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I got a job in San Francisco--need advice on where to live and where to buy clothes

royskeen

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So after a year of trying to get a job back on the west coast (and several near misses in PDX and Seattle) I'm final leaving D.C.! I'm saying goodbye to humidity and politics and hello to fog, high taxes and meg whitman's teeth and gums.

Any advice on what neighborhood to live in? And, more importantly, where to buy clothes? Last week I checked out the Nordstrom Rack and got a pair of wool zanella's for $55 (returns after a too short of hem I suppose, but the break was perfect for me). And the Lohemann's downtown, which had some awesome stuff. I owe my new job to all of the style tips I got on SF
smile.gif
Well, probably not, but it didn't hurt, either.

My budget will be around $2,000 a month for a one bedroom I'm thinking maybe the Mission but I have no idea where in the mission. I'm 32, have a g'friend and would qualify as a nerd quasi hipster (indie rock, this american life, farmer's markets, new yorker reading douchebag that I am) Any gym ideas?

Thanks!
 

chasingred

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Originally Posted by royskeen
So after a year of trying to get a job back on the west coast (and several near misses in PDX and Seattle) I'm final leaving D.C.! I'm saying goodbye to humidity and politics and hello to fog, high taxes and meg whitman's teeth and gums.

Any advice on what neighborhood to live in? And, more importantly, where to buy clothes? Last week I checked out the Nordstrom Rack and got a pair of wool zanella's for $55 (returns after a too short of hem I suppose, but the break was perfect for me). And the Lohemann's downtown, which had some awesome stuff. I owe my new job to all of the style tips I got on SF
smile.gif
Well, probably not, but it didn't hurt, either.

My budget will be around $2,000 a month for a one bedroom I'm thinking maybe the Mission but I have no idea where in the mission. I'm 32, have a g'friend and would qualify as a nerd quasi hipster (indie rock, this american life, farmer's markets, new yorker reading douchebag that I am) Any gym ideas?

Thanks!


San Francisco has hipsters in almost every neighborhood, with Mission being the biggest community of them. You can also check Western Addition and the Panhandle/ NOPA.

As for shopping, Put This On says most of it.

http://putthison.com/post/1075696094...clothes-in-san
 

TRINI

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Wrong forum.
 

marco_rol

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$2K a month is going to be tough. Given your self description though, lots of good areas to choose from. Mission is a very good choice. Also consider SOMA, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Noe Valley, North Beach. Best bang for the buck is Sunset (i lived there for 9 years) & Richmond, but you'll probably be bored. Marina (where I live), Cow Hollow, Pac Heights, Laural Village, etc. - totally not your scene. Lots of great areas here all with very different personalities.

Also depends on where you'll be working (commutes here can suck). Where will you (and the GF be working? That may narrow down the choices.
 

Aldehyde

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Just so you know - NEVER, EVER call San Francisco "Frisco".

That will automatically identify you as a rube from out of town.

Please. It is known as "The City".

Personally, I very much like Potrero Hill. All warehouse-converted-to-a-loft.
 

royskeen

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Thanks for all the good advice. It should qualify for this forum b/c I'm asking where to get clothes as wells as other stuff. As to location, I'll be right off the montgomery Bart station. How much does a decent apartment go for? $2k seems like a lot to me. I can push it up a few more hundered dollars, but I'm going to need new California clothes
smile.gif
My midwestern heart shudders when I say $2k not a lot. I paid $250/month for my half of a two bedroom in 1997 in Ohio....Can you not get a good place for less than $3k? I'm used to living in a basement apartment in D.C. in the U Street cooridor, which is a lot more expensive than when I moved in there. Still I pay like $1200. I've already learned never to call it Frisco--the hard way. Thanks for the tips!
 

marco_rol

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Originally Posted by royskeen
Thanks for all the good advice. It should qualify for this forum b/c I'm asking where to get clothes as wells as other stuff. As to location, I'll be right off the montgomery Bart station. How much does a decent apartment go for? $2k seems like a lot to me. I can push it up a few more hundered dollars, but I'm going to need new California clothes
smile.gif
My midwestern heart shudders when I say $2k not a lot. I paid $250/month for my half of a two bedroom in 1997 in Ohio....Can you not get a good place for less than $3k? I'm used to living in a basement apartment in D.C. in the U Street cooridor, which is a lot more expensive than when I moved in there. Still I pay like $1200. I've already learned never to call it Frisco--the hard way. Thanks for the tips!

