newdriver

Hello,

I am going to be taking a position with my job in the Bay Area within the next 2 months or so. I have never even been to the West Coast, so I know exactly ZERO about the area. I told myself that if I was going to relocate, I would want to live in an interesting/exciting city, not just a warmer/more expensive version of suburban Cincinnati. With that in mind, I really wanted to live in San Francisco, but my problem is that my office will be in San Jose. I am no stranger to commuting (I put an average of 35,000 mi/yr on my car), but is it feasible to live in SF and commute to San Jose? The way I look at it, I am going to want to spend so much time checking out SF, that even if I live in San Jose, I will want to drive there after work a few times a week for dinner, entertainment, etc, and then have to drive all the way back home.

Also, I am looking at apartments in the Presidio, Russian Hill, and Marina. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I currently live in a warehouse loft in a renovated tin can factory, with about 1,000 sq ft, 20 ft ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, sealed concrete floors, granite/stainless kitchen, etc, and I pay $650/mo (including indoor, secure parking). I'm assuming I will have to spend between $3,000-$3,500/month to get something anywhere close (but still not quite as big), that is not in a terrible neighborhood, correct? I don't necessarily need the same type of apartment, but I want a neighborhood/building that has character. Beige walls/beige carpet/white fridge/linoleum kitchen is not an option.


EDIT: scroll down- it turns out my office is in Gilroy, which completely changes my options.

Also, on top of having to pay obscenely more for rent, are there any other costs I should consider? Luckily I don't pay for gas or insurance, so I don't have to worry about those.

Thanks in advance!

danvuquoc

3-3.5K will get you something very similar if you're looking for a loft in those areas including a parking spot.

The commute, I'm not going to lie, even on a traffic free day is at least 45 minutes. You're better off taking CalTrain to and from SOMA -> San Jose and working on the train. I know quite a few friends who either live in SJ commute to SF or live in SF commute to Mountain View. There isn't too much more to consider... the commute is a pain in the ass and thats about it. A middle ground would be renting something in between SJ/SF with its own smaller downtown -- still not the SF experience though.

rydelow

You should look in surrounding areas like Daly City, Brisbane, South San Francisco or San Bruno for a decent spot. Living in the city has its ups and downs. Close to a lot of places to eat, drink, sight see and what not not. But the noise in the city isn't the greatest if you want a good nights sleep.

Commuting from SF, depending on which part is what will determine your commute time to San Jose. But traffic on the 101 or 280 freeways is congested depending on what time you leave. Rush hour is bad either way going back to SF.

DaPhatty

I echo the suggestion that you should live somewhere in between. San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Burlingame, etc. You will tire of the commute VERY quickly, regardless of whether you drive or take CalTrain, but moving someplace in between SF and SJ will make the commute more tolerable.

newdriver

Well I just got off the phone with the VP out there, and it turns out that the office is actually in Gilroy (he just said San Jose bc he knew I wouldn't know where Gilroy was). So I assume living in, or even near, SF is completely out of the question? Are there any interesting places to live within 45-60 min of Gilroy, or am I doomed to an eternity in suburbia?

iDashX

San jose is within that time limit lol.

Voodoo_S2K

SF is definitely out of the question unless you want a 2+ hr commute each way.

newdriver

So is San Jose a fun place to live, or nothing compared to SF? Trying to decide between finding a place in San Jose for a short commute, or enduring a longer commute to live closer to San Francisco? I'm mainly looking for someplace safe, walkable, and with a great variety of good food. A good farmers' market would also be a plus.

MarcoPiper

San Jose looks like a great place to live, I wouldn't look for a place in SF if I was you... Is expensive, crazy parking situation and not worth it to have it as a base if you have to commute to SJ. Traffic in the bay area can be BAD

yamez

san jose is really close to gilroy. the only thing is rush hour starts crazy early because 101 gets darn packed quick.