moving to SF andlooking for a decent "read my view of decent" place (San Francisco: best neighborhood, to rent)

[cellzone]

Hi
i was wondering if someone kindly can help us here. We are moving to SF and will not be buying a house for another 1 year therefore looking for a place to rent. Budget is up to $2000. It is my wife and I with no kids
Here is what we are looking for:
an artsy and down to earth neighborhood where we can walk around and enjoy a afternoon cafe, nice private shops(not a big fan of "big name" places), close to the water is bonus, and to enjoy a greenery. Not too far from the city for business.
any neighborhood for suggetion would offer such in SF?
never been there before and when i was checking the pictures did not see much of greenery and palm trees is that normal or was just a pictures?
thanks kindly

[bigdave01]

San Francisco is definitely not known for greenery. There are very few trees in the city proper.

If greenery is truly important you may want to look at parts of Oakland and Berkeley. They are still walkable, but slightly less urban, and have some trees, especially in the hills.

[RandalR]

Originally Posted by cellzone

Here is what we are looking for:
an artsy and down to earth neighborhood where we can walk around and enjoy a afternoon cafe, nice private shops(not a big fan of "big name" places), close to the water is bonus, and to enjoy a greenery. Not too far from the city for business.

The Marina sounds like the best neighborhood for you, but I'm not sure how far the $2,000 budget would go there. Check Craigslist.

[humboldtrat]

Check out the West Portal neighborhood in the western part of the city. I'm not sure how far $2000 will go however. West Portal has a light rail station with easy access to downtown or the beach to the west. West Portal, San Francisco, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jzt83]

Inner sunset might fit the bill. It has some trees and it right next to golden gate park.

[Joe_Ryder]

The climate in SF is a bit cool for Palm Trees.
There are a few here and there in the East Bay. Palms grow and thrive in tropical and subtropical environments. SF and most of the Bay Area is a Mediterranean climate. If you're looking for Palm trees, you might try looking in Southern California.

Please remember that the closer you get to the water, the more expensive it gets. Sometimes people can find screaming great deals near the water but I wouldn't be counting on it unless you happen to know somebody and you're in the right place at the right time.

It kind of sounds like you may have SF confused with Santa Monica. The climate in this part of CA is very different from SoCal. SF is closer to the typical Pacific Northwest climate except that it has something that resembles summer.

Good luck.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by cellzone

Hi
i was wondering if someone kindly can help us here. We are moving to SF and will not be buying a house for another 1 year therefore looking for a place to rent. Budget is up to $2000. It is my wife and I with no kids
Here is what we are looking for:
an artsy and down to earth neighborhood where we can walk around and enjoy a afternoon cafe, nice private shops(not a big fan of "big name" places), close to the water is bonus, and to enjoy a greenery. Not too far from the city for business.
any neighborhood for suggetion would offer such in SF?
never been there before and when i was checking the pictures did not see much of greenery and palm trees is that normal or was just a pictures?
thanks kindly

How about the island of Alameda? Granted, it's not IN SF, but it's pretty close...

[fizbin]

I agree that Alameda is worth a look. Nice fairly small town atmosphere on an island, with a two ferry docs for direct trips to SF. Two major business districts and one mall (near the end of a very nice mission-style makeover). Good restaurants and cafés, coffee houses, bars. Very walkable and safe. Nice beaches and parks.

[cellzone]

thanks guys for a very useful info and directions. hopefully i'll make a right choice and take the best from my budget. cheers to all of you

[cellzone]

i was doing a bit of research on line on weather and etc...
It seems to me that SF is in a cooler side.
will someone tell me the vaerage temp all year round specialy in winter time? is it really cold or is it mild?
i was checking on the archestone prperties which apparently they have many properties all around Cali and want to know are they reliable( their prices are fair for a property they offer in Craigslist)