Where should I rent an apartment in San Francisco?

Question

I plan on moving out there some time between June and September from Chicago. I am looking for relatively cheap (less than $600 per person), dog-friendly housing with parking near by. What are some neighborhoods to check out? Is this possible?

I don't have to move to the city exactly. I am looking to work for a Vegan or veg restaurant within the city. So, I guess I am hoping to find somewhere to live with less than a 30 min commute.

Answer 1

I echo the responses that say you will have a hard time finding housing for $600 per month. You can do it but you will have to have roommates. A good way to get some idea of what to expect and even search for housing is the housing section of Craig's list.

Nobody has really answered what neighborhoods so here is my shot.

SF for the most part is a very safe city. You can live almost anywhere safely with the exception of certain areas on the South East side of the city. Hunters point is notoriously violent.

I would not advise living in Chinatown simply because it is INCREDIBLY crowded.

The Tenderloin can be unsafe, but it is a neighborhood just like any other place. (There are a lot of families with kids [10,000 kids under the age of 10] in the "loin".

The further you are away from the center of the city the more you will pay. And living and working in the Richmond or Sunset means on average a 1 hour + commute on public transportation.

The Western Addition, Mission, and the areas around Golden Gate Park's Panhandle, and Bernal Heights, are a good compromise in terms of livability and expense. Since you have a dog the Panhandle area and western addition are particularly good, lots of park space for you and pup to play

Word of advice, get rid of your car [if you have one] parking is expensive, and the city is very easy to navigate via public transport or/in tandem with bicycle.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

I wouldn't expect to find *anything* in San Francisco for less than $750/month, probably closer to $900 even for a studio apartment in a mediocre neighborhood. Dog-friendly? Expect to add at least $100/month, plus an extra security deposit. Parking nearby? It is to laugh.

If you're looking to rent a room in a house with other people, that's different--but still, rents are very high.

A lot of people live in the East Bay--Oakland, Berkely, even as far as Concord--and commute to SF for work. Also, rents in south SF, Daly City & Pacifica are lower.

Answer 4

You got some good advice already... I went to the city yesterday to visit my 25 year old son. He has a room and bath and pays over $700. in a not nice neighborhood. In my opinion it's awful, he loves it. He walks and takes pub transportation even across the bay to visit me. Look for housing on craigslist in Oakland or Emeryville and plan on shared housing. It's expensive out here in the bay area, nice but expensive. You don't need a car in SF, Oakland, Emeryville or Berkeley but you will need one if you look in Contra Costa County(pub transp sucks out there).

Answer 5

how many roomates do you plan on having? If you don't mind sharing a bedroom, this might be possible.
i would check Craigslist...but I would also check out living in Berkeley. It's a lot safer and quieter, and you can take BART (it's like subway) into the city.
I might just be biased, though, cause I lived in berkeley for four years.

Answer 6

Rent-To-Own Homes : http://RentToOwnHome.uzaev.com/?MAaU

Answer 7

not sure there's one but try searching apartments for rent online

Answer 8

i dont think there are any