Does anyone have any advice for a smalltown girl moving in or near San Francisco?

Question

I haven't fully committed to the idea yet, but I'm considering a move to California and San Francisco looks appealing. I'm from a smallish town in Ohio and I'm not quite sure I'm ready to move right into the city. I need some suggestions of some nice, smaller towns near San Francisco that are close enough that I could still come into the city and explore a little. I would really appreciate any suggestions that you have. Thanks!

Answer 1

No one seems to be answering your question.... smaller and relatively less expensive places in the east bay that are okay (but no doubt way more expensive than where you live) are: Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, San Leandro, Hayward, Union City, Fremont, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, El Cerrito and Albany. I'm giving you the ones that are along the BART (subway http://www.bart.gov) lines. There are safe spots in Oakland and Berkeley, but you have to be careful because there are also dangerous ones in each city. San Leandro and Hayward do have their wannabe gangstas too, but there are plenty of parts of both cities you could live in without worrying. Craigslist could give you an idea of what apts. would cost in these places: http://www.craigslist.com. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I live in San Francisco. The whole entire Bay Area is expensive, especially the smaller towns. But, if money is not a big issue, look into living in Bolinas. A very eclectic community just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you're looking for a less expensive alternative, you would have to go as far as the Russian River area, about an hour's drive from SF. But very laid back and nice. Santa Rosa is the nearest big city there.

Bottom line, San Francisco is definitely world class. Okay, okay, I admit I'm biased. You will definitely enjoy exploring San Francisco. Start with Ocean Beach, work your way up through Golden Gate Park, through the Haight-Ashbury, Civic Center, and finally downtown, Chinatown, the Embarcadero, just to name a very few fun places.

Answer 3

I'm from a small town east of san francisco called Castro Valley. San Francisco can be very overwhelming in the pace of life and expense of living in the city. Castro valley is a relatively nice area, and you can rent an apartment usually for around 900 dollars. BART (the bay area's mass transit rail system) runs right through here, providing easy access to Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco. It's close enough that you can hop on the train, and take a short ride to the city; and far enough away that if you get sick of the city, it's not right there in your face.

Answer 4

Don't be intimidated... alarmist types will no doubt try to scare you off with stories about gangs, gays, earthquakes, terrorists, and so forth. But they're just repeating the stereotypes perpetuated by politicians and movies. In reality, big cities like San Francisco are not nearly as dangerous as some would have us believe. Provided you exercise some common sense, you'll be fine.

Reasonably nice suburban towns near San Francisco (with either commuter rail or ferry service into the city):

Sausalito, Tiburon, Larkspur, Alameda, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Redwood City, Mountain View, Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Orinda, Dublin, Pleasanton, Fremont,

Answer 5

If you lived in Southern Marin you can take the ferry in to the city. You could also live in Alameda, Berkeley, and use BART (Like a subway). I suggest spending a few days checking the area out in person, or if you cannot do that, using Yahoo maps. The little towns others mention are difficult to commute from. Santa Rosa and Bolinas can take 1 hour or more in traffic!!
Assuming you are under 40, you would enjoy living in SF directly, in areas such as Marina, Noe Valley, etc.
WARNING, as a former Ohioan, the cost of living is MUCH higher than you think. Look at rental websites for costs, and even safeway.com for the price of of food. We pay minimum of $2.75 for gas right now, etc.

Answer 6

Only one thing: keep your small town heart. Once you move into a big city, some gals tend to go crazy and sleep around, party too much, get addicted to something, or hang out with the wrong kind of friends. Don't let the bad stuff get to ya, instead look for ways in which a new and big city will help improve yourself and make you have a better life, instead of make you into a different person and ruin everything.

Answer 7

I lived in sf from 21 to 48, so this advice is 10 years old.
I never understood why anyone would choose to live in a suburban environment, near sf . I've never lived suburban, but they seem all the same to me? sf is sf. Depending on your age and income would determine your neighborhood. Punk room ates or high society. Its all there. I traded my sf house for a 37 acre trailer park 112 miles north. (prices have doubled since I've been gone)
have you been to say Chicago? Or other big cities. If you like cities, then you'll love sf. It's famous for being really live able.

Answer 8

San Mateo - 15 miles away - easy access. But consider moving to SF - North Beach has some nice places.

Answer 9

SF and pretty much anything surrounding (Marin county, Sonoma county, Alameda county, etc.) is EXPENSIVE. Although, the further you get away in the north, the cheaper. BUT, it will take hours to get to SF due to traffic.

Answer 10

well...you may dont know this, but CA is the most expensive state in the US...NY comes in second...so you need to have enough money to able live up to CA's standard of life...even though you live outside of a city...it is still expensive...because CA's population is one-third of US's population...so that's why everythin' are expensive over here...so basically you gotta have enough money to survive...ANY MORE QUESTIONS...I'm more than happy to answer your questions...email me...good luck peacee