Cher-Cher - I'm glad someone brought it up. I'd never live on land-fill in San Francisco. Rael8l - pick something on or near a hill in this city and you'll do fine if Earthquake safety is important to you. The entire Marina area is just land-fill left over from the World's Fair of long ago.

Also, Eureka Valley is the Castro.

Check out this site for more local information:
http://www.mistersf.com/

Of particular interest are the High on a Hill pages and Notorious S.F.!

My best advice when home-hunting would be to really consider the public transit system (especially if you won't have a car). Check out the MUNI maps at http://www.511.org. The streetcar systems and the subway are usually great alternatives to driving.

If you can't get out to here to check places out...I would suggest subletting initially for a month or two. There are lots of places on Craig's list. It's a good way to go, because if you don't like to area, it's temporary and you can take tohe extra time to find a neighborhood that really suits you.

We just moved to SF from Chicago (downtown) and I know what you mean about being in the center of things. I had a really hard time deciding between which neighborhoods to live in, but ultimately, it came down to the quality of life. The apartment we are renting is similar to what we were living in Chicago (a new condo). It's not the hottest neighborhood in the city, but there are a ton of restaurants and bars to check out. Also, Noe Valley is just a few minutes walk from here without having to pay the Noe Valley rents. We pay $2000/month for a 2 bedroom 2 bath that is brand new. It even has parking and a roof top deck.

I just feel that you get more bang for your buck in the Mission.

Good luck!