Where to live in San Francisco
Just landed a job at an investment bank in the financial district of San Francisco. I've only been to the city briefly and I'm wondering what neighborhoods I should look at when finding a place. Thanks for the help.
Just landed a job at an investment bank in the financial district of San Francisco. I've only been to the city briefly and I'm wondering what neighborhoods I should look at when finding a place. Thanks for the help.
Career Resources
SAME I got a VC internship in the Mission though and good areas around there.
Just curious, what VC is HQ'd in the Mission? Interesting choice of neighborhoods...should have a cool culture.
PM me if you feel like sharing.
Here's a hasty rundown of the major hoods:
The Marina: The "frattiest" neighborhood. Extremely nice restaurants and boutiques, though residents of other neighborhoods will assume you're an elitist and judgmental yuppie for living there. Relatively expensive. A bit far from the financial district (FiDi).
Pac Heights: Like the Marina, but a bit younger crowd.
North Beach: Little Italy/strip club epicenter. Where the beat generation hung out. Relatively tame despite the many strip clubs. Great neighborhood all around, but it attracts a lot of tourists. European feel.
The Mission: Hispanic neighborhood in the process of gentrification. Hipster haven. Very trendy vibe, lots of used bookstores, random boutiques, art studios, etc. A BART ride to FiDi.
Nob Hill: Ritzy, old money neighborhood. Not many young people until you get to "lower nob hill" aka the "Tendernob." Great views, close to downtown. Expensive.
The Tendernob: Has a bit of a grungy feel, but it's right near the heart of downtown (Union Square) and rent is pretty cheap. Lots of art students and tourists around these parts.
SOMA: "South of Market." Lots of old industrial buildings converted into lofts. Drew an influx of entrepreneurs during the dot com boom. Relatively new housing, quite trendy. Very close to FiDi. South Beach is a subdivision of SOMA, and has a lot of young people. Right near the ball park.
Haight-Ashbury: Self explanatory. Like acid & homeless youth? Want to be right near an incredible park (Golden Gate)? This is your spot. Far from FiDi.
Typed this out really fast, but happy to answer more specific questions. What are you into? I can give you more tailored recommendations with additional info.
Just dug this up in my bookmarks. Good resource: http://www.sanfranciscodays.com/ashbury-corona/
i shall PM you it :D
is the Mission really that sketch??? Also I hear that a lot of smaller vc are there
startupbanker is right on the money, but I'd recommend Russian Hill; it is a bit like Nob Hill. The area east of Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill is also great.
A lot of people like Noe and SOMA, but I am not a huge fan. SOMA is kind of hipster-y. and Noe is just dull.
I'd stay out of the tenderloin if possible. It has gotten nicer of the last decade, but it still has pretty high crime. The homeless/druggie population is also high.
Finally, just pick an apartment near a BART station. It will make getting around much easier. SF is one of a few cities where you neither need nor want to own a car.
Some parts of the Mission are pretty sketch, but overall not bad. Just stay in Upper Mission or on the Portrero Hill side.
+1 for Russian Hill and Telegraph. Both great spots.
I see man thanks
+1 for Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, and Telegraph.
Stick to the hills with easy access to the FiDi.
sgm
I recommend the Tenderloin.
Thank you all for the advice. I'm pretty excited to get away from the east coast and SF sounds like its an awesome place to work for a few years.
Startupbanker, I'm pretty into the outdoors, I'm in a frat but it doesn't control my life, I love sports and I'm a huge fan of all kinds of delicious food. Fortunately, my company is paying for me to travel and for 3 days to find a place so i'll get to check out all the areas I hope. I worked last summer in Menlo Park, and I quickly realized that its not that similar to the city at all. any other thoughts are greatly appreciated.
f
The Castro's good if you're a dude looking for dudes
Moving to SF for Investment Banking - Advice on Where to Live? (Originally Posted: 01/02/2015)
Hello All,
Apologies if this is in the wrong area, but I didn't see a housing forum and figured that you guys might be able to help. I'm an incoming 2015 IB analyst in San Francisco and was wondering if anyone had any input on where I should target my housing search. I'll be working for a BB in the FiDi and am looking to limit my commute to around 20 minutes. I have a roommate lined up and we're both looking to pay around $2k / mo in rent (so 4k total for a 2br). Is this a reasonable expectation with the commute time I'm looking for? If not, what should I expect to pay? In what neighborhoods do most analysts in the SF area live?
