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[pearsorh]

Hi

I'm moving to San Francisco in August and I'm not really sure where to live. I wanna be quite close to the city, downtown areas. What are the good areas to live and the areas to avoid?

Thanks for your help,

Rich

[wakingdream]

Hey there,

I've only visited San Fran and don't know much about actually living there though I think there are some members from the area that might have some good advice.

in the meantime, check out these links:

Askville: Living in SF

'Find the best place to live in SF'

And finally, here's a great link with a good map of neighborhoods and breakdowns for people looking to move to SF.

There's a lot to consider and choose from!!

Best of Luck!

[pearsorh]

Thank you very much

[bloomer]

Most places close to the city have risen in price over the last ten years or so, but with the dot com bust a bit back it's a little more liveable.
The Mission is still where the cool kids are if you can find a place in or around there.
Some people choose to live across the bridge in Oakland, which is cool in it's own right, but the BART (bay area rapid transit) and bus system is not too bad, so getting around is no problem. There are tons of neighborhoods with nice apartments--the question is how much can you afford. . .

[wakingdream]

the question is how much can you afford. . .

No doubt, San Fran is expensive! But, it's one of the coolest cities I've been to Best shows ever.

[starlagurl]

Just found this cool music venue in SF with lots of history, there's also lots of other interesting places to see (music related):

http://www.jaunted.com/maps/San-Francisco-Music-Venues

[polydemic]

I just gave this advice to someone else on this forum, wanting to move to SF:

"You really need to research this thoroughly before making such a decision. San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in California. You're better off in smaller cities, whether in New York or California. Google "San Francisco" + "cost of living" & really investigate as much as you can before making any decision. You could work in SF while living in a small town outside its city limits. That's what I do with regard to Seattle. (But not Sausalito. That's very very ritzy.)

As for weather, it's not all that different from NYC: very cold in the winter; even snows at times; & hot summers. There are enough parks in which you can enjoy sunny days. Just as NYC, it's close to the water, with an active fishing industry, so there's fresh seafood coming in every day. They also have the same homeless problems as NYC, so you'll be walking a gauntlet of panhandlers down every street.

Before I moved from California to Washington, some people strongly suggested I move to Oregon, which has a better standard of living that both. That's another possibility you may want to investigate. A friend of mine went to college in Eugene & settled there.

Best wishes on your life decision."

[kitkatgo]

Definitely check out the websites listed above. Then if you can, visit the city and VISIT the different areas you've narrowed down. While you're in town get a newspaper or real estate pamphlet so you can see the costs in the different neighborhoods.

The neighborhoods in SF, like in any major city, vary quite a bit in feel and can vary in costs too.

I mentioned this to the other person thinking about moving to SF...you should really GO there and see it, take it in and get a feel for the neighborhoods before making a decision.

Good luck!