do you want to live in the city? if not, and you're willing to commute, oakland has a lot of cool neighborhoods (at least they seem so to me as a visitor). My sister used to live in Emeryville (border of oakland & berkeley) & her rent was fairly inexpensive, mix of warehouses, offices & residential. Other friends live in Chinatown there. close to "downtown"oakland, lots going on. She has currently been living in Point Richmond, which is a really amazing little place just east of the richmond bridge - quite a commute from the city cause there's no ferry but something totally unexpected and still close to the freeways. Feels like an old east coast upstate NY kind of town, very quirky, think state & main. Maybe 30 min. from SF with minor traffic.
Best thing is to just get out here and cruise around and check the neighborhoods out. It's a small city, you can cover most of it on foot-bike-muni, that allows you to kind of chose amongst the few neighborhoods. Rent prices have come down a bit, but are starting to rise again, though there is still quite a bit of vacancy, so still an advantage to the renter. Just depends on what kind of things you value in a neighborhood. social/racial/economic diversity, or are you honestly just looking for white kids, if so check the marina. SF is a city of neighborhoods and comes off as a larger hyperpluralistic neighborhood itslef. There's downtown, the Tenderloin, or the 'tender nob', or where I live, the 'tenderloin heights', density & tourism and multicultural gritty urban ghettos at the foot of nob hill (one of the most affluent parts in the country). There's the sunfilled Mission, Delores Park, diverse open space in the heart of the latino community and really 'the people's neighborhood'. Portero Hill is awesome, quiet, slightly removed but overlooking the city in a weet panoramic way. some funky architecture tucked in there too. There's the beach, the sunset diustrict, but you're out there, and it gets foggy a lot of the time. There's the western addition, lower haight, hayes valley - most progressive district historically, central, but alway challenged by gentrification. There's Noe Valley, nice areas approaching Golden Gate Park, sort of new yuppie mixed with old hippie, cool area but not really my style. Are you interested in participating in local district politics, neighborhood groups, district activism, if so then you should study more the demographics. There's the Castro, colorful cool gay headquarters of the west coast, lots of bars. restaurants, nice SF victorians.
do you have any grip on the city yet, any personal criterion, or are you just showing up? Of course there is always Oakland and Berkeley across the Bay, nice spots, cheaper in Oakland, though there are major developments now attempting to challenge our affordability there.
I came here a few months ago and looked at a variety of places. Closer to where you will work will be more expensive for the same quality of living. I don't know how much you are willing to spend, but I found Chinatown has closet-like spaces for the same price as an apartment else where. Most of the neighborhoods are nice and have some type of personality. If you are going to use BART or MUNI (transit) I would look at how easy it is for you to get to work, etc from your house. Sunset is far. Tenderloin is ghetto. Mission St. is a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live on it.
I saw apts in Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Richmond, Chinatown, Western Addition, and North Beach. You can find a reasonalby price apt in all areas, but the quality of the apartments is drastically different.
most importantly searching for safe neighborhood where one can stroll around at night without seeing any sketchy people (concerned for my girlfriend's safety)
area close to civic center (where girlfriend will be working)
close enough to bart if we need to travel larger distances
young environment
and of course relatively affordable. 2br..
i have visited the mission (west of mission) / noe valley areas during the day, but how do they transform at night.. mission (bart stations) are a little sketchy during the day
opinions on north beach, from what i heard parking is problematic. sorry i need to hold on to my vehicle
I haven't lived there but visited a lot. In my opinion most of the neighborhoods anywhere near downtown are sketchy at night, esp. the mission. Over the years I've had friends who lived there, in the Castro District, Sunset (I think, up on the hill there by the college), and North Beach. Driving and parking suck everywhere. My guess would be you'll have to move a little further out to feel safe for both your girlfriend and your car. Or if you're really lucky you might find a place with a parking spot, but that'll be tough.
I currently live in the Sunset District with my family. It's probably one of the better neighborhoods in the city. You can feel safe to walk around at night without having to fear for your life. Most neighbors, though Asians, are nice. Location is close to the beach and GGP! Parking has not turn into a problem yet and there are easy accessible public transportation that can get you to Downtown.
