it's another "what neighborhood should I live in" thread! (San Francisco: apartment, to rent)

[caligirl2009]

North Beach has everything you are looking for. Young crowd (with less hipsters and meatheads than other parts of town), restaurants, bars, shops, etc. The only con is it's very expensive.

Also might want to consider Pacific Heights or Russian Hill.

[mayorhaggar]

All the bars and clubs around Broadway in North Beach always seem to be having trouble with people getting knifed or shot. Seems like d-bag central for SF.

[batransplant]

Rascal.

Where in LA do you live? Im from LA and lived in SF for 2 years in Noe Valley, and still in the bay area. If you are looking to be able to walk to bars and things to do, Noe is pretty dullsville and sort of away from everything...especially coming from LA. It will feel like a small town w/ 1 small strip of stores on 24th St. and you will feel isolated to get to other parts of the city. It takes 25-30 min to get to Fillmore St. You would likely end up hanging out in the Mission anyway if you live over there because it is the closest and most convenient place to hang out.

Coming from LA, you will want to be in a more active neighborhood, and the weather will be shocking due to the cold, fog, and wind so you might want to avoid the sunset and richmond areas. Everything is also more quaint in San Francisco vs. LA.

I think based on your first post, I would recommend Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, Lower Pacific Heights north of Post St., SOMA east of 4th st. Telegraph Hill, and Russian Hill. Maybe even Hayes Valley, but you need to be careful due to the projects there.

[mayorhaggar]

I have been living in Hayes Valley for almost 3 years and never had any problems due to the projects. If you are in the 5 or so blocks west of Van Ness around Fell and Hayes then there really isn't an issue. Yes if you go a bit north of Hayes you will run into the projects.

I'm not really crazy about Hayes Valley though and I'm glad I'm moving out to Rockridge this weekend. HV is very small and it feels kind of isolated because it's surrounded by projects on the north and the Tenderloin on the east and is sort of a long walk from the interesting parts of the Mission which is the only other nice neighborhood that is close by. Also no grocery stores so you have to schlep up Van Ness to Whole Foods or to SOMA to Trader Joe's, it's not a long trip but it would be nice if there was a local store.

[rascal-c]

I live in Culver City in LA. I'm looking for a similar vibe and demographic but more walkable. I don't really mind the SF weather, but I definitely consider that the east side of town and the east bay can be a lot warmer and sunnier.

Some parts of SF I've been in (Cole Valley maybe?) seemed quiet to almost a creepy degree, especially at night. Maybe it's just from living in NYC for years (I lived there for 6), but it's weird to see a big walkable city have streets that are deserted at 10PM. So I'm definitely looking for somewhere that is a bit lively at night and not completely dead.

Also I've heard a couple people call Noe Valley "stroller city" - definitely not my scene yet

[batransplant]

To be honest, SF is a very laid back city and not really known for its night life. I made the mistake of expecting a "mini manhattan" when I moved here regarding everything from nightlife to shopping to fashion to amenities etc. to overall energy and action. I think it is probably more in line with Seattle in terms of vibe, people it attracts etc.

If you are looking for neighborhoods that aren't dead after 10PM, the only places you will find that are North Beach, (which I wouldn't recommend to live as it is really a big tourist trap) The Marina, The Mission, and Downtown. Coming from LA, and wanting to avoid hipsters, the Marina would be a better fit. It sort of reminds me a bit of Main St. in Santa Monica. There really isn't anyplace like Culver City in San Francisco with lots of action at night.

I would suggest you consider Lower Pac Heights. Its a great location w/ access to the Fillmore shopping, Japan Town, movies, great restaurants, and a few bars. People are mixed ages and races in that area...just don't live below Post St. or you will be too close to projects. If I moved back to SF that is probably where I would live.

I also lived in the Mar Vista, West LA area in sort of a mish mash of people and avoided places with a big "scene", so I know exactly what you mean. Culver City is slowly becoming a cool place to live though w/ all the furniture stores and restaurants etc. opening down there. Lots of artists lofts there too....especially around sony studios.

[mayorhaggar]

Downtown is dead after 5pm...

[rah]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Downtown is dead after 5pm...

What downtown are you going to? Not SF's, apparently.

[mayorhaggar]

Around Montgomery and Market? All the restaurants are closed by 5pm because they only do lunch business. If you go town to the Embarcadero or South of Market there are several restaurants and bars that are open for people just getting out of work but most places north of market are dead after 5.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Downtown is dead after 5pm...

The thing about the San Francisco is that "Downtown" is a confusing term which generally means Financial district here. This is where all the huge banks, department stores, and hotels are located and yes, they tend to be dead after hours, like in a lot of cities. So no, there's not much going on in the Financial District at night. People get off of work then go home.

The nightlife in the City is more broken up into neighborhoods rather than one large concentrated area. When I used to go out, we'd normally pick one neighborhood to do our bar hopping/partying/dining.

You really just need to know the ins and outs of the City- there are plenty of places open but you don't see large crowds of people milling about in one small area- we venture out and about more depending on what "vibe" we were looking for.