I am considering spending a month in SF. Right now I am looking for info about room and board while there.
It is cheaper to rent a place in San Jose or areas like that, but the cost of public transit commutes to SF eat away at the savings and probably cost more. Plus the long commute would suck. I would not have a car.
There are dormitories and hotels that seem to offer private rooms for about $175/week in SF. That is about the cost of a hostel, but you get your own room.
Another idea I had was couch surfing, but I think that’d be a huge hassle. And I don’t know if I’m comfortable being dependent on strangers like that.
Some people are offering to rent a couch or a spot in their bedroom for $300-400/month. That could be an idea too.
So has anyone traveled alone to the area short term, and what did you do for room and board?
Try looking in Oakland, too. It’s an easy commute, a lot cheaper, and a neat little city in it’s own right. There are plenty of sketchy parts, but also plenty of nice parts. Despite it’s reputation, it’s not just one huge ghetto. I’m sure you could find some kind of Craig’s List sublet.
Now, I’m not a SF local, but I’d say if you can afford it, staying in San Francisco proper is a huge convenience. Plus, it is way cool. Both CalTrain and BART shut down somewhere around midnight and if you are a derelict like me, it is much more fun to stay in the city. Public transportation within San Francisco is quite excellent if you can figure out which routes to take at particular times of the day (taking any bus down from Chinatown to Market is a real bitch at 5PM). The light rail Muni is your friend ($2 plus free transfers for a couple of hours, this includes buses). It generally runs up and down Market and then branches off to multiple important spots in the city. Try to stay within walking distance of a station.
That was my view. The cost of BART to get into SF proper would eat away whatever savings I got from being outside the city. Plus the convenience would be worth the extra money. There are hotels in SF that offer rooms for $150-200/wk, but I am wanting to find a halfway decent neighborhood. And I’m not sure I know them.
I have found some places where people are offering to let you stay in their living room on a sofa or futon for $350/month and that is in SF proper. So I might try that.