Moving to San Francisco???

Can anyone tell about living there? Does the pay rate match the housing cost? Can you find a reasonably priced house even if its a fixer? The best neighborhoods to live in?

San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. I don't know what neighborhood the answer above me was referring to, but 400,000 for a fixer? You might be able to find a studio apartment for 400,000, but not in a very good neighborhood. Actually, if you could find that here, it would probably be a miracle if it wasn't in a neighborhood that most people were not super eager to live in.

Even in todays difficult real estate market you will need to spend around 800,000 for a somewhat decent, two bedroom house, and that is not in the center of the city. You may be able to find a condo for around 600,000, but the neighborhoods vary drastically. Rent for a three bedroom apartment or house is around 3000-3500 a month in a decent neighborhood, and even in some not very good neighborhoods.

The pay rate does not match the housing cost. Many people spend at least half of their income on housing. If you are in an extremely high paying field, you might be able to achieve a decent existence, but most people are working all of the time just to make ends meet.

I can't really tell you what neighborhoods are best to live in, as it can be very subjective. What do you prefer? Living in the center where things are more convenient? On the edges where it is quieter but it has a longer commute? The public transportation is really lacking in the periphery. Are you in an age group where you need more social interaction? Some neighborhoods have more young people. The weather is pretty bad here in the summer, cold and foggy. The western half of the city has it the worst. The center is a bit better, the Mission has the best weather, most sunshine. I personally prefer Ashbury Heights, Noe Valley, Hayes Valley, the Haight, and the Mission. Dolores St. is lovely as well. Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, the Marina, Cows Hollow, Seacliff, etc. are the more "exclusive" areas. There are so many more neighborhoods, but it will take great length to detail.

You need to visit here to have an idea of what the city is about. It is different here. The education level is higher, people are more informed and progressive. You will encounter a lot of undesirables here, though. This is not one of the friendliest cities. The public school system is a joke, this is one of the most child unfriendly places in the US. This is a great place if you are young and single. It is really beautiful, more European than many other places. You can walk from neighborhood to neighborhood. Just visit and discover for yourself.

I hope that this helps.

http://www.trulia.com/CA/San_Francisco/

Edit: To clarify, the Castro, Mission, and Glen Park are accessible with MUNI, the latter two have BART stations. Some parts of the Mission are not as easily accessed, but checking MUNI's website will answer questions about that.

I don't even like to drive through there (especially with the windows rolled down).

i have lived south of san francisco for most of my life. pay rates are much better in the bay area as opposed to other places, but the housing cost is still ridiculous. a fixer is still going to cost you around 400,000. neighborhoods depend on your price range.

good luck! it is a fun place to live. i've lived other places, and the cut in pay was so absurd and i missed the bay area so much, i came back.

The cost of living is very high. But if you get a studio apartment it will be much better. The one my Brother stayed in was $875.00 a month.

Whatever you do, don't live in Tenderloin, unless you want to be mugged and hang out with Trannies everyday. For a tiny little townhouse, in an ok area, you will pay about $600,000. If you want to rent, I would recommend living in an area that is accessible by BART, or the very least, by MUNI. Pretty much any neighborhood is except Civic Center area, Mission, Castro, Glen Park, and Tenderloin. Pacific Heights is the nicest, but really expensive and far away from public transportation. Rent for a decent 1 bedroom is going to be at least $1800, plus utilities, and not to mention parking if you have a car. I hope you have a really good paying job, or you could also live in the east bay, which is way cheaper. That's where I live and I just commute into San Fran by BART.