Moving to SF & Commuting to Palo Alto via Bart (San Francisco: apartment, rent)

[dgrant]

Hi,
I'm going to start a grad program at Stanford in the fall, and my boyfriend and I are going to move to San Francisco (we think he'll have a better chance at finding a job there; we want to be in a city, etc).
I had a few questions and was hoping you could help:
-Is it possible and feasible to commute to PA via the Bart?
-What are some good neighborhoods (relatively close to PA; close to a Bart stop; not too expensive; and safe) to look into?
-What is the typical rent for a 1-bedroom or a 2-bedroom (we're thinking about possibly using one room for an office if we can afford it)
-What are the best ways to find an apartment while out of state? (I know about craig's list, but are there other sites? Do you recommend brokers?)

I would appreciate any help you can give.

Thanks!

[sonarrat]

BART doesn't go there

caltrain.com - home

A typical apartment in the areas that have a Caltrain station will be $2000-2500.

[dgrant]

really!? i was told it (or some other public transport system) goes to downtown palo alto and then i could just take a shuttle over to the campus. i don't know how long that would all take

[packet]

Originally Posted by dgrant

really!? i was told it (or some other public transport system) goes to downtown palo alto and then i could just take a shuttle over to the campus. i don't know how long that would all take

P&TS - Marguerite Shuttle

Caltrain is what you'll have to take from SF to Stanford. I believe the ride should take around 45 minutes on Caltrain itself plus however long it takes you to get to Clatrain and however long the shuttle takes.

[sonarrat]

You should actually be glad it's Caltrain and not BART. If it was BART, it would cost a lot more and you wouldn't have the option of a monthly pass.

[san carlos]

The Caltrain Station is right at University Ave and El Camino, so you're already almost on the Campus as soon as you step off the train. That's a good way to go.

[dgrant]

this is great- thank you all. now i know it is definitely possible to live in sf, and i don't mind that commute. are there affordable areas in sf that you would recommend? what's the best way to find an apartment while out of state?
thank you again-

[packet]

Depends what you mean by affordable. Most areas close to Caltrain aren't going to be cheap.

As far as finding an apartment, craigslist is the way to go when it comes to apartment hunting in SF.

[justmovedtosf]

Hi- we just recently moved to SF and I found TRULIA.com and ZILLOW.com really helpful, cross-referencing Craigslist. The financial district/Embarcadero/SOMA (south of market) areas are more expensive than Richmond /Park Merced areas. I found apts in the Japantown/lower Nob Hill areas to be priced in between these two areas. These days, a studio (450 sqft) can range from $2300 to $2800 in the SOMA area - unless you live by the 6th/7th street areas (or Tenderloin). Toss in an additional $200-300 for one parking space. In the Fisherman's area - I found one studio for only 2k - but not updated - not so bad, just not appealing; a refurbished one in that area goes for $2200 to 2500 also.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Commuting is a pain. I say you should live in Palo Alto, and go play in SF with all the energy you'll save from not commuting to the point of exhaustion. Be cheaper, too.