Life and jobs in San Francisco

suzanne4, RN · Jun 19, 2008

So the article in the Chronicle about SF General offering new grads almost 100K was an exaggeration? I figured something had to be behind that high pay but I can't figure out what.

It is not an exaggeration, you just need to do the math. Average starting pay is about $45 an hour for new grads, and that does not include shift differential, or anything else like that.

Cost of living is extremely high and taxes are high as well, so the bottom line take home is not going be all that high when you compare it to other areas. Rents are higher than most other areas as well. If you have a car and live in the city, you can expect to pay about $300 to $400 for parking and also for parking at work.

And then there is the added in fact that the number of new grad positions is much lower than the number of new grads that are produced in the area, so many have to look to other venues for work to get started. New grad orientations are only offered two to three times per year, not all year long.

suzanne4, RN · Jun 19, 2008

SF is like having everything you need and want at your fingertips. Finding a job isn't so difficult since there are many vacancies and probably you'd even find one in your specific area of interest. Some people say the city is expensive, but as RNs, we get by. And it's fun since you meet people from all over. Plus, you don't need a treadmill for incline when jogging, the hills will take care of that. Good luck and hopefully San Francisco works out for ya!

Sorry, but if looking for a job as a new grad, that is going to be difficult and especially at this time of year. All of the new grad programs for the summer are already full and have been for sometime.

If one has two years of experience, then that is another story altogether.

dreamon · Jun 20, 2008

Thanks Suzanne. I am not from California, (NYC actually). So I wouldn't move out there unless I had some experience anyway. I am used to high rent, expensive parking- so I should adjust pretty well.

I don't know if SF is like NYC in regards to people wanting to move into 'brand name neighborhoods' but I don't mind living somewhere that isn't in order to save some money.

JustMe · Jun 20, 2008

Don't get me wrong--I LOVE the City. But I also love my Sierras. That's why I live in the great Central Valley. I'm only a 2hr drive each way to SF or the Sierras. Several places to try: Sacramento area or Stockton-Modesto.

dreamon · Jun 21, 2008

Is Sacramento cold? I can't imagine moving to the west coast to have chilly weather.

JustMe · Jun 21, 2008

The Valley gets down to about 30 degrees in winter--but no snow. Some fog (we call it tullie fog coz it's low to the ground). Summers can get over 100 (like we are now--see weather.com). We see seasonal changes tho the spring and fall changes tend to be short. I love it here--we don't have near the smog or traffic of the big cities. Lots of room to spread out as we have lots of agriculture around here. The Valley is the nation's breadbasket helping to make California the 7th largest economy in the world. Oh, and we have Arnold as our governor!

Kensington · Jun 23, 2008

I live in the city, and I just love it. If you want an urban environment, and be able to walk and public transport to many things, it's GREAT. Yes, parking can be a pain, but you don't have to pay $400/month for a spot. I pay $150/month, and my friend who lives in SOMA pays $200. You can always find a fairly-priced place, but it will require a bit of looking. There are "trendy" neighborhoods, but even still, there are so many of them that I don't think any one stands out. Decide if being close to public transportation is close to you (BART or Muni Rail, although Muni buses are close to everyone pretty much), and then go from there.

Good luck!

crazyframes · Jun 23, 2008

Is Sacramento cold? I can't imagine moving to the west coast to have chilly weather.

Moving to SF is going to get you some chilly weather for sure; especially if you're willing to live in the "non-brand name" neighborhoods. Mostly they're non-brand name because they are the foggy areas :)

I love in the mid-Richmond area and summer is our coldest time of year. Foggy in the a.m. and again in the p.m. - sometimes it burns off in the middle!

Don't get fooled in thinking that West Coast = perpetual sunshine!

ThatPoshGirl · Jun 24, 2008

If you don't want to be cold you need to move to Southern California. I lived there for a year and I don't think it ever got below 75 and most of the time it was 80+ and only got above 90 for about four days.

I grew up around Sacramento. It does get cold and it rains a lot in the winter. When I lived there it was frequently over 100 degrees in the summer.

I've never lived in SF, but I think it is reasonably cool most of the year.

For those in the SF area, I wonder how accessable and reliable the public transportation system is? I really want to move somewhere with reliable public transportation, but I don't want to go to the east coast.

dreamon · Jun 24, 2008

Do the buses run after hours or do they stop at midnight? I prefer working night shift but if I won't have any way to get around I guess a car will be necessary.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

Actually, the public transportation isn't all that here in the city. I used to be an avid rider of the muni and bart. BART is very pricey and it stops at midnight. Muni is cheap and good, but sometimes you'll have to walk a distance to get somewhere, it isn't like the NYC subway system at all. At night, the buses take FOREVER, it is easier to walk or take a cab.

If you're going to work the overnight shift, I would certainly recommend driving a car and investing in a garage. I've done that. And as far as finding yourself a garage out here for around $150-$200, you have to really search and even if it means walking 5 blocks to your place, you might have to do it. I did that for one year.

Right now, I pay $300 and my garage is one block away and it's patrolled this time.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

Moving to SF is going to get you some chilly weather for sure; especially if you're willing to live in the "non-brand name" neighborhoods. Mostly they're non-brand name because they are the foggy areas :)
I love in the mid-Richmond area and summer is our coldest time of year. Foggy in the a.m. and again in the p.m. - sometimes it burns off in the middle!
Don't get fooled in thinking that West Coast = perpetual sunshine!

That's hilarious. The "non-brand" neighborhoods? I've lived in SF for a total of 9 years and I've never heard that:) I live in Hayes Valley, so I guess I live in a brand name hood. It still gets foggy, windy and cold. Summer is the coldest time of year in ALL of San Francisco. People always under estimate our weather all the time. This is why we always see tourists downtown with their shorts, sandals and those cheap sweatshirts they sell at the corner stores on when the fog kicks in around 3pm. Not to laugh at them:)

And we've been quite lucky the past week with the warmer and very not like SF weather.