UCSF: Housing question

[santivier]

Hi! I was wondering if any of the current UCSF students and/or native San Franciscans can give me some advice on housing in the city. I'm moving from Southern California and will be starting school in the fall. I am waiting for UCSF to send out information on student housing, but I'm also interested in a place "off-campus." I don't know how much cheaper it will be. Anyway, as for most people, I would like a place close enough to campus so I can just take a quick bus ride or even better, walk. I've perused UCSF's website on housing and one of the recommendations is to just drive around the neighborhood I'm interested in living in. I'm going to try to work this in so how far in advance should I start looking? And if I can't make it up to SF, are there certain websites or rental agencies you recommend?

Also, is it true it's better to do without my car? When I interviewed, a few students (from the Bay Area) mentioned how they just left their cars with their families.

Thanks so much!

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[tomrocks]

Hi! I was wondering if any of the current UCSF students and/or native San Franciscans can give me some advice on housing in the city. I'm moving from Southern California and will be starting school in the fall. I am waiting for UCSF to send out information on student housing, but I'm also interested in a place "off-campus." I don't know how much cheaper it will be. Anyway, as for most people, I would like a place close enough to campus so I can just take a quick bus ride or even better, walk. I've perused UCSF's website on housing and one of the recommendations is to just drive around the neighborhood I'm interested in living in. I'm going to try to work this in so how far in advance should I start looking? And if I can't make it up to SF, are there certain websites or rental agencies you recommend?

Also, is it true it's better to do without my car? When I interviewed, a few students (from the Bay Area) mentioned how they just left their cars with their families.

Thanks so much!

i'm actually from sf and my family lives about 15 minutes away but i'm shooting to live on my own when i start school. the best website to look at IMO is craigslist.org. its free and you can look for listings in the general area. i don't drive but it is easier, again IMO, to drive around the city but parking is a bitch. public transportation is totally doable but it sometimes isn't reliable and some busses aren't 24 hours. price range around the ucsf area is about 1000-1300 for a studio/one bedroom, 1400-1700 for a two bedroom, and 1800-2300 for a three bedroom. its not the most expensive area in sf but you can get cheaper places if you don't mind public transportation. i'm going to start look in june because that's about when most ucsf students graduate and start leaving. good luck and see you in september!

tom

 

[Apteka]

TomRocks' suggestion of craiglist.org is an excellent one: it's a great site! (Free, too! Metrorent.com and renttech.com are fee for use, which is silly these days since it's more of a renters' market... )

If you are willing to share housing, you can share a flat for anywhere from $600-$800/month- TomRocks' rental averages are right on the $ for your own flat. Housing through the UCSF housing office seems to be 'cheaper' (if it can be called that.) Also, I am not sure if you, as a first year, can apply- but there are the brand spankin' new Mission Bay apartments that are accepting deposits right now. There are a few of us who are going there for 2nd year. There is a shuttle that takes you back and forth, and it's an up and coming neighborhood (and sunny!)

Parking can be a huge pain, esp. if you are not familiar with the city- and if you really want a car to use for the weekend, we have citycarshare.com -which is like renting a car but it's more of a 'car co-op' that works out to be cheaper than renting. The Parking enforcement are hard at work on a daily basis near the ucsf campus (they know we are students who are honest enough to pay our tickets) so don't risk it- most of it is 2 hr parking anyway.

good luck, and see you this fall!!! congratulations!

 

[santivier]

thank you tom and apteka!

appreciate the rent approximations. i'll start perusing craiglist.com. do you think looking in june is the best time (to start)? i graduated from an "all college town" so they had leases that worked according to the academic calendar (i.e. start in September, end in June/August). i glanced at some on-line search engine results for housing in SF but they all want tenants now.

as for the new mission bay -- they're accepting deposits? is it too late for first years?

thanks again for the information and grats. see you in the fall!

 

[Apteka]

Here is a link to info on the apartments at Mission Bay:

just type in tinyurl dot com, then slash"/" 5n8k7
(this message board doesn't allow links to websites)
this should take you to the campus life services website, which shows you info on the new apts at mission bay.

MISSION BAY HOUSING PROJECT
The complex includes over 10,000 sq. ft. of retail space and over 42,000 sq. ft. of public and private landscaped courtyards. The site is located at the main plaza entrance to the new Mission Bay campus on Third Street. The facility spans a complete block that stretches from Third to Fourth Street and from Gene Friend Way to UCSF Lane (13th Street).
Applications / Questions
Applications and assignment criteria are available at the Housing Services Office, 415-476-2231, [email protected].

 

[Lexian]

The first week I moved into my apartment in SF my car got towed. I've been living without a car for the first time in 3 years, but it's doable. It's really annoying not being able to just jump into your car to get groceries or whatever, but public transportation is serviceable and there will always be friends with cars.