I would suggest the Haight Ashbury area. It is a hip neighborhood, far enough out that you wouldn't have to give your first born up to pay the rent, safe to walk in at night (I am a young woman and I have not problem here), and has a pretty big transit hub at Market and 18th St.
Contrary to some of the posts here, SF is not a violent city. Definitiely skizzy and urban in some places, but not an overt problem with violence. our previous politicians have made sure to displace and hide that on the neglected outskirts. Its actually very laid back city. Sure, some neighborhoods in the Mission or Western Addition, you have to watch yourself late at night, but late at night you should be watching yourself anywhere really. I have never had any problems anywhere in the city, nor has most of the people i know. SF is not like NYC where trouble comes looking for you. I think once you get here, you will see that while it has the urban complexion of most cities, the vibe is pretty cool. I am more worried about the drunken idiot spoiled kids pouring out of the bars at night than anyone else, that is where lameness and indiscriminant violence can occur. good old fashioned american machismo. and on the weekends there is inpour from the greater sf county with dumb adolescent attitudes. they bug me.
anyway, given what you have detailed, you might want to check out more down by the water, even 'dog patch' along the new 3rd street light rail, up and coming neighborhood and close enough to the water where you are more removed from civic center core which is skizzy. civic center is skizzy so tell your lady to be prepared, cause she is goign to see all those people you dont want her to see there in one big happy hang out. well, not happy. check noe valley, i think it is up your alley. sunset is far out there and suburban, but you will get a garage in house rental, and definite parking on the street wherever you are. but by bus the commute is still near half an hour, though there is the underground muni which is a bit quicker. north beach is cool, but full of fools on the weekends. and i dont suggest the marina. parking is a bitch everywhere else. if you msut keep your vehicle. be prepared. portrero hill is cool, i wouldnt mind having a place up on the hill. bus action to downtown is easy too. maybe check bernal heights, its also out there a bit but close enough to pub trans, and from there down town is accessible.
Look around Polk St. north of the Tenderloin as well. It has a direct shot to civic center, and offers alot of diversity and safety. Lots to do and see but without as much noise as the Mission. In my opinion, the more you can walk in SF, the happier you'll be, and Polk Street has just about everything you'll need.
If you need a car, see if you can rent a garage. It could be worth it, intead of isolating yourself in a distant but more car-friendly area.
Cole Valley and upper haight have some nice spots, as Sahar says. and upper Polk is a good suggestion enzo, boy has that neighborhood changed in the last 5 years. there is also Upper Fillmore for the same vein. shoppy, boutiques, etc. I like Hayes Valley better. Also probably find something in Duboce.
enzo76 is right. polk gulch is a decent place. i used to live at washington and larkin >> above the down and out tenderlion and below the yuppies on nob hill. you've got chinatown to the east. i lived there for 5 years and i never took the bus to any of my jobs. the 20-30 min walk was nice. within a 4 block radius there is a grocery store, pet store, the vet for my cats, a movie theater, bars, and cafes. it's all there.
i had a car when i moved there. i got rid of it after a year. you don't need it. it just never got used. why pay insurance and possibly a packing space in a city where a car is unnecessary? we just rented a car when we needed one.
sf is far from sketchy. when i was living there, there were about 90 homicides a year. a far cry from when i left dc. then dc was dubbed the murder capiitol of the nation >> 500+ a year. mayor marion barry had just been arrested because he got video taped smoking crack in a hotel room with a hooker. sf is a safe place to be.
I think you should live in the north beach if you can find a place for the car, or soma, which would be a little sketchier but with more parking. I wouldn't sweat the distance though, as PublicTranspo is pretty good.
If you want a more complete breakdown, (I looked at 38 places) send me an email at [email protected]
Bayview/Hunters Point :-)
Might be a good place to invest (if not to late to invest), but I wouldn't want to live there.
I really haven't been in SF, though it's charming, and depressing. My bounces from other replies, plus my own impressions:
Areas:
Portero Hill looks nice. Totally residential, I guess.
