area. Here's what I do usually over the weekend:
- Go wine tasting in the Wine Country. Sonoma and Russian River are my favorite regions
- Visit Muir Woods
- Drive to Lake Tahoe
- Hike up Mt. Diablo
- Hike the hills near Pacifica
- Go to the beaches in Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz
- Drive down to Big Sur and Central CA
- Visit friends and family in Peninsula and South Bay
you get the picture

[tanglenet]

If it's only for a few months, you can always rent a car when you need one. Is commuting an issue for either one of you? If yes, I would recommend somewhere near a BART station, like South Beach. If not, I would suggest the Marina or Nob Hill.

[ajcheese]

Thanks for the posts so far! We both work at home, and are really just shopping cities to settle down in. If we chose to stay maybe then we would buy a car if it is so necessary.

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by ajcheese

Thanks for the posts so far! We both work at home, and are really just shopping cities to settle down in. If we chose to stay maybe then we would buy a car if it is so necessary.

It really isn't, at least not in most parts of SF. When you need a car, you can just use Zipcar or City Car Share (a non-profit local version of Zipcar).

As far as neighborhoods go, you might also like Hayes Valley (which has a younger, slightly more artsy vibe than the other ones mentioned), Duboce Triangle, the Valencia corridor/Dolores Park, and Noe Valley. Or, for a grittier experience, SOMA or the eastern/southern Mission. All are chock-full of fun restaurants and bars and have a wide variety of people and architecture and things to do. The Marina and Nob and Russian Hills are all rather upscale, which is fine if that's what you're looking for, but maybe not the most representative of SF as a whole.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by dmode

As for neighborhoods with bars and restaurants, my top 3 will be Marina, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill. If you live in the Marin within walking distance to Chestnut or Union street, you won't have any complaints about public transport, lively neighborhoods etc.

He meant the Marina Green which has everything you want - close to the bay, lots of shops, bars, restaurants. Not a cheap neighborhood to live in. San Francisco's Marina Green and the Presidio Park

You should have access to a car so you can visit the wine country, the coast, the redwoods, etc.

[mayorhaggar]

Budget?