I'm from New York originally (interned last summer at another bank, but am moving to SF for tech coverage), so I'm comfortable in urban environments, but just don't want to move into the SF equivalent of the south Bronx. Any other input on the move or anything else I should know about SF coming from NYC would be greatly appreciated! Restaurant recommendations especially...
Thanks! Feel free to PM as well if you don't want to post on the forum.
you can find a good place for 3600-4000 for sure.. just don't dip too far below that price. North Beach / Russian Hill, or even in the Fidi is pretty good.
Marin is a nice place
You mean the Marina area? Marin is across the Bay and you have to take a ferry or cross the Golden Gate Bridge to get there.
I'd recommend SOMA/FIDI if you want more of an urban feel (I'm not a big fan of either, too dead during the weekend and at night). If you want more of an SF feel within 20 minutes by public transportation, I'd recommend North Beach/Telegraph Hill, Pac Hts, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Cow Hollow, Marina.
Marina/Cow Hollow tend to be popular with the young finance guys. It's a younger area with lots of bars, I call it the "frat house bros neighborhood of SF."
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm in the same situation as the OP and would also appreciate insight.
Three of my college friends and I are all moving to SF for work (others in consulting, tech, and education) and were hoping to find a place for all 4 of us together. Anyone have insight into how improbable that would be while still staying within 1500-2000 per person and with short commute to the Financial District?
We're currently thinking of Nob Hill, Chinatown, the Mission, the Marina, etc.
You can get a really nice place in the Mission area for ~6000 with 4 people. Had some buddies do that over the summer while I was interning on the east coast and was very jealous
I recommend either of these areas: SOMA - more of a true downtown area so has more riff raff but close to everything. Honking, homeless, malls, clubs, etc. I'd live in a high rise here because then you get a nice new place with gym, pool, etc. downside is its kinda quite on weekends and no great bar areas are walkable (marina, north beach, mission). North Beach - I am in a girls bed in north beach right now! Close enough to downtown but does have lots of bars and places to eat. It's a younger area with lots of young taill that lives here. Potential downside is there are no new places nor high rises. It's more of a suburban feel to the area since buildings are only a few stories tall at the most, which is a downside only if you wanted a new/splashy place. You could probably walk to work from either location or at least take a short bus ride. Marina is where I currently live and it's the true young persons hangout of the city. It's the post-college place to live, but the commute could be a little over 20 minutes, which I know is your commute limit. North beach is close enough that you can always walk or take a short cab over to the marina when the mood strikes. $4k budget for two is actually becoming hard to do these days. I've been looking to move into a decent 1 bedroom and it's about $3,200. I'm sure you'll love SF and feel free to PM me for a drink when you get here.
Was there earlier this week and liked SoMa and Marina, thanks for the recomendations. Mission was cool too, but a little bit sketchy at parts - very touch and go block to block. Is there a street or section which has gentrified a bit quicker where tech/VC/IB people are living? It kind of reminded me of Harlem - awesome and cheaper if you know where to live, kind of dicey if you don't.
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Looking for a roommate in SF starting in June/August. PM me if you're interested. I'm a girl :)
Young and single? Live in the Marina...
Where to live in SF (Originally Posted: 09/15/2015)
Moving to San Francisco for FT Investment Banking role. What are some suggestions on where to live given the current rental market and commute to FiDi?
Nob hill is pretty close isn't it?
North Beach, Nob Hill, Russian Hill and SOMA are all close to the financial district.
If it is your thing, you can go live further south (Mission, Alamo Square, NOPA etc.) but it makes your commute a little longer... but the difference would be 10 min vs 30 min.
SF is a pretty small city all things considered
Marina, lower Pac Heights and the Mission all have their charm. Kinda depends on your budget and how much you like mexican food.
Hoping to spend around $4k - $4.5k a month for a two bedroom. What is the crowd like in North Beach?
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High roller over here
Can't beat the prices in the Tenderloin!
I'm talking $4k total for me and my buddy so $2k per person per month. From the looks of Craigslist that is becoming somewhat hard to find.