Fog. One of the unique and cherished features of SF. Sunset or Pacifica seems nice if you're warm blooded, or if you already have a girlfriend as you say you do.
I kind of like the Rincon -> 4th,5th & Folsom area. I guess. The blocks are bigger. Maybe that's the only reason. Fewer cars?
Non -geographic features:
The hills are likable, unless you ride a bike.
I've occasionally felt uncomfortable walking on uninhabited narrow streets in the early AM (2), but otherwise, I think a pedestrian should more fear being run over. San Francisco has a bad reputation for pedestrian accidents.
I don't know why anyone living in SF would own a car, unless it was for their business use.
If you want an amusingly warped/hyper perspective of SF, sample craigslist - hah hah (posts are preoccupied with cold hot women and bizarre barter concepts).
Across the bay:
Oakland and southward gets smoggy.
Pt Richmond is nice. It gets a bigger shot of that climate-moderating fog than Berkeley gets. But $$$ (I've heard) And, if you plan to commute south of Albany during commute hours, forget it.
I live in Point Richmond and commute into San Francisco everyday. I use Bart but if I have site meetings I can drive in (I fortunately have parking at my office.) By far, Bart is the best choice and only takes 35 minutes. I do have to drive to the Bart station, though.(only 5 minutes away.) It is the end of the richmond line so you get any seat choice! I would say the commute is worth it because Point Richmond is a relaxing place to come home to after a stressful day. I live right on the water and the rent is cheaper than most of my friend's places in San Francisco.
Although if I were just moving to San Francisco I would probably opt to live right in the city. Only way to learn it and it is fun to explore as a newbie.
Aug 28, 04 3:35 pm ·
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areas to live (San Francisco)
i will be moving to San Francisco soon, any suggestions for areas to look into?
thanks
do you want to live in the city? if not, and you're willing to commute, oakland has a lot of cool neighborhoods (at least they seem so to me as a visitor). My sister used to live in Emeryville (border of oakland & berkeley) & her rent was fairly inexpensive, mix of warehouses, offices & residential. Other friends live in Chinatown there. close to "downtown"oakland, lots going on. She has currently been living in Point Richmond, which is a really amazing little place just east of the richmond bridge - quite a commute from the city cause there's no ferry but something totally unexpected and still close to the freeways. Feels like an old east coast upstate NY kind of town, very quirky, think state & main. Maybe 30 min. from SF with minor traffic.
Best thing is to just get out here and cruise around and check the neighborhoods out. It's a small city, you can cover most of it on foot-bike-muni, that allows you to kind of chose amongst the few neighborhoods. Rent prices have come down a bit, but are starting to rise again, though there is still quite a bit of vacancy, so still an advantage to the renter. Just depends on what kind of things you value in a neighborhood. social/racial/economic diversity, or are you honestly just looking for white kids, if so check the marina. SF is a city of neighborhoods and comes off as a larger hyperpluralistic neighborhood itslef. There's downtown, the Tenderloin, or the 'tender nob', or where I live, the 'tenderloin heights', density & tourism and multicultural gritty urban ghettos at the foot of nob hill (one of the most affluent parts in the country). There's the sunfilled Mission, Delores Park, diverse open space in the heart of the latino community and really 'the people's neighborhood'. Portero Hill is awesome, quiet, slightly removed but overlooking the city in a weet panoramic way. some funky architecture tucked in there too. There's the beach, the sunset diustrict, but you're out there, and it gets foggy a lot of the time. There's the western addition, lower haight, hayes valley - most progressive district historically, central, but alway challenged by gentrification. There's Noe Valley, nice areas approaching Golden Gate Park, sort of new yuppie mixed with old hippie, cool area but not really my style. Are you interested in participating in local district politics, neighborhood groups, district activism, if so then you should study more the demographics. There's the Castro, colorful cool gay headquarters of the west coast, lots of bars. restaurants, nice SF victorians.
do you have any grip on the city yet, any personal criterion, or are you just showing up? Of course there is always Oakland and Berkeley across the Bay, nice spots, cheaper in Oakland, though there are major developments now attempting to challenge our affordability there.
what are you looking for?
