My partner is interviewing with a company in San Francisco, CA and it apears that they really want him as an employee. It’s an excellent job that pays very well. My partner really wants this job. The company will help with relocation.
We will have to live in an apartment for a while. We’ve both been to SF several times as tourists, but we’re not that familiar with the city, other than on a tourist level. What area(s) of town should we avoid living in? About how much would a two bedroom apt rent for?
We’re going out in two weeks for a long weekend and to scout the area. We’d just like to know what areas to avoid, etc.
Also, I’m going to be needing a job there once we get settled. I have many years of call center customer service experience. Can anyone let me know a few call centers that are in the SF area? I’d like to stay in that field, but I’m not going to limit myself to that.
If the hoped-for job is anywhere near the CalTrain station or on a BART line, please consider finding a place to live outside the city itself. I love San Francisco, but it’s freaking expensive to live there. Apts will cost between $1,500 to $2,200 per month and g-d help you if you’ve got companion animals.
The Devil’s Grandmother is right, looking to rent in San Francisco is really expensive unless you want to move to Hunter’s Point (trust me, you don’t). Daly City might be cheaper, but I’d look at the East Bay, Emeryville and Oakland. As far as Call Center’s go, I think Comcast has a call center in Walnut Creek (about 40 minutes away). There may be others, it’s been a more than a decade since I worked in that field.
Another vote for the East Bay. Rents will still be high–this is California after all–but about half what you would pay in the city. This is an area where you really can use public transportation, if you plan properly. We went to grad school at UC Berkeley, but lived in Oakland, in the Lake Merritt area. Some of the neighborhoods were iffy, but it was changing for the better when we lived there. We had a large 2-bedroom with a great view.
Rentals are still high here, but it’s not like it was in 97-01.
A two bedroom in or around Nob Hill is probably $1500-$2000. A flat in the Castro is about the same. There are probaly better deals around town. It’s a renters market right now. Check out Craigslist, or some of the rental guides. Or walk around a few different parts of town to get a feel for it. Many buildings post for rent signs, and you can go right in and check it out. Get into a building that was built before 1979, and they can not raise your rent more than 4% a year. My rent increase this year was less than 2%.
Parking is tough in SF.
Oakland is a great town. I lived there for seven years. That was a while ago, but it’s probably even better now. Check out the Lake Merritt area. It’s beautiful, and rent is much lower than San Francisco. When I lived there, I could drive to SF, door to door, non commute time, in 20 miutes. BART is great too. Easy and quick.
…but I’d look at the East Bay, Emeryville and Oakland has had a boom of rental properties. Especially downtown Oakland. Both of these locations as kevja mentioned are litterally minutes from the Bay Bridge.
Hey, what a coincidence! I am also currently in Virginia, and also planning on moving to the San Francisco area in a few months to be with my boyfriend (temporarily until he gets transferred here). Cool!