Interested in this as well. Not to highjack this thread but what about East Bay? It seems that some locations like Berkeley, Hayward, Walnut Creek and even Concord are all within 45 minutes from FiDi by BART. The rent seems a lot lower as well. Any comments on those aside from the typical suburbia characteristics (no nightlife, less diversity, quiet, etc.). There is a possibility that I might have an opportunity there and I would be moving with a soon to be spouse. Thanks.
Interested in this as well. Not to highjack this thread but what about East Bay? It seems that some locations like Berkeley, Hayward, Walnut Creek and even Concord are all within 45 minutes from FiDi by BART. The rent seems a lot lower as well. Any comments on those aside from the typical suburbia characteristics (no nightlife, less diversity, quiet, etc.). There is a possibility that I might have an opportunity there and I would be moving with a soon to be spouse. Thanks.
No nightlife in any of those places besides Berkeley which is all college kids
Places to live in SF? (Originally Posted: 10/19/2010)
Best place for 1st year to live in San Fran? Working at California and Montgomery. If you know rates plz let me know as well. thx
Go with the Marina or SoMA. The Marina is good because it's crawling with young professionals like yourself. SoMA is good because it's really close to the Financial District and places are a bit newer/larger.
Marina is a hike to FiDi, so that could make things tricky. North Beach is a much better option if you find a nice place - plenty of good bars, easy walk to work and not far to Marina or SoMA either. Russian Hill/Polk St. is also a great place to live. If you want a newer place in a tower / development, go SoMA, but beware there's like no green space in the entire neighborhood and is a ghost town in terms of places to eat/drink with a few exceptions.
i'm also curious about this. also i won't have a car. is it necessary to own one?
Where is the best place to live to maximize my chance of banging Nancy Pelosi?
Live in your cube motherfucker u
I'd rather chew broken glass than run into Nancy Pelosi. What a fk'ing nightmare she is. Embarrassing.
Anyway, CA x Montgomery.... I'd live in nob hill so you can walk to and from work w/in 15 or 20 mins. But depends on when you need to get in. I worked market hours in SF, so was up at 3:30 AM and in my office by 4:30, so lower nob hill was very convenient for me. Marina a little bit yuppie - make sure you wear at least 3 popped collars at all times. But if that's your style, pay a little more and enjoy. I'd shoot for Nob. Close to polk st which is fun for the eve's.
W /roomates, expect to pay 1200 +. You don't need a car, but expect to pay 2 - 300 extra a month to rent someone's garage if you do bring one. I had mine, but only drove it once or twice a month.
PM me if you have any other questions.
Pshh, you can't honestly tell me you wouldn't hit that.
Also curious about this, gonna be starting in SF next fall, anyone got more specific numbers about prices around these areas?
You can get a good spot in nob hill, with roommates for $1200 - $1500. I'm not sure about the marina or other places. Just go onto c-list and check out places.
I'm at California & Battery. Where is the best place to find roommates? WSO? Who is looking for roommates? I graduate early and might be moving early but most likely moving end of June. PM for info.
I find SOMA a bit sterile. Newer and nicer, maybe, but it doesn't "feel" like San Francisco. Nob Hill and North Beach are good choices.
Young people are concentrated in the Marina and the Mission. The (only somewhat deserved) stereotypes are Mission Hipster and Marina Douchebag. FWIW, the Mission has much better weather (it's actually warm there sometimes!!) and awesome Mexican food.
The Filllmore is a nice neighborhood in my opinion. Lively with lots of music nearby. Bus connections to FiDi.
I am also looking for roommates in SF. Im willing pay in the 13-1500 range and would like to live in a young and happenin place. I'm moving there in September and will start work in the same month. Let me know if you are interested!
1st year at firm in Palo Alto, where to live in SF for commute and around other ambitious finance types? (Originally Posted: 05/30/2017)
I'll be starting at a firm near/in Palo Alto this fall. I want to live in SF because all my friends will be moving there but it means I will need to commute.
1) Where do most finance people live? One of the biggest hesitations in taking this job is that I get annoyed by overt hippy/floater types. I don't need to be surrounded by finance types but want to be around smart, hygienic people. I've had to explain banking/PE to too many sales guys at dive bars in the Mission and it is exhausting.
2) Where can I live that is in a good position for the commute ie. near Bart?
Lastly, any advice for the commute or anyone that would strongly advocate for living in the Peninsula etc?