I came here a few months ago and looked at a variety of places. Closer to where you will work will be more expensive for the same quality of living. I don't know how much you are willing to spend, but I found Chinatown has closet-like spaces for the same price as an apartment else where. Most of the neighborhoods are nice and have some type of personality. If you are going to use BART or MUNI (transit) I would look at how easy it is for you to get to work, etc from your house. Sunset is far. Tenderloin is ghetto. Mission St. is a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live on it.
I saw apts in Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Richmond, Chinatown, Western Addition, and North Beach. You can find a reasonalby price apt in all areas, but the quality of the apartments is drastically different.
What do you want proximity? neighborhood?
thank you all for your comments........
most importantly searching for safe neighborhood where one can stroll around at night without seeing any sketchy people (concerned for my girlfriend's safety)
area close to civic center (where girlfriend will be working)
close enough to bart if we need to travel larger distances
young environment
and of course relatively affordable. 2br..
i have visited the mission (west of mission) / noe valley areas during the day, but how do they transform at night.. mission (bart stations) are a little sketchy during the day
opinions on north beach, from what i heard parking is problematic. sorry i need to hold on to my vehicle
thanks again
I haven't lived there but visited a lot. In my opinion most of the neighborhoods anywhere near downtown are sketchy at night, esp. the mission. Over the years I've had friends who lived there, in the Castro District, Sunset (I think, up on the hill there by the college), and North Beach. Driving and parking suck everywhere. My guess would be you'll have to move a little further out to feel safe for both your girlfriend and your car. Or if you're really lucky you might find a place with a parking spot, but that'll be tough.
I currently live in the Sunset District with my family. It's probably one of the better neighborhoods in the city. You can feel safe to walk around at night without having to fear for your life. Most neighbors, though Asians, are nice. Location is close to the beach and GGP! Parking has not turn into a problem yet and there are easy accessible public transportation that can get you to Downtown.
I would suggest the Haight Ashbury area. It is a hip neighborhood, far enough out that you wouldn't have to give your first born up to pay the rent, safe to walk in at night (I am a young woman and I have not problem here), and has a pretty big transit hub at Market and 18th St.
Check it out.
Contrary to some of the posts here, SF is not a violent city. Definitiely skizzy and urban in some places, but not an overt problem with violence. our previous politicians have made sure to displace and hide that on the neglected outskirts. Its actually very laid back city. Sure, some neighborhoods in the Mission or Western Addition, you have to watch yourself late at night, but late at night you should be watching yourself anywhere really. I have never had any problems anywhere in the city, nor has most of the people i know. SF is not like NYC where trouble comes looking for you. I think once you get here, you will see that while it has the urban complexion of most cities, the vibe is pretty cool. I am more worried about the drunken idiot spoiled kids pouring out of the bars at night than anyone else, that is where lameness and indiscriminant violence can occur. good old fashioned american machismo. and on the weekends there is inpour from the greater sf county with dumb adolescent attitudes. they bug me.
anyway, given what you have detailed, you might want to check out more down by the water, even 'dog patch' along the new 3rd street light rail, up and coming neighborhood and close enough to the water where you are more removed from civic center core which is skizzy. civic center is skizzy so tell your lady to be prepared, cause she is goign to see all those people you dont want her to see there in one big happy hang out. well, not happy. check noe valley, i think it is up your alley. sunset is far out there and suburban, but you will get a garage in house rental, and definite parking on the street wherever you are. but by bus the commute is still near half an hour, though there is the underground muni which is a bit quicker. north beach is cool, but full of fools on the weekends. and i dont suggest the marina. parking is a bitch everywhere else. if you msut keep your vehicle. be prepared. portrero hill is cool, i wouldnt mind having a place up on the hill. bus action to downtown is easy too. maybe check bernal heights, its also out there a bit but close enough to pub trans, and from there down town is accessible.
anyway
good luck
Look around Polk St. north of the Tenderloin as well. It has a direct shot to civic center, and offers alot of diversity and safety. Lots to do and see but without as much noise as the Mission. In my opinion, the more you can walk in SF, the happier you'll be, and Polk Street has just about everything you'll need.
