UCSF Help!

You can look up the pay scales on,one. Depending on your debt load you can definitely afford $2500/month.

Hello!

I'd love to work at UCSF, but live on the East Coast. I will be visiting SF in a month or so and hope to interview and look for apartments out there.

I'm having a heck of a time figuring out where are the best places to live? Ideally, I'd love to live pretty close to UCSF if possible. I won't have a car.

I realize it's very expensive, but if anyone could give me any tips, I will be forever grateful!

Also - and I know I will get a lot of grief about this, but I really, really, really want a washer and dryer in my unit. However, I am seeing that the places that have this amenity are sooooooo pricey.

I'm not sure how much UCSF will be offering me, but I'm pretty sure I can't afford $2500/mo.

Sigh ..

Thanks in advance for any words of encouragement!

- Laura

I live about 10 minutes from UCSF. If you won't have a car then you could live nearby and take the bus. I would recommend the Richmond districts and Sunset too. These neighborhoods are safe residential areas with mostly middle class families. The same goes for the Haight area, which is also near but has a little more character. However, just to give you an idea of rent--I live in inner Richmond in a 2 br/1 ba condo and I pay $3500/month. All my neighbors with similar sized units pay about the same--at least $3000/month. This is not including any other bills. I have washer and dryer, but many of my neighbors do not. My elderly neighbor has been using the corner laundromat for decades. It's not so bad I don't think. You might want to look into roommates or living in Daly City which is less expensive but further away, and taking a bus from there would take hours. You would need a car for sure. The other option is to live in a less expensive part of SF, like Bayview district, but it may be less desirable, further from UCSF, and more unsafe. There are some high rise apartment buildings throughout the city, but my impression is that they are usually near schools and house the student populations. Whatever you do, don't live in the Tenderloin it's very bad. If you plan to bike be prepared for the traffic, and be in good shape. SF hills are no joke. Good luck.

I am in Potrero Hill now, but I used to live in the inner sunset which is a great neighborhood right next to UCSF. However, the rents in that area have skyrocketed. Even with the high pay at UCSF, you may have problems finding an apartment (even a studio) with a washer and dryer for cheap. Not only that, but the rental market is pretty cutthroat here. Even if you have great credit, references, and proof of lucrative employment it may be difficult to find a great apt because of all the applicants willing to pay even more than you. I would look out in the outer sunset if I were you. Although it's foggier and seems out of the way, there are several buslines that will take you there and it's less desirable, so you may have an easier time finding a unit with all the amenities you want. Other neighborhoods to consider are along/walking distance to the N-Judah train: Cole Valley, the upper and lower Haight, The Castro and the Western Addition/NOPA. I would caution you that these neighborhoods are trendier and therefore offer far less apartment for your money.

One more thing, this city has crazy hills, so biking may seem really intimidating, but it is also rather geographically small and has pretty excellent bike infrastructure so I find it easiest to get from point a to point b via bicycle. After a while you'll have giant powerful thighs like me and most hills won't seem as intimidating. It takes me an hour to get across town via bus, half an hour in the car (with another 15 min trying to find a parking space) and 20 minutes on a bike. UCSF also has a wonderful bike cage, where your bike will be nice and safe.

Sorry for rambling, but I love this town and I love bikes!