SF Bay-It's communities and neighborhoods.
Jul 10th, 1998, 10:50 AM
#1
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SF Bay-It's communities and neighborhoods.
I'm contemplating a move to the SF Bay area or as far north as Santa Rosa. Certain cities{like Richmond) seem far less expensive for rentals than others. There doesn't seem to be any way to investigate Oakland on the net at all. Can anyone help me? Thanks!
Jul 10th, 1998, 11:24 AM
#2
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Remember the old expression "you get what you pay for?" That's why Richmond is less than other areas----beware of Oakland, parts are very nice and other parts are horrible. Jerry Brown just was elected mayor so you need to get a flavor for the city from that! Many, many area in SF. It really depends on your budget. Santa Rosa is lovely, but far out in terms of traffic if you are working in the city. The word out here is add 1 hour commute for every bridge you have to cross! You can try getting the Chronicle web site and look for ads, but I would wonder if you have a job, can't someone who works there help you?? The Bay area is now the priciest in the country. Try www.sfgate.com also. South of the city Daly City and Millbrae are affordable but very boring little cities. San Mateo is more interesting, but more of a commute into the city. Down near Palo Alto it becomes very expensive again! I think you need professional help! Good luck.
Jul 10th, 1998, 09:30 PM
#3
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I live in Silicon Valley which is 45 miles south of San Franciso. Kam has pretty well hit the nail on the head. Acutally rents are probably higher now in Silicon Valley due to the booming economy and extreme housing shortage. Rents in San Franciso are in line with many other large cities in the US. My nephew just moved to San Franciso and is renting a small apartment in a decent area for $800.00 /mo. You can easily pay $3500.00 /mo. in some areas but that is not uncommon in many other cities. A lot depends on your tolerance for commuting. Like Kam says, areas like Richmond are not where I would choose to live. Oakland is a definite NO NO. I would either live right in San Francisco and pay the price or go north across the Golden Gate bridge. It is still very expensive until you get north aways. Santa Rosa would be excellent if you can stand the commute. There are probably busses and car pools from Santa Rosa into the city.
Jul 13th, 1998, 11:50 AM
#4
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Alas, San Francisco is VERY pricey. There really aren't any undiscovered "bargin" areas. The farther you get from the Bay Area, the cheaper. The real thing to consider is commuting. Try to get near rail, BART, or bus line. Another option is the ferry system. Vallejo has a nice ferry, but it takes a while to drive to the departure point, ride the boat, and then get to the office.
I'd stay on a commute line or live in SF itself. Contrary to above post, it is much more expensive than any city I've lived in, especially between the coasts. Bite the bullet; move there, and get a short-term rental in a residence hotel or the like. Ask around and drive around, to get a feel. I LOVE Noe Valley. Also "the avenues", and the Richmond or Sunset districts. You'll pay more for sunshine (it can be deary much of the summer). A thing you might consider is an industrial area, say, South of Market. That's the hottest place for the young and hip. Oh, and you'll pay through the nose for a great view. I'd stay away from any place built on land fill, such as the Marina. It's beautiful, but think back to the Loma Prieta quake of '89, and most of the damage was on land-fill areas such as the Marina.
Good luck!
I'd stay on a commute line or live in SF itself. Contrary to above post, it is much more expensive than any city I've lived in, especially between the coasts. Bite the bullet; move there, and get a short-term rental in a residence hotel or the like. Ask around and drive around, to get a feel. I LOVE Noe Valley. Also "the avenues", and the Richmond or Sunset districts. You'll pay more for sunshine (it can be deary much of the summer). A thing you might consider is an industrial area, say, South of Market. That's the hottest place for the young and hip. Oh, and you'll pay through the nose for a great view. I'd stay away from any place built on land fill, such as the Marina. It's beautiful, but think back to the Loma Prieta quake of '89, and most of the damage was on land-fill areas such as the Marina.
Good luck!
Jul 17th, 1998, 08:04 AM
#6
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I don't want to give the impression that San Francisco is not pricey because it is. However, many other cities such as Boston and Minneapolis are just as bad. I have a nephew that recently moved to San Francisco and another that moved to Minneapolis. Guess who pays the highest rent for comparable places? The nephew in Minneapolis pays the most. Also utilities are cheaper in San Francisco. The San Jose area is just as expensive as San Franciso. In fact I read in USA Today a comparison of average rents. San Francisco didn't make the list. NYC was first, Minneapolis was second. So, although it is expensive in San Francisco, it NO longer is the most expensive.
