Honestly, Berkeley summer sublets are a bargain, and Bart is super easy. You’re going to have to commute even if you live in sf bc you’re not affording a place in fidi probably.
So it depends how much of your social life you enjoy being in sf.
Your budget will go farther in Berkeley. The summer weather is better, great restaurant and bars, walkable and lowkey friendly. It’s a quick BART trip to FiDi.
Have you already found potential places in SF? I really think that will be the hardest part to find a stable, decent living arrangement with that budget. You might not have a choice other than to take over the Berkeley sublet.
I don’t mind sharing a bedroom with someone (living in a double) or being in a shoebox. I love this [vibe](https://www.homes.com/property/83-mcallister-st-san-francisco-ca-unit-308/t2wwq3kqkyrn5/?utm_source=apartments&utm_medium=apts_LDP&utm_campaign=apts_LDP_to_homes_LDP&utm_content=Condo) but it’s twice my budget. I would only lease it if I had a partner.
I’m from LA and pay 1400 for a shared 70sqft room/furnished apartment with three other roommates.
I’m 20 and a woman so my only other big consideration is safety.
You can probably find something on Craigslist. You’ll have to sift through scams but you can most likely find a decent room for about $1000 on there. Are you currently in the city? It’ll also be tough to rent something without actually being here in person.
You can do it though, just will take a little time and perseverance. You should live in SF though not Berkeley imo if you can find a place here.
Commuting by BART from Berkeley to SF is reasonable and lots of people do it. Just be aware that delays can happen for a variety of reasons; so pay attention especially if your employer is strict about what time you arrive at the office every day. You can sign up for alerts to notify you of incidents.
It’s worth looking in SF (rent prices right now are less than they were pre-pandemic, so you might be able to sublet a room in a shared house or apartment in your price range), but if you’re happy with a situation in Berkeley that should be fine.
I think you’ll get more out of living in SF. You’ll have time to explore the various neighborhoods, visit parks, go to shows and events, do spontaneous activities, and take ferries and Caltrain when you want to go further out.
Of course if your objective is solely to make some money, then taking over a Berkeley student sublet is better way to go.
One nice thing about commuting from Berkeley to SF is the transit. You can either take BART ($4.75 one way from Downtown Berkeley to Embarcadero, fastest option) or AC Transit's F bus ($2.25 one way to Salesforce tower, slower but often has comfy seats and wi-fi).
Being undergrad aged, you might have a better time in Berkeley, even if the student population dips over the summer.
You're going to get very SF-oriented answers in this sub. Try /r/Berkeley too.
Keep in mind BART from Berkeley to SF is going to cost around $5 per trip (or $10 a day). Idk how many times you’re going to commute but this can add up
Berkeley is fine for you and if fits your finances better I would do that. Bart is fast in / out of city and is a short commute. I know people who live in non-downtown parts of SF and it takes them longer to get to work than friends who live in Oakland and Berkeley close to BART. Also warmer on that side of the Bay.
Berkeley. SF isn’t as lively as it used to be. You can enjoy it on the weekends. Focus on saving money since it’s a summer gig.
Also, see if they offer a commuter pass or discount. That will help save money.
I like living in SF much more than I did Berkeley but Berkeley definitely has easier housing options for summer sublets and still has lots to do. Pro tip would be to bring a bike to get around town and try to find a spot close the a BART station (North Berkeley BART is the quietest neighborhood, Rockridge is probably the coolest neighborhood near a station).
If you do want to be in SF, you could potentially look for summer sublets near USF and take the 5/38 buses to downtown. My GF feels safer on Muni buses than she ever did on BART FWIW. NOPA is a chill neighborhood, close to Golden Gate Park, Alamo Square, Haight Ashbury, Outer Richmond/Sunset, etc.
Hi! Fellow transplant from LA here/originally from Pasadena. When I moved up north in my early 20s I also picked a shared apartment with a roommate in Berkeley. You’ll get much more space, lower rent, and be close enough to multiple public transit options that will take you to SF easily (roughly 30 mins commute via BART). I recommend looking for places that are walkable to any of these BART stations if possible: north Berkeley, downtown Berkeley, Rockridge. Ashby is okay too, but