Where to live in San Francisco?
 

Moving to SF to start a job for three months in mid September. Looking for a place for either 2 people or 4 people (and a dog) in the city. We are all four late 20s-early 30s nurses scattered (I will be working in Oakland but want to live in SF)

Want to find the good areas to live, safe, fun, lots of young people, preferably close to water and easy access to public transportation and BART to get to Oakland. Any help narrowing down the neighborhoods a little better? Thanks! Can't wait to get there!!!

The first thing we need is your approx. budget . . . .

Try the Glen Park area for access to BART. Easy access to BART usually means that you will not be close to water.

we can do approx $2000 per person, so it will either be 2 of us or 4 of us all together. Doesn't have to be by water as there is water all around I guess, just a cool young area. Hoping to leave my car with relatives in Oakland Hills and rely on foot/public most of time, don't really want to have to drive my car into Oakland for work at night...

At the rate you quote, you should be able to afford a place in Noe Valley.

What about the SoMa area? Want to be close to BART, looking at Avalon apartments, some in Mission Bay and some in Sunset. Thanks...

Inner Sunset around 9th Avenue would fill your requirements for liveliness, safe neighborhood, etc. Cole Valley would be just the ticket too. West Portal is a bit more older/sedate but is a very safe neighborhood with many amenities.

A prior poster mentioned Glen Park. Great neighborhood with connections to the Mission and Noe Valley. There is a neighborhoo called Sunnyside which abuts Glen Park to the south and west. It's up and coming and might be a bit cheaper, esp. if you were thinking about renting a house.

Let us know if any of these options intrigue you. We'll be happy to expound.

Thanks! The inner Sunset area seems like a good one...how difficult would it be to commute to Oakland via BART from there though? What about the Mission Bay area, King Street? Thanks for the tip on Sunnyside too...we'll keep looking on craigslist, it needs to be pet friendly too so it narrows down some.

From the Sunset you would need to get downtown to at least the Civic Center Bart station and get onto an eastbound Bart train. There's the N-Judah Metro (subway), the 6 Parnassus bus and the 71 Noriega bus. The Inner Sunset around 9th and Irving is also very close to Golden Gate Park, so that's a plus for a dog owner. I lived on 14th and Kirkham for 8 years long ago, and it's still a neighbohood I frequent for restaurants and stops at the Arizmendi Bakery.

Try to avoid Muni if at all possible. I made the reverse commute (Berkeley to UCSF area) for years. The N Judah was the worst part of the trip. They've improved Muni since then but it still doesn't equal the reliability of BART.
Unfortunately, most of the neighborhoods near a BART station aren't that great to live in. Having to transfer will add at least a half hour to your commute each way.

Unless you live near in a neighborhood near one of the six BART stops in SF you will have to take transportation to BART. There is a BART stop in the Glen Park neighborhood previously mentioned. Glen Park is nice but I don't think of it as young, single person's neighborhood. There is one at 24th and Mission, which is close to Noe Valley and walkable depending on where you locate. There is another at 16th and Mission, the "upper Mission" is a trendy, lively, young neighborhood nearby. There is a BART stop at Civic Center--nearest decent neighborhood would be Hayes Valley, another trendy, lively, young neighborhood. The downtown stops are Powell, Montgomery and Embarcadero. Neighborhoods close to Embarcadero would be SOMA and South Beach.

There are 8 BART stations in SF proper.

How many in improper SF? :-?

I'd have loved to have bought one of those "little condos" right near Pac Bell/SBS/ATT whatevah' name it is now ball park.
Nice location for events, street cars, the Bay, and some good restaurants.

My typo bluestar--since you took the time to point it out, what neighborhood can you recommend near Balboa Park for a new arrival?

Daly City and Colma stations are not in SF proper but are very close to the SF city/county limit.

I'm not recommending anything -- this poster is moving in less than 2 weeks and is just now doing research...would probably be a lost cause anyway.

My apologies-didn't realize you just posted to correct my error.

I would not discount Oakland or Berkeley as possibilities.

Actually I was correcting to say there are 8 BART statins in SF, not 6:

Embacadero
Montgomery
Powell
Civic Center
16th & Mission
24th & Misssion
Glen Park
Balboa Park

I got that bluestar-I typed in six instead of eight and then discussed only 7 stations. I did not discuss Balboa Park--a deliberate omission. My mistake was believing that you had something you wanted to say about the Balboa Park area, you did not.

OK.
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But doesn't this request strike you as rather difficult?

- short notice (needs by mid Sept. and first post was Sept 1. - takes time to screen applicants and depends on availability of house/apt.)

- short term, i.e 3 months (6 or 12 month lease won't work)

- has a dog (makes is more difficult)

- wants to be near BART (easier said than done)