You'll probably be ok at $2k for a 1 bdrm if you're flexible. Don't quote me on it, but I'm guessing you can find something. I had the same sticker shock when I moved here from Cincinnati in '94. I had a 2 bdrm in a cherry location off campus for $325 (with my half at $162.50!) When I came here for a new job, I found that a one room studio (not a one "bedroom" mind you, just one "room") in the Tenderloin was $500-600. I don't miss that. And yeah, this probably is the wrong forum.
 

UrbanComposition

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Marco_rol is right - if you can handle living in either Sunset or Richmond (not much to do, long way to get anywhere, horrible bus lines), you can get a lot of space for less money, plus - Richmond's Chinatown is pretty sweet. Potrero Hill has some of the best weather in the City hands down, as does Bernal Heights - but transportation to Montgomery St won't be fast. The Mission District gets a lot of hate because of the hipsters, but don't be fooled - douchebags live everywhere. If you're 25-35, you should love it. Tons to do, and there are two BART stations. Cheaper living. SOMA is a good bet too, only slightly less interesting, better weather, but a bit more scruffy.

$2000 should cover a one-bedroom just fine.

Yes, this should be moved.
laugh.gif
 

rgweiser53

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Try Fillmore Street....anywhere north of Sutter and up towards Broadway/Pac Heights -- pleasant neighborhood, short bus ride to financial district
 

marco_rol

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Fillmore in that area is a great part of town, but a suspect a little too yuppie for the young hipster gentleman ;-)
 

comrade

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Originally Posted by marco_rol
Fillmore in that area is a great part of town, but a suspect a little too yuppie for the young hipster gentleman ;-)

+1 Also for $2000/month what does one get ? A parking space?
 

marco_rol

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Originally Posted by comrade
+1 Also for $2000/month what does one get ? A parking space?

Yeah, duh, on my part. Fair enough Comrade, you won't get much of an apartment if any for $2K on that part of Fillmore.

And to add to the earlier comment about Potrero Hill; great area and close to downtown, but not close - commute from there to downtown is difficult and takes awhile. When we moved back to SF in early 2008 from NYC we found a great 3 bedroom there for a nice price, but the commute was going to take me about 45 minutes (even though we could see downtown from the upstairs bedroom).

I'm still thinking mission district is your first place to look. Lots of good restaurants, bars and four barrel coffee (the best coffee in SF IMHO - I even like it better than blue bottle (no flames please, just an opinion).
 

marco_rol

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And also, if you do look in the Sunset, stick to the Inner Sunset or no farther than 25th in the Outer Sunset. There is a nice commercial area around 9th and Irving in the Inner and then again starting at on Irving between 19th and about 25th I think (again, kind of a mini Chinatown). Richmond District has lots of good areas.
 

emptym

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Originally Posted by comrade
+1 Also for $2000/month what does one get ? A parking space?
I live in that area and pay substantially less for a nice studio. $2000 a month will get you a good one bedroom in this area. Don't just rely on Craigslist. Walk the neighborhood and look for "for rent" signs. Lots of bus lines going downtown. For clothes, I highly recommend thrift stores. SF is great for them.
 

marco_rol

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Originally Posted by emptym
I live in that area and pay substantially less for a nice studio. $2000 a month will get you a good one bedroom in this area. Don't just rely on Craigslist. Walk the neighborhood and look for "for rent" signs. Lots of bus lines going downtown.

For clothes, I highly recommend thrift stores. SF is great for them.


Well there you go. I also just did a quick craigslist search and seems like emptym is right and you've got lots of options in the price range. Also, keep in mind that rents are soft in some areas and not in other areas, so YMMV.
 

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