General recommendations for a 2 month rental a British tourist in San Francisco?

February 25, 2010 5:55 AM

General recommendations for a 2 month rental a British tourist in San Francisco?

I am planning on visiting the US for an extended holiday of two months or so. I will be working an hour or two a day, so I want to be reasonably settled. I am thinking of settling down in one place in San Francisco. Any recommendations for rental styles and locations?

Also, should I move around more, or is there enough to keep me busy in SF? Should I go to New York too? ( I am not much of a tour and sights kind of tourist, more food and sounds)


Any general tips also gratefully received.

posted by choppyes to travel & transportation around San Francisco, CA (7 answers total)

San Francisco and New York are very different. You could happily spend a full 2 months in either place, if you want to just live somewhere different and work a bit and enjoy the city and its environment. You'll have more fun in SF if you avoid June/July/August, those are very touristy times of year and also our most foggy and cold weather.

Are you coming alone, or with family? How much space do you want? Are you cool with paying 4000 USD/month or are you on a budget? Two good places to start a search: VRBO and CraigsList. Also search on AskMe for previous "where should I live in San Francisco?" questions.

In San Francisco it's much easier to get around by SF Muni or walking. Particularly nice if you can live near one of the streetcar lines: J K L M N T. Or BART. If you want to get out of town, say to wine country or the mountains, you'll need to rent a car occasionally.
posted by Nelson at 9:09 AM on February 25, 2010

San Francisco is my favorite city (I grew up near there), so my biased opinion is that there is plenty in SF to keep you occupied for 2 months. However, if you won't get a chance to come back to the US for a while, you might want to do a month in SF and a month in New York.

Location in SF - I assume you won't get a car. You shouldn't, because it's a terrible city to have a car in. Parking is a huge pain, and it's much easier to just take public transportation and/or walk. It's nice to be near the BART (underground) line, though not essential.

It's really hard to recommend a location based on the information you provided, though. Do you want to live in quiet area around families? Do you go out a lot at night and want to live where more is happening? Do you want to be able to walk to most of the downtown areas of the city? How important is sunlight to you (the western half is foggy all the time; the eastern part gets a lot more sun)?
posted by insectosaurus at 9:09 AM on February 25, 2010

Some more info. I am 30, male. Looking at April and May.

I don't mind slumming it in hostel like accomodation, but would ideally like something a little more private. Ideally I would like to pay around $1000, but could go higher if this unrealistic.

I want to stay somewhere vibrant, ideally central, with lots of music and nightlife. I am going alone so would like lots of entertainment nearby to keep me busy. I would like to walk mostly, where possible.

I am a (very) ginger guy, I can burn even if its overcast, so fog isn't an issue.
posted by choppyes at 9:26 AM on February 25, 2010

I haven't lived in SF since before the financial meltdown, but assuming rents are the same or lower, you should be able to have your own bedroom for less than $1000 a month. Or, you could get really crappy studio apartment in some areas for $1000/month if you'd prefer.

You might like to live in the Mission - there's lots going on, lots of restaurants, bars, etc. The Mission is a short ride (on the bus, BART, by cab) from downtown, the financial district, and most anywhere else you'd want to go in the city.

Is there any possibility of staying in a hostel/ hotel for a week or two while you explore the city a little and decide where you want to live?
posted by insectosaurus at 10:52 AM on February 25, 2010

We lived in San Francisco for a temporary period of 8 months, and we were able to find furnished sublets through Craigslist. That really seems to be the main place to look for temporary accommodations, especially if you need a furnished flat. Lots of people sublet their apartments while they are on holiday or away for a work assignment. We actually used the opportunity to try several different neighborhoods by taking 3 different short term lets during our time there. We loved the Mission, and found it super-convenient for shopping, eating, and enjoying the local culture. We spent a lot of time walking and exploring. We also tried out SoMa, which is a little more urban professional and has some pretty areas close to the water and easy access to the Embarcadero, but it is not very neighborhood-y and lacking much of any street culture in the way of shops and cafes. Our third place was in Nob Hill, and that was a different experience again (you better like walking up and downhill a lot). Although it was in the center of the city, it was less interesting to us and more touristy.

Many SF apartments do not have laundry facilities, so if avoiding laundromats is important to you, you need to make sure its part of your search criteria. Most sublets will include the cost of utilities, but some will ask for a separate payment. Also, considering how you want to get around, and how much you want to get around, is important in choosing a neighborhood. The BART, bus, Muni and CalTrain are all separate services and are only somewhat connected. Some neighborhoods only have bus service, while others fall on the BART corridor. Pretty much every neighborhood has access to some kind of public transport, but if you rely on bus-only, it can be a slow way to travel. Turn on the "transit" view in Google Maps to see what's available. Most listings will note what transportation is closest. The SFMTA site is also helpful.

Having said that, you can live pretty much anywhere in the city and still manage to get anywhere else. Based on what you said, you might be a Mission/Bernal Heights/Noe Valley kind of person.

If you're looking for an inexpensive sublet, you might need to be flexible on the location. $1,000 is do-able, but limited for a 2-month availability, and would likely mean a small studio or sharing with a roommate. But this might be an asset anyway, as it might make your stay more social.

We had really good luck with our Craigslist finds, but you do need to be aware that there are some fake/scammy listings. If you're going to need to put down a deposit before you get there, you should try to do a bit of research on the person renting to make sure they are a real person. Some sublets are handled through an agent, but the majority are not. Another option is to hostel for the first week, and find something after you get there.

You will definitely have plenty to keep you busy in SF for 2 months, especially if you are a "foodie" type and a music type of person. The weather is generally quite nice in April and May, probably quite a bit warmer than late spring in New York. New York is wonderful too, but might be harder to do on a $1,000/month budget. Maybe you could do a shorter visit there, depending on how the sublet situation in SF works out.
posted by amusebuche at 11:03 AM on February 25, 2010

San Francisco pubs you might like: Pig and Whistle, Mad Dog in the Fog, the Pelican Inn, and Edinburgh Castle.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:21 AM on February 25, 2010

Craigslist is very big here, so checking the sublet section will probably be your best bet. SF is very small geographically so even if you aren't right in the middle of things chances are it'll only take you 15-20 minutes to get there (with some exceptions of course). And it's very walkable even with the hills.

If you have any questions about specific areas, or anything, feel free to memail me.
posted by grapesaresour at 1:07 PM on February 25, 2010