If you need a car, see if you can rent a garage. It could be worth it, intead of isolating yourself in a distant but more car-friendly area.
Cole Valley and upper haight have some nice spots, as Sahar says. and upper Polk is a good suggestion enzo, boy has that neighborhood changed in the last 5 years. there is also Upper Fillmore for the same vein. shoppy, boutiques, etc. I like Hayes Valley better. Also probably find something in Duboce.
just get out here and drive aorund.
lots of options here, did not expect so much info.....
thanks to all
enzo76 is right. polk gulch is a decent place. i used to live at washington and larkin >> above the down and out tenderlion and below the yuppies on nob hill. you've got chinatown to the east. i lived there for 5 years and i never took the bus to any of my jobs. the 20-30 min walk was nice. within a 4 block radius there is a grocery store, pet store, the vet for my cats, a movie theater, bars, and cafes. it's all there.
i had a car when i moved there. i got rid of it after a year. you don't need it. it just never got used. why pay insurance and possibly a packing space in a city where a car is unnecessary? we just rented a car when we needed one.
sf is far from sketchy. when i was living there, there were about 90 homicides a year. a far cry from when i left dc. then dc was dubbed the murder capiitol of the nation >> 500+ a year. mayor marion barry had just been arrested because he got video taped smoking crack in a hotel room with a hooker. sf is a safe place to be.
I think you should live in the north beach if you can find a place for the car, or soma, which would be a little sketchier but with more parking. I wouldn't sweat the distance though, as PublicTranspo is pretty good.
If you want a more complete breakdown, (I looked at 38 places) send me an email at [email protected]
Bayview/Hunters Point :-)
Might be a good place to invest (if not to late to invest), but I wouldn't want to live there.
I really haven't been in SF, though it's charming, and depressing. My bounces from other replies, plus my own impressions:
Areas:
Portero Hill looks nice. Totally residential, I guess.
Fog. One of the unique and cherished features of SF. Sunset or Pacifica seems nice if you're warm blooded, or if you already have a girlfriend as you say you do.
You should be able to find many websites like this, but you'll have to weed through tons of real estate sites.
http://www.jim-collier.com/lifeofacity/intro-and-maps/pages/intro.html
That site (just Googled) seems a bit name-droppy, but I guess it has some lesser-known info, too.
I kind of like the Rincon -> 4th,5th & Folsom area. I guess. The blocks are bigger. Maybe that's the only reason. Fewer cars?
Non -geographic features:
The hills are likable, unless you ride a bike.
I've occasionally felt uncomfortable walking on uninhabited narrow streets in the early AM (2), but otherwise, I think a pedestrian should more fear being run over. San Francisco has a bad reputation for pedestrian accidents.
I don't know why anyone living in SF would own a car, unless it was for their business use.
If you want an amusingly warped/hyper perspective of SF, sample craigslist - hah hah (posts are preoccupied with cold hot women and bizarre barter concepts).
Rents are a popular topic. http://forums.craigslist.org/?forumID=6
Checkout William Stout. http://www.sfstation.com/books/williamstout/
Across the bay:
Oakland and southward gets smoggy.
Pt Richmond is nice. It gets a bigger shot of that climate-moderating fog than Berkeley gets. But $$$ (I've heard) And, if you plan to commute south of Albany during commute hours, forget it.
I live in Point Richmond and commute into San Francisco everyday. I use Bart but if I have site meetings I can drive in (I fortunately have parking at my office.) By far, Bart is the best choice and only takes 35 minutes. I do have to drive to the Bart station, though.(only 5 minutes away.) It is the end of the richmond line so you get any seat choice! I would say the commute is worth it because Point Richmond is a relaxing place to come home to after a stressful day. I live right on the water and the rent is cheaper than most of my friend's places in San Francisco.
Although if I were just moving to San Francisco I would probably opt to live right in the city. Only way to learn it and it is fun to explore as a newbie.
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