San Francisco commute advice please

18-12-2013 11:35pm #1

Hey there, I've noticed there are a few SF regulars here… would love some advice please.

I'm mulling over a job offer in Redwood City: visa not a problem (lucky me) but I'd just give this gig a go if I could live in SF itself. Ideally I'd probably try to end up living in Inner Sunset / Inner Richmond. What's the commute like in peak times? (i.e. am 7-8am, returning 5-6 ish) Is it hellish?

Thanks!

lil_lisa · 18-12-2013 11:45pm

Would you be driving or taking public transport?

If driving, it is about a 40 minute drive. Depending on the time you plan to drive through traffic, it shouldn't be too busy (considering you will be bypassing the city centre). Keep in mind that parking a car anywhere in the city is ridiculously expensive, so having a parking spot is almost a must. That being said, places that rent out parking spots with units can be double the price of regular units.

If taking public transport, the train from the city center out to Redwood City and beyond is about an hour long each way. So you can expect to travel about 1.5 hours each way every day, meaning you have 3+ hours a day of commuting.

18-12-2013 11:54pm

Oooh, thanks.
Driving - no other realistic option time wise I think, esp as I'm in IT / hours can be variable. Just wasn't sure how busy the 101 (I guess) would get during rush hour but 40 mins is doable.

Still just hatching the plan really - but if I do go for it would rather a teeny studio plus car space than be carless on that commute! And as I'd probably only commit to a year there it would be kind of fun to have a car for weekend road trips.

Cheers!

iusedtoknow · 19-12-2013 3:40pm

I live in the inner sunset and commute to Oyster Point to an IT job (just north of the Airport). 40 minutes is about right, on Sunday morning, 6am

The 101 is horrific most of the time- worse in commute hours, because there are a lot of sleeper communities (Millbrae, san mateo, burlingame etc). I was driving on a wednesday evening to the googleplex at mountain view and it took 2.5 hours from home. The 101 is one of these strange highways that is busy in both directions most of the time, there isn't really "reverse" commute hours. The morning has people going from the city to silicon valley, and people from the sleeper communities into the city/across the bay bridge - then reverse that in the evening.
I work just off the 101, and drive maybe twice a week - so I usually go down 19th Avenue, onto the 280 and across the 380 to 101 north, in peak hours this can take upto 45 minutes. If I was driving to redwood city, I'd take the 280 right the way down, and cut across at the 84 or farmhill blvd.

The Caltrain is not that bad to redwood city, it has "baby bullets" in the morning and evenings, that get you to redwood city in just over 35 minutes. The pain about Caltrain though is that the station is in SOMA, so from Sunset, it would mean sitting on the N Line for upto 45 minutes to get down there.

Have you spoken to your company about shuttles? My company run a really extensive shuttle system all over the bay area, and at the same stop there is the google bus, apple, and Bauers IT, which runs shuttles to a lot of the companies in redwood city (cisco , EA etc).

19-12-2013 9:04pm

Thanks for that. Actually heading over tomorrow for two weeks holidays and as a bit of a pre-trip so I'll rent a car and check it out properly whilst I'm there.

Might rethink location if Caltrain schedule looks good though and try for something that side of town.

Probably my all-time favorite US city though, if I could be sure of decent working hours / workable commute I'd be there in a shot!

iusedtoknow · 19-12-2013 10:15pm

Just remember, the traffic will be less over the next couple of weeks, many plants/offices are on shutdown (apple, google, yahoo and a few other big ones are pretty much closed). So you won't get a real feel of the traffic till at least the 2nd

Are you looking for your own place or sharing? If you're sharing there is a lot of avalability in SOMA for rooms, you're still looking at 900-1200 a month. A guy I work lives in the Mission and takes caltrain every day, he doesn't mind it, but it's only as far as Millbrae. A friend of my wife's works in Redwood city, and has a deal with her employer that she works on the train down in the morning using her laptop and Mifi (dongle) on her machine

InTheTrees · 20-12-2013 6:46pm

Most tech companies automatically take the time between xmas and new years off. If they didnt nobody would show up anyway so its become a custom I think. And americans take little enough vacation time anyway so its become expected, almost a perk. That would even extend into the first week of January as people tack their vacation time on to the end of the company time off.

I'd say a car is essential in CA. You can get by in the city without a car but you'll be severely restricted.

Craigslist is the place to look for most things.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/

21-12-2013 3:40am

Thanks all, just got into town so lots of things to check out over next two weeks. Will pick up a car for a few days and get timing/exploring. First stop in the morning will be Ferrybuilding farmers market for good eats though

Appreciate all the tips, ye're a very helpful bunch!

InTheTrees · 21-12-2013 4:57pm

Have a great time, there's a lot to see in the Bay Area. When I moved over with my ex we were pretty much committed to SF until we discovered Santa Cruz, which is where we ended up moving to. She was from Mill Valley which is just north of the gg bridge, also a great area to live, $$$ though.

