Question about a certain area (San Francisco, Alameda: violent crime, neighborhoods, purchase)

[allcities]

Hi all, I have a quick question in regard to a certain area of SF.
I am about to relocate to SF because of a job, and I was thinking of moving to SF proper.
I lived in SF before when I was in my early teens, and I was curious if the neighborhood I had lived in is good or bad right now. I lived near Japantown (Geary and Webster), again this was awhile ago (late 80s-early 90s), and since I "somewhat" know that area, I was wondering if it is still livable.
Also, I do not have a car (having lived in NYC for a time, then another major city where I didn't need one), is SF still "doable" without a car.
I remember when I lived there as a teen, my relatives (some still live there) would complain about the high cost of parking and no available spaces (well, being from NY, I know).

Thanks in advance for your input.

[rah]

Well it's definitely not worse than it would have been in the 80's and 90's...the Fillmore has seen a lot of gentrification, and is much safer in general nowadays, though it still has a little grit here and there too and the occasional violence as always (someone was shot and killed at Geary and Webster in 2008, for example).

[allcities]

Thanks, maybe I will choose another area, change is always good anyway.
Any suggestions (a studio is all I need) in a good neighborhood. Kind of generic, but any input would be appreciated.
I am used to NY rents, but I really don't want to go too high.
Out of curiosity, what was the shooting about in '08?

Thanks.

[andyadhi01]

Pretty much most neighborhoods in SF have serious problem with violent crimes and epidemic of non-violent property crime. If crime is a concern, I suggest living out of the city in the south bay or peninsula areas.

[allcities]

Wow, I didn't know it was that bad in SF today. My sister lives in Alameda, and she mentioned crime, but didn't mention that it got that bad.
I really don't want to purchase a car (another expense), thanks, I will have to do further research.

[mdwstrnkid]

If you go a couple of blocks north of Geary, the neighborhood starts getting better very quickly.

[bellalunatic]

Originally Posted by andyadhi01

Pretty much most neighborhoods in SF have serious problem with violent crimes and epidemic of non-violent property crime. If crime is a concern, I suggest living out of the city in the south bay or peninsula areas.

Originally Posted by allcities

Wow, I didn't know it was that bad in SF today. My sister lives in Alameda, and she mentioned crime, but didn't mention that it got that bad.
I really don't want to purchase a car (another expense), thanks, I will have to do further research.

Pay no attentions to that Andy guy, he just moved to the inner Sunset from somewhere in Texas.
He hasn't been in SF for more than a year and he gripes about it all the time.

The Geary/Japantown neighborhood is fine, it's been spruced up since the 80's 90's er, gentrification in general.
Even back then that area was a sort of by block hit or miss, you know?
I used to do my grocery shopping at the Safeway at Webster near Geary back in the 90's.
It's much better now than it was back then, for sure.

For ease of public transportation, you could go with many different neighborhoods, it depends more as to wether you want to do Muni or Bart.

[andyadhi01]

Originally Posted by bellalunatic

Pay no attentions to that Andy guy, he just moved to the inner Sunset from somewhere in Texas.
He hasn't been in SF for more than a year and he gripes about it all the time.

So what do you expect? Sing praises of all the crime going on here? You cannot change the reality of the city by attacking me! I just state what I see and I am not delusional about the city. For a city as expensive as NY it should be as safe as nice. Otherwise it is just a over-priced place that should be avoided.

[bellalunatic]

Of course not, but your experience is truly limited and all you do is complain.
What you are saying is myopic at best. You have no idea what SF was like when she DID live here, and that's what she was asking about.
Are you moving back to Texas?

[Laocoön]

It was my very first day in San Francisco. I had originally arrived to live there and was looking for a residence. I walked into a police precinct and asked the first cop I saw, "Where in this city should my wife and I live if we want to be safe?"

He responded without batting an eye -- this was an auto-response he had surely issued countless times before. The man in blue opened his hands, put the heels of his palms together, spread them into a right angle, and said,

This here is Steiner. This here is California. You want to live anywhere in here. [Nodding into the vector formed by his hands, thrusting them forward for emphasis]

"What if I want to live in North Beach?" I objected. "Or how about the Sunset? What about the Haight--"

He cut short my list of hopeful exceptions and retorted bluntly,

Look, you asked me where you could be safe, or at least relatively. I have told you. This side of Steiner at California -- it's cut and dry. Now, there are a few occasional dangerous spots inside this quadrant, but this is a city for Crissakes, so there is no absolute safety. But there are NO spots outside it I would recommend.