16 year old living alone in SoMa for a month in the summer? (San Francisco: extended stay, sublet)

[jkMav]

Hi guys,

Thanks for looking. I'm a 16 year old male student (turning 17 in July), and I plan to work at a company over at 9th Street in South of Market, San Francisco, CA over the summer for about a month. I'm currently looking for an apartment I can stay with bunch of roommates, for I don't think I'd be comfortable staying with just one roommate.

Now, I hear that South of Market has some dangerous places, in which 9th street (where I will be working at) is apparently one of them. It also does not help that I'm: a) unfamiliar with the urban setting b) from a rural area in Georgia c) going to be walking everywhere...

So my questions are:

1. Is it generally safe for a person like me to stay alone in South of Market and work typical 9-5 job with no issues?
2. Would I have to eat out everyday, for I do not know how to cook. At all.
3. Do you think I should continue to resort to look for summer sublet (3+ roommates) apartments, or do you think one roommate would work just fine? My parents and I are a little skeptical of an idea that I'd be living with just one person.
4. Should I invest more money into finding a safer neighborhood, even if it's more expensive and requires longer transportation?
5. Which neighborhoods/streets should I avoid?
6. Would I be able to walk around the streets in daylight, or should I consider riding Munis everyday?
7. Any tips? I'm pretty nervous of this whole situation. This is really new for me.


Sorry for the long questions guys. I really really would appreciate any types of help.

[04kL4nD]

SOMA is an incredibly expensive part of the city, so without question you will have roommates.

[clongirl]

Personally, I'd consider looking around SFSU (San Francisco State University) for a group roommate situation (neighborhoods like the Sunset, Parkside, Ingleside---generally the Southwest part of the City. It's generally a lot less expensive than SOMA and you'd be able to get to your job via public transportation quite easily. It's a lot less intimidating since it's a tad more "suburban" and generally very safe.

In addition, I think you should learn a few simple things to cook---ask your mom to show you how to make eggs, soup, potatoes, pasta, etc. These are skills that will help you in the long run and help save you some money. There are many, many very cheap options for eating on a budget here--especially in the neighborhoods I've mentioned. Asian, Mexican, and sometimes Indian food tend to be quite inexpensive so don't worry too much on this front--you won't starve!

[bmw335xi]

Live around SFSU and commute to SOMA??!!! What??? That's crazy! As a parent, I would also rather have my child have professional roomies than college students because odds are there will be drugs and alcohol most of the time.

Anyways, SOMA has some really nice parts! It's a great part of the city. I don't know what your budget is, but having roomies will be good. I think having more than one would be better in case you don't get along. If you can find something around AT&T Park, that would be an AWESOME summer! 9-5pm is fine... my GF's little bro is 17 and hangs out all over the city. If you want to be safe, keep your phone, wallet and keys in your pockets. Phones are the main target these days.

As far as food goes, there are tons of restaurants in SF. Many people don't cook here. Many restaurants also deliver and SOMA is right in the city, so you'll be able to order from most of them.

Enjoy! If you have more questions just ask or send me a direct message!

[Ceece]

A 16 year old working for 1 month? You just need your family to find someone to take you in for a couple weeks.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Ceece

A 16 year old working for 1 month? You just need your family to find someone to take you in for a couple weeks.

I know there is no way my parents would hav elet me live unsupervised in an city for a month. Really anywhere.

[Ruth4Truth]

What about that couch-surfing website for travelers? He'll only be there a month. Finding a roommate situation for just one month seems unlikely.

Also, the OP will be college-student-age in July. It's a fine (and somewhat arbitrary) line between highschool, when parents tend to be more protective, and college-age, when students are often on their own. I don't see a problem.

[ipaper]

Yeah, that's not a good thing for someone so young in my opinion. Don't rush to grow up, you will get there soon enough. From rural Georgia to san Francisco is quite a contrast, especially for a 16 year old and alone.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by jkMav

Hi guys,

Thanks for looking. I'm a 16 year old male student (turning 17 in July), and I plan to work at a company over at 9th Street in South of Market, San Francisco, CA over the summer for about a month. I'm currently looking for an apartment I can stay with bunch of roommates, for I don't think I'd be comfortable staying with just one roommate.

Now, I hear that South of Market has some dangerous places, in which 9th street (where I will be working at) is apparently one of them. It also does not help that I'm: a) unfamiliar with the urban setting b) from a rural area in Georgia c) going to be walking everywhere...

So my questions are:

1. Is it generally safe for a person like me to stay alone in South of Market and work typical 9-5 job with no issues?
2. Would I have to eat out everyday, for I do not know how to cook. At all.
3. Do you think I should continue to resort to look for summer sublet (3+ roommates) apartments, or do you think one roommate would work just fine? My parents and I are a little skeptical of an idea that I'd be living with just one person.
4. Should I invest more money into finding a safer neighborhood, even if it's more expensive and requires longer transportation?
5. Which neighborhoods/streets should I avoid?
6. Would I be able to walk around the streets in daylight, or should I consider riding Munis everyday?
7. Any tips? I'm pretty nervous of this whole situation. This is really new for me.


Sorry for the long questions guys. I really really would appreciate any types of help.

Do you already have this job? It's difficult for minors to get work in CA, so I find this curious.

Also, as a minor, you probably won't be able to find someone willing to contract with you for a rental. Minors generally CAN sign contracts, but the problem is, they can easily back out of them without repercussions, if I'm remembering my law class on contracts correctly. At any rate, I think you'll find that landlords want you to be 18 before they will enter a contract with you.

You could look into staying at a hostel. Again, I don't know if your age would be an issue. But, there are several hostels in SF, and you would have plenty of company. Here are some options:

San Francisco Hostels Listing - All Hostels in San Francisco at Hostels.com

Hostels in San Francisco | Book San Fran Hostels Online at Hostelworld.com

When I've looked up the hostels for people before, I always thought that the International hostel looked like fun - to meet people from around the world.

[gnomatic]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

When I've looked up the hostels for people before, I always thought that the International hostel looked like fun - to meet people from around the world.

HI hostel like the International Hostel usually have a limit on the number of days you can stay. It's usually a week or two maximum. They are not intended for extended stay. There is no "secure" place for you to store your stuff if you are working during the day. Some hostel have a policy of "lock outs" for rooms during the day.

For stays of longer duration, private (non HI) hostels are a better option, but the good ones private hostels restrict stays to non US residents.

US residents will need a student ID to stay at a HI hostel. I am not sure, but there is probably an age restriction for unaccompanied minors, minimum is either 16 or 18 (it varies by country).

I will be very careful about using couchsurfing.org for a minor. I used to be a host, legitimate hosts will probably be reluctant to take on an unaccompanied minor with no prior endorsement. The SF bay area is a pretty tough area to find a host as it is, since demand is so high.

I doubt many professionals would want a 16 year old as a room mate, and for only 1 month at that.

The OP best option is probably finding a summer sublet from a college student who has gone away for the summer. Try contacting the local schools housing department to see if you can access their off campus housing listing.