Silicon Valley and the South Bay are fascinating and there's some great places to live at a more reasonable cost than SF.

tampopo · 22-12-2013 4:28am

I drove to Burlingame from the Tenderloin.(just north of the Civic Center). Going south wasn't a problem, against the traffic. Coming back to the City though was often chock-a-block with traffic. 101 is a pain. I used to shoot up the 280 from time to time.

It was quite some time ago though.

I'm envious of you though....have fun and enjoy your time there....

iusedtoknow · 23-12-2013 5:09pm

InTheTrees wrote: »

Have a great time, there's a lot to see in the Bay Area. When I moved over with my ex we were pretty much committed to SF until we discovered Santa Cruz, which is where we ended up moving to. She was from Mill Valley which is just north of the gg bridge, also a great area to live, $$$ though.

Silicon Valley and the South Bay are fascinating and there's some great places to live at a more reasonable cost than SF.

If only that were still true. We looked into moving down to the south bay, and we'd still be paying pretty much the same we are now, without the protection of rent control. A friend of mine rents in Santa Clara - their landlord shoved up the rent by 500 a month because he could. Towns like Mountain view, sunnyvale and cupertino are basically exec towns now (good food though)
In the bay area now, the cheapest places are Fremont (ugh), parts of Oakland (slowly creeping up) and Richmond. Vallejo would be impossible if you work anywhere south of the ferry.

10-01-2014 6:51pm

So, back in Eire (for now)… and as promised a quick(ish) update.

I had the time of my life, based myself for the 2 1/2 weeks in downtown San Francisco - stayed in Hyatt Embarcadero. Rented car a several times: first for the trip down to Redwood City though and realized job would be a non-runner - drive was fine on a slow Christmas eve, but would be way too much to do on a daily basis, (plus potential new boss not my type at all, boasting of 20 hour work days and muttering about the mid-west market being where it's at etc etc. So unfortunately this "opportunity" NotForMe. Have already experienced one mid-west winter, don't need another)! But there's a potential gig coming up in the fall for a former client of mine up in Vallejo: not ideal location but would come with fantastic expat allowances such as free apartment, car w/gas card, healthcare etc so will hold out for that one! Fingers crossed.

Anyway - even though I thought I know SF pretty well this was the first time I had really explored the Richmond, Sunset and Noe Valley areas properly. Got a 7 day muni pass for the bargain price of $28 and rode the buses like a mad thing - and had a ball. For "full-time" living in, loved the laid back vibe in Outer Sunset; there's a Safeway, Ocean Beach, great walks and a few fun cafes/restaurants. The bus commute to Caltrain would drive me demented if I had to do it every day - but if working from home part time, totally doable.

Met a tonne of people (unexpectedly as I was mostly on my own for the recce), made it down to Carmel and Santa Cruz, and north up to Vallejo (just in case job no 2 happens) and explored Marin and Mill Valley. And came back even more positive about Bay Area than I've ever been. My first time in SF was in 1995 when I was just out of college: I loved it then and though it's changed over the years it's kept most of its charm and friendliness and attitude! There's a really interesting thread here about a returned emigrant who is struggling after a return to Ireland after 20 years in CA: I've spent 20 years between USA and IE, never really committing to either. Now I'm 42 and struggling with all the same issues; and I think that whilst both are great, you have to work hard at living your life and developing your skills and abilities and personality: Ireland is 'soul' but the US is 'personal freedom' IF (and only if) you have the fiscal resources.

So big thanks for your help and comments - hopefully I'll sort out the gig and be back again Q3 2014.

iusedtoknow · 10-01-2014 7:05pm

Yeah…redwood city is a no go for commute day in day out in a car. I hate going down there (my company have an office there). If you're on a shuttle with wifi and able to work, it'd be fine - but just sat in the car would be no fun at all. I live at 14th Ave. 2 blocks from the muni an a bus-stop to downtown on my block and I still wouldn't want to get to Caltrain daily from there. Downtown is fine, but the muni ride from Embarcadero to 4th/King always feels so long, and worse when baseball is in season.

The commute to vallejo wouldn't be too bad - the ferry across the bay is pretty pleasant. I've done it a few times with workmates, and Friday is a lot of fun. It takes an hour or so, but a lot of people have a couple of beers and it's pretty social.

Glad you like SF as much this time. I travel quite a lot around the US for work, and always breath a sigh of relief on the descent into SFO.

10-01-2014 7:23pm

Yep, I get ya: SF and Boston are my towns. With SF sitting way pretty at number 1! I've lived/worked in Dallas/Houston/Chicago/Phoenix/Miami at various stages though, and none of them ever 'stuck' in the same way.

Back in grey rainy Dublin at the moment, and whilst I really do love it, and my family and friends here (and feel the need to give a special appreciation call out to the Dublin sense of humor) still found myself watching Bullitt and Tales of the City in my jet lagged nostalgia last night!!!

#NeverHappy

San Francisco commute advice please

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