Ask around about this dude erlich bachman's incubator
Heard erlich bachman was leaving Silicon Valley. :/
Yeah f*ck the City, you should just live on the Peninsula. That commute is brutal unless you have a tech bus to shuttle you in. If you're single I'd probably take a hard look at Mountain View, San Mateo or maybe even Redwood City. If you're married w/ kids; Burlingame, San Carlos, Belmont, Menlo all good options.
The City is 30 minutes uber ride away (or 45 on Caltrain). Easy hop when you want to be up there but you don't need to be surrounded by the tech smuggles.
I'm a single early 20s female. I'm somewhat famIliar with the Peninsula as I had family there and I think I would die if I had to live in RWC, San Mateo, Mountain View as a 22 year old.
I see your point about just going to the city when you need to but I'm guessing I am going to want to be there pretty much all weekend. I'll have friends who will let me crash but I can't couchsurf every weekend, that's no way to live.
You actually explain to people what banking and PE is to people at dive bars? You sound fun.
Hahaha. I try not to but I have gotten into a general description when meeting guys who ask what I am doing after graduation and then what it is. I've kind of learned my lesson on that. It might be different for guys with girls but it is kind of a turn off when a guy knows nothing about PE/banking.
Tried this once at a bar; The girl looked like she just ate a spoonful of cough syrup when I was finished. Lesson learned, quickly.
Are you in banking? If so, might be worthwhile to live close to the office.
But if you must, all the banker bros i know live in the Marina.
San Francisco Housing (Originally Posted: 09/10/2016)
Hello Monkeys,
I will be starting FT in SF near the end of the year and felt that it was an appropriate time to look for housing. It seems that 2Bedroom apartments are a lot cheaper than studios and 1BR, so I am looking for a roommate that would be willing to share a 2BR apartment with me. I will be working in FiDi so anywhere that is a reasonable distance is fine with me. Also, if anyone can provide me other sites/leads that I can use to find a roommate I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks.
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Bump
Try the fb group "Bay Area Rooms and Apartments." My friends and I have used it with few problems.
SF Housing (Originally Posted: 03/01/2007)
Does anyone know of some good places to live in SF? I'm doing a summer internship there and I want to live close to the office. Thanks a million
Those are good areas to be where you can walk to work even. I lived in Pac Heights, and although it was a bit further, I prefered it.
Cow Hollow/Marina is OK, but I find it to be cheesy.
SF housing (Originally Posted: 04/05/2009)
Hey everyone so i just recently got the offer from FTP, and trying to figure out where i can stay during the internship, anyone has any suggestions? i just need a decent place around downtown.
I'm going to be in SF this summer (down the street from FTP), from what I've been told, Craigslist is pretty much the way to go. So...if you find a decent listing and could use a roommate, PM me.
Check out Craigslist for sublets in SOMA, north beach, russian hill and nob hill. Marina is not bad but yuppy and a decent distance away. Nothing to do in Pac heights. Avoid the Tenderloin and "Lower Nob Hill" (aka- slightly nicer part of the Loin).
If you want some space for yourself, expect it to run you about $1500/month. If you have a roommate or two it can be as cheap as $1100-1200.
thanks a bunch, i am searching like crazy right now please let me know dacarez if you have any suggestions, i am sure that i could use a roomate
I'm really interested in finding roommates for SF this summer! Please PM me if you're still interested!
could someone share an apartment with me in SF this summer, i am pretty desperate right now to find a place to live
I'm looking for a place in SF too but I'm from the area - still looking for a roommate though I might end up living with someone from my school (or at school). Where are you guys working?
Craigslist is definitely the way to go but I've been kinda lazy. Let me know if you guys find anything. I'm willing to go check it out...
chill out... the SF housing market is fairly liquid, I found a place to live when I was a summer pretty quickly/easily before starting...
are there any other listings beside craiglist, i have searched through pretty much all the areas close to my workplace within my price range (below 1300)...and everything was pretty much filled up already.
via the San Francisco, California network
relax man, something ALWAYS comes up- SF is one of the most transient cities in the world, so people are always looking to sublet. Worst case is you sublet in one apt the first month and then move to another in the 2nd/3rd. Not the end of the world.
