4 ms·

I was very happy to move to SF from the midwest, because: much better job (albeit with lower pay and much higher living costs), more walkable city, can-do/optim

by arebop 11y ago

I was very happy to move to SF from the midwest, because: much better job (albeit with lower pay and much higher living costs), more walkable city, can-do/optimistic/accepting culture, better weather, more options in the job market. But things were much cheaper then and something's gotta give. If not for rent control, I might have moved away already.

jxm262 11y ago
Wow , I wasn't aware of rent control in SF, but a quick google search shows there's a big debate. Any suggestions on where to best look for apartments? From my brief visit (1 week trip) I really liked pretty much all over the downtown area, although it looks crazy expensive. I'll be living with my gf, so the rent would be split between the 2 of us which makes it easier.
- arebop 11y ago
  The cool part of town where the new billionaires live is The Mission. Note that it is a transitional area with a more crimey side (east) and a more gentrified side (west). This is also the area where anti-tech-worker sentiment, violence, etc. is most common. The Castro is a nice, vibrant gayborhood in the south. The Tenderloin/Civic Center/Western SOMA are pretty gritty, but other than that the entire northeast quadrant is nice and walkable. The western half of the city has a more suburban flavor and worse weather, but it's cheaper. In general, I'd recommend you take a short-term rental to explore the city rather than trying to lockdown a long-term rental from afar. Especially because the open houses are often open for an hour or two and result in waiting lists (dozens of would-be tenants) in length. Also, just be aware of rent control. I think the market prices aren't any different between older (rent-controlled) and newer buildings, but after a couple of years of 20% pa price increases for the non-rent-controlled place, the rent controlled unit will be much relatively cheaper.
  - jxm262 11y ago
    Thanks alot arebop :) And yeah, short term rental at first sounds like a good idea.

by arebop 11y ago

jxm262 11y ago

Wow , I wasn't aware of rent control in SF, but a quick google search shows there's a big debate. Any suggestions on where to best look for apartments? From my brief visit (1 week trip) I really liked pretty much all over the downtown area, although it looks crazy expensive. I'll be living with my gf, so the rent would be split between the 2 of us which makes it easier.

arebop 11y ago
The cool part of town where the new billionaires live is The Mission. Note that it is a transitional area with a more crimey side (east) and a more gentrified side (west). This is also the area where anti-tech-worker sentiment, violence, etc. is most common. The Castro is a nice, vibrant gayborhood in the south. The Tenderloin/Civic Center/Western SOMA are pretty gritty, but other than that the entire northeast quadrant is nice and walkable. The western half of the city has a more suburban flavor and worse weather, but it's cheaper. In general, I'd recommend you take a short-term rental to explore the city rather than trying to lockdown a long-term rental from afar. Especially because the open houses are often open for an hour or two and result in waiting lists (dozens of would-be tenants) in length. Also, just be aware of rent control. I think the market prices aren't any different between older (rent-controlled) and newer buildings, but after a couple of years of 20% pa price increases for the non-rent-controlled place, the rent controlled unit will be much relatively cheaper.
- jxm262 11y ago
  Thanks alot arebop :) And yeah, short term rental at first sounds like a good idea.