Question for LA / SF strutters (housing related)
Frank
2,373 Posts
My wife's job assignment here in Guinea will run out next year.We will try to stay in the West African area (Ghana, Togo, Benin)but there is no saying if a position will open up in one of thesethree countries at this time.As a possible alternative, we now are also thinking about Frisco or LA.My wife's employer will pay the rent so we can basically afford somethingnice but nothing ridiculous.The most important general question would be:Would it be possible to find a small house with a (large if possible) garden for our three dogs for around 2 grand?regarding the commute, my wife's work address would be6222 Wilshire Boulevard in LAor1960 Jackson Street in San Franciscoany help or suggestion would be hugely appreciated!ThanxFrank
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a href="http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/apa/sfc?query=&minAsk=1900&maxAsk=2000&bedroo
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Finding a place with a large garden in San Francisco would be hard especially near Jackson. I think it'd be easier to find a backyard in L.A., but I'm sure the LA headz will have something to say about that.
Good luck.
Don't worry too much about finding a place super close to 1960 Jackson. Just find a place with nearby access to a MUNI line (our transit bus system) that goes close to that address. The local subway BART (doesn't run anywhere near that neighborhood).
Viel Gluck and PM me if you have any other SF questions.
- Ross
What's more probable would be a 2BD apt.(vs. stand-alone, single family home) somewhere in the city with a backyard and pro-dog policy. In that case, you'd have quite a few more choices available. $2K doesn't quite give you pickings anywhere but I think a lot of places in the Mission and Portrero Hill would become more avail, not to mention the Panhandle, parts of the Haight, Sunset and Richmond. Maybe even Cole, but I doubt Noe Valley or the Castro are going to work out without more $$$.
Ironically, though I live in LA now, I don't know the rental market here quite as well. You can definitely find what you're looking for, within your price range, in different parks of Los Angeles, but of course, it all depends on where you want to live: how far, what kind of neighborhood, etc. From what I know of the neighborhood where your wife would be, it's a great place to live in terms of being close to shops and food (you're literally a block from The Grove and Farmer's Market) though, from what I've seen there, housing can range from cramped apartments to really nice houses but the for the rental budget, I don't think you're going to be seeing much of the latter in that neighborhood.
I live about 10-15 minutes from where your wife's office would be (in Rancho Park) and we live in a comfortable 2BD duplex (but it's basically the top floor of a house) that has a huge backyard. The landlady does not allow dogs however but my sense of it, even if she did, the rent would necessarily be much higher than it is now and we pay under $2000. My feeling is that you'd have more options down here.
Someone like Yuichi or Shig or Guz may be able to shed more light than I however.
A lot of it comes down to what kind of experience you want. LA and the Bay - as anyone here will tell you - have as many differences as they do similarities.
Pro-SF: The Groove Merchant, an actual city to live in, cleaner weather and beautiful surroundings.
Pro-LA: Sunshine all-day, er' day, better movies, beaches.
You'd be just round the corner from me, Frank!
At 2,000 you might squeeze in around the Westside for the kind of house you want. Best place to look online to give you an idea is Craigslist. Don't bother with Westside Rentals - they kinda sucky.
Are you accepting PM's Frank? If not then drop me a mail at [email]hogwashvinyl@yahoo.com[/email] and I can give you some pointers about this and that
Not impossible. My flat is $2K a month with a large backyard but I scored a very good deal. Rental space in SF is in very high demand so good places go quickly. I had to look at about 25 places to find one. In my neighborhood (Lower Haight) a flat with a backyard usually goes for about $2300 and up. Best deal I found was $1900 on Page St. near Amoeba's but it was a little small for my tastes.
For more selection you might want to consider living in Oakland or Berkeley. There's much better deals to be found there but I think the Berkeley/Oakland area is boring as hell. I hated living in Oakland.
You trying to start beef, son?
We already beefed on this in a different thread.
I believe the operative phraseology is, "I got it how I knew I wanted it in Oakland."
i dunno if you need to be right in the city or how you feel bout the burbs, but my girl and i live about 15-20 minutes from most parts of SF. I thought about movin up there a feew years back, but it is just to expensive.
here we have a two bedroom house with a loft above the garage (moon room!), hardwood (good for dogs), fireplace, dishwasher, washer + dryer, friendly neighbors, lots of parking, a good sized backyard w/ two apple, one apricot, one cherry, a peach? and a fig tree & veggie garden, plus room for hammock, bbq, etc. all this for $1800 a month.(and the landlord is dog-friendly) not bad considering what you get in the city for that, plus there is a park across the street w/ a community garden and a skate park, tennis courts, basketball, softball, rose garden, room for dogs to run, etc. and you get to live snuggliciously close to the one and only kingmost!
plus you can park in front of your own place, or :gasp: a garage that doesnt cost an extra $300 a month.
but it is the burbs (so they tell me) if you dont get down like that.
get out your 3d glasses kiddies!
If you wanted a nice yard and lots of space, I'd say try the east, west, or south (OC, santa monica, long beach) then take the commuter rail or metro in. However you slice it tho that's going to be a long commute.
Drive if you have to but commuting to LA is hellish during rush hour. The problem with the 6222 address is the metro (subway) red line doesn't run out that far. I think the last stop on Wilshire is 3700. If it helps you spec things out the metro website is at www.mta.net.
La Cienega traffic north-south isn't exactly free flowin" but it could be worse (Fairfax!) and we'd be talking about a 30 min commute fron most those spots.
Re: the Bay - if you guys can get into SF around your price range, I'd recommend looking in SF or DC and not the East Bay. I lived in the East Bay for 14 years, 7 of which in Oakland, which I loved, thank you very much, but commuting to SF from the East Bay either means cramped ass $ BART rides or cramped ass $ Bay Bridge traffic ($4 to cross now? Fuck outta here).
Itd be one thing if you want someplace to live in the area but with a commute to mind AND free rent? Just look by SF if you can.
WEST OAKLAND
why cause he lives in Africa?
OK, that is fucking funny.
Ha! Like the West side is the only Black part of Oakland.
Plaese to be serious - It is about stray dogs and battle axes.
You cannot find these things in the East and sure as hell cannot find them in Rockridge or Lake Merritt.
Now, fall back or fall back to yon SF yuppie playground
now, if you do have a car, there are quite a few options for you and your dogs. your wife's work is in the miracle mile area. one of the lamest parts of LA outside of west LA [yes he did
theres west adams which is pretty historic ginormous old homes. prolly fairly affordable. crenshaw and leimert areas are really nice too. you should easily find a home there and its prolly a 15 minute drive on local roads WITH TRAFFIC. in LA, that's a good commute.