While I agree with aranaxon/gomes3pc (I found 2 listings for www.apartmentsource.com www.sublet.com www.rent.com www.craigslist.org
Roommate sites: www.roommatelocator.com www.roommates.com www.roommateservice.com
I can't vouch for any of these sites one way or another, but here they are.
i went to SF last year and winged it - do not recommend this!
i flew down with my stuff (was abroad until a few days before) and got a hotel. i looked and looked and found a place for a one month lease to hold me over til i found something else. i showed up there and the place fell through. luckily, i was able to stay with another intern for a week, then a coworker offered me his old roommate's vacant room for a month. finally, i found a place that was more expensive than i had planned on paying ... btw i was doing a six month internship in a city south of SF so i was looking mainly in SOMA because needed to be near the caltrain.
Moral is dont wing it like that ... but then again if you are working right in SF you can likely look anywhere in the city.
My recommendations: i like the marina. prime females, good amount of night life, good neighborhood, near the water which i like a lot
if you live in SOMA, live on 4th or east of 4th . Do not live west of 4th.
lower pac heights was pretty nice
overall, i would say marina is the place to go (unless you prefer to get something within walking distance to your office)
SF is an interesting city ... 1 block can be real nice and then the next block can be real sketchy. Do research on your neighborhood!
I'm looking to live in SF during the summer as well.
Wow, you guys rock at due-diligence... NOT
UCB is right across the bridge, 25 min away from Fin. District. There will be a ton of students giving away their places for $400 - $500/month. If you have a car, you are set. Just gotta make sure you beat the traffic, which is not that hard with 7AM - 10PM hours
Good thought, except:
1 - No car (and BART stops EARLY, have to connect after ~6p, midnight is done completely) 2 - I don't know any bankers that get in before 8AM 3 - If you can get a place downtown for $700-800 a month (and you can), I don't see the point
edit: I had looked into UCB FWIW, friend of a friend goes there...which is how I had that list of issues ^^
Jeeze you are from NYC target, and interning here in SF? Wow that's a long trip :)
Well, given my background, I really want to do tech banking, so through a bit of luck and circumstance, was able to snag an offer at a top tech group. Given that tech banking = SF, Palo Alto, or Menlo, across the country I go :)
PussInBoots--I would not recommend living at UCB for summer interns doing banking internships. It's not a far commute from the city to Berkeley if you just want to hang out and what not, but after a sleepless night or a long day, the last thing you want to do is make the commute.
A friend and I (both working as IB summer analysts in SF) have just put a deposit for a three month lease on a two bedroom/two bathroom apartment in the SF financial district. We're looking for up to two additional roommates for the summer.
The lease is from 5/25 to 8/17, and should coincide with most summer analyst programs. Rent is $2650 a month, and the apartment is in a great location (right in the financial district; starbucks, 24-hr fitness, dry cleaners all close to the apartment complex).
Here's the link with all the details: http://thegateway.com/living/tower2br.html
Please PM me ASAP if you're interested.
Thanks!
SF Housing - August Start (Originally Posted: 06/11/2012)
First year analyst starting at an i-bank in San Francisco beginning in August. Looking for one to three roommates to share a flat or an apartment in or near the financial district. Please PM if interested.
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still looking?
Looking for housing in SF? :) (Originally Posted: 03/04/2014)
If you are a female looking for housing in San Francisco, keep reading! :)
--
By way of introduction, I’m currently a tech investment banking analyst and will be at a PE firm this coming fall. My current roommate is moving to EY Transaction Services in Seattle within the next month or two, so her spot in our room will be vacant.
That said, here are some deets on our apartment: - $848/month excl. utilities - 5 minute walk from Market Street, right across from Yerba Buena and The Metreon - Whole Foods, Target, and CVS all 2-3 blocks away, and tons of restaurants and cafes underneath and around the apartment complex - Fitness center, swimming pool, BBQ grills, jacuzzi, laundry, recreation room, and more all on-premise
- 2 bedroom 2 bath, currently shared by 5 girls (our living room is huge, so half has been walled off as the 3rd room) - Laundry room 20 feet away from us - Enclosed park in the apartment complex - Garage parking available
Apartment photos are available on the SOMA Square website, and I’m happy to video conference sometime to give you a tour of our apartment.
Feel free to shoot any questions my way, and I look forward to hearing from you!
5 girls in a converted 3br apt? How has nobody commented on this yet?
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