UTMC

I'm weighing a job offer in SF that pays not more than 30/hr. It'd only be a temporary gig, lasting a few months at most.

There's no housing allowance or anything extra like that. I even have to buy my own ticket and get my own tools out there.

What's housing like out there? To make this worthwhile I'd have to find as inexpensive a place as possible for short term. Is that something that is even possible? I've heard housing out there is off the hook expensive.
The job being at the Martime Museum, I figger anything w/in walking distance would be outrageously expensive.

I'd recommend finding a room for rent in the East Bay somewhere. SF will be more expensive, unless you get lucky. Start checking out Craigslist...

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco ... -sink.html

Motopsycho is dead on correct. Housing is a difficult proposition here. I remember waiting in a line 150 deep for a crappy studio that the landlord hadn't touched in 20 years all for the privilege of handing over $25 for a credit check, a "housing resume", a list of no less than 5 local references, fresh baked cookies, a having to wear arecently pressed suit and a tie just for the walk through.

The guy in front of me, a stock broker, offered to pay a full year's rent in cash upon signing the lease. Hell, I wasn't even certain I could pay the security deposit and the first month's rent in time. Guess who acquired the lease?

I lived in a car on the beach for my first 4 months in SF. Dinner was served courtesy of the deli counter at the Safeway accross the highway. I had a job from the first day I got here, but it didn't matter. That said, here are your best bets:

1. If you want to live in SF, find a room-mate situation on Craigslist. BE CAREFUL of taking a deal that looks too good to be true. Speak to all the occupants and interview them. SF is full of fucked up and crazy people. Not easy to change your living situation once you're in it.

2. A studio apartment rents from 1250 to 1900 here. That, my friend, is a fuckton of coin. Fail to pay and the landlord will be very aggressive about kicking you to the curb.

3. A sublet situation on Craigslist is doable. Make certain the master tenant's lease allows for it. If they won't show you their lease, then AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE.

4. Oakland is cheaper but you're going to have to pay 6 bucks a day to cross that shitty fucking bridge. Make certain your bike is in great shape. Break down on the bridge, and there's no place to pull over - bad shit happens to bikes that break down on the bridge. The bridge has windy days that make you wonder what the hell you were thinking. However, there is BART, the "subway" that takes you under the bay for about, 6 bucks. No parking worries and it's pretty efficient. I just hate public transportation, but I take it to Oakland when I have to appear in court there.

5. Stiles is over in the East Bay and was recently doing the housing search. A pm to him may help you with respect to the market in Oak-town. Oakland is like Philly, lots of nice places and lots of fuckall scary places. You need to know where you are at all times. Shit goes down there, and being naive won't save your ass.

6. I like Oakland, I just hate the bridge. Some great fucking roads to ride out there. Great bike culture too (East bay Rats, lots of BARFers, fun bars).

Maybe stating the obvious, but could you put out some feelers for a boat to sleep on?
Probably cut your commute down to nothing.

Trying to avoid the boat-watching stuff. Has its own set of complications. Seems things there are as outrageous as I'd heard. I won't have a bike with me.
Still weighing my options...

Sisyphus wrote:Trying to avoid the boat-watching stuff. Has its own set of complications. Seems things there are as outrageous as I'd heard. I won't have a bike with me.
Still weighing my options...

You can give me a shout out anytime and I'll help you as best I can. Still, there is a reality to living here that is impossible to get around, it's expensive and housing is a difficult proposition in SF proper. Pending your circumstances and standards, I can likely hook you up with some "cheaper" shelter, but it's really just a place to crash out and keep your stuff. (Friend is a property manager that has some of the "better" residence hotels)

Ditto on the sublet/roommate idea. And the easy bay, but that's not really seeming possible with what you described.

Sisyphus wrote:I won't have a bike with me.

Don't go if you're not bringing a bike. You'll be so depressed when you see highway one that you'll want to take a dive into the bay.

rolly wrote:

Sisyphus wrote:I won't have a bike with me.

Don't go if you're not bringing a bike. You'll be so depressed when you see highway one that you'll want to take a dive into the bay.

I'll hook him up with some wheels for trip or two.

Sys, along with Stiles, you should PM Moto_Myotis and greasy. They both live in the East Bay, which is realistically affordable, unlike SF, as everyone else said. All 3 are super helpful & may know something/someone.

Also, like Rollly said, you're gonna want to punch yourself in the face until your eyes are swollen shut just to keep yourself from being reminded, by every passing bike, that you're in motoparadise w/o your whee;ls. You'll get to a point of desperation that even a douchecanoe will make you salivate. Norcal, Socal, it's really that good out here (though the weather's better down here ).

When are you planning on coming out?

Sorry, I'm never on here these days and only just saw your post. I'll keep my ears alert. I agree that the East Bay is MUCH cheaper than SF. Also, depending on where you live, there's a casual carpool where you can get a ride to the city for free, which shaves a lot off your commute costs.

If you're here in the summer, there should be plenty of sublets available. Berkeley is a college town, so I usually see a lot in the summer in the Berkeley/Oakland area.

Thanks people. I sent an email to the guy in charge and bailed on the job.
I have two large jobs here that are running over time estimates and its just not possible for me to leave here and go there for something less lucrative. It'd be a cool gig, but...

There's always next year. Who knows.

Now we're all sad.

(Glad things'll be good for you, I guess.)