Potential Job Offer in South San Francisco

I live on the peninsula and things have changed this past year. Home prices are still insane and rising but the rental market is depressed so it's an ideal time to find a relatively affordable rental. Not having to cross a bridge is a huge advantage for the commute. Best of luck!

 

No disrespect, but you might wanna look elsewhere for work or living.

 

Once you stay here for a bit and see how awful our roads are or the absurd gas prices you’ll probably pick up a daily driver or take the bus. The shell down the street from me is at $4.39 for regular, which should be on the high side for the area. Costco gas is a bit cheaper if you’ve got a membership.

A nice road bike would be good too but there are tons of thieves.

The other day it took me 15 minutes just to move up 2 parking spaces in downtown SF. Was waiting in a loading zone (sue me, I didn’t want to go around and around at 5 pm and I needed to unload stuff). A spot finally freed up so I went for it but it was just an endless line of bumper to bumper geniuses that don’t want to let you in even though they weren’t going anywhere.

 

Thanks y'all for your responses. You have definitely given me a lot to think about. I'll be sure to make an informed decision, and hopefully get the chance to go wheeling with y'all one day!

If everything goes well, and I get the job, I'll find a place close to work. The traffic and commuting just don't seem worth the headache, and the wear and tear on the taco (not to mention myself).

 

There are a lot of negatives but in the end, there are a lot more things to like about living here.

 

Look for apartments or rental properties around daly city, san bruno, colma, south san francisco or near the edge of the city. that will cut your commute to like 30 mins or less.

 

Good luck. If you choose not to live around SSF for whatever reason, you should look for places on that side of the bay. You just don't want to cross the bridge. It's not even the toll that is the issue. It's your time. Everyone and their mother/father/aunt/dog is trying to cross back over to the East Bay. It's not pretty even without any accidents. If there is an accident, forget about it.

Your commute will be longest if you live along the 101 freeway. If you plan to live further out from SSF...at least look for a place alongside the 280 freeway. There is rarely traffic there even in rush hour times. 20 minutes to work or to the beach? Sounds like a winner to me.

 

If there’s an accident I take the GGB back home. Sometimes I go that way just for the hell of it because it’s just more relaxing.

 

Hey OP,

I'm sure all the locals that have chimed in know... but just so you're aware, South City (SSF) isn't really that close to the City (SF). Not separated by just a block/street, etc.... If you end up working near Oyster Point, I would only look at SF as the last option. Primary options IMO, would be Pacifica/Daly City (10-15miles) if you don't mind fog/cold-mild temps. You would be centralized freeway-wise with 101-(380)-280 conveniently located. Those are main North/South backbone freeways in the (non-Eastbay) Bay Area. You'll also be near Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and Skyline Blvd to satisfy all automotive cravings.

You're lifestyle/income will then dictate what type of housing and what (micro)neighborhood as Daly City/Pacifica (and the Bay as a whole) has a wide range of the good/bad/ugly.

Good luck in your interviews. Hope we find you in the Bay after its all said and done.

oh btw....you gotta be cool with my pinoy/pinay peoples if you really want to consider Daly City.

 

I wouldn't want to live in the city. I also avoid driving my truck to the city as much as possible, both because of traffic and parking. I ride motorcycles though so I use those for commuting rather than public transit. Lane splitting is legal here so if you're into motorcycles, that's also something to consider.

 

I think people are flying out of Cali, my neighborhood seems to have more and more homes for sale. People are moving to AZ and TX.

 

You will be working in a place where there’s no good reverse commute. But the key to a successful long drive is the reverse commute. That and never cross a bridge if you can avoid it as anything can slow down your commute.

 

I’d ask your future coworkers what they do. Like everyone said traffic there is no joke. Take a gander at 5pm around town and experience it first hand.

 

My friend's son lives in SF...works three jobs to pay the rent...housing costs are absolutely ridiculous there is my understanding.


https://youtu.be/Otm4RusESNU

 

I live in SF and everywhere from here is the reverse commute. It's actually great. I used to work in Palo Alto and Fremont (split time between Tesla hq and the factory) and took employer provided shuttles which only took about an hour door to door. I later worked downtown and it was only a 15min bus ride. My wife works in half moon bay and it's about a 30min drive.

There are of course pros and cons to living in the city so that's all personal preference.

 

go to great lengths to avoid having to cross a bridge to get to work. it simply is not worth it. expensive and it will ruin your life. I did it for 10 years and watched traffic get worse and worse. and I did the grand-daddy of all the bridges. the SF Oakland bay bridge. soul suck is an understatement. you wish it was only a soul suck. I once watched a guy stop and threaten to jump off the bay bridge. it stopped traffic to a trickle. damn near everyone that drove by that guy, yelled "JUMP! you dumb fuck!" the hate was real, when he stopped traffic.

South city? look at San Bruno, Pacifica...maybe Halfmoonbay. good luck. the weather will blow you away. no more sweating thru your shirt by the time you walk to your car.

 

don't let the rent get you down. thousands of folks get it done, somehow some way. hell, I did.

food, people, etc. great. every place has crap aspects. good luck on the interview and hope you get what you want and need.

 

Just be sure you are fully aware of the lifestyle and cultural change. I was once offered a 25% pay increase to move from Central TX to the bay area. Sounds really good, but when I did the math, I'd need at least a 40% pay increase to maintain a similar standard of living. Not really a great deal, but I understand there can be other factors depending on where you are in your career and what you are really looking for as far as lifestyle. I can understand the draw of the CA lifestyle, but I know it is not for me personally.

 

Surprise surprise. The worst ones are in major cities. New York, Chicago, Florida Texas, and California. That list is very unsurprising.

 

I used to commute from Novato to Union City a couple years ago. By car, damn near 1.5 - 2 hours. On motorcycle, splitting lanes, I got it down to just about 40 minutes. If you don't mind almost losing your life every 6 minutes, get a motorcycle if you have to do a lot of commuting in the Bay. Install a nice flip up license plate with a cabinet hinge and boom - no tolls ever!

Other than that, get a beater like someone mentioned and put a gps tracker in your taco because if it's at all nice, it will probably become a target for some piece of shit car thieves.

Stay away from BART if you value your nostrils or sanity. Good luck in your endeavors - the Bay Area is an amazing place full of culture and some really awesome people...and it's also a shit hole full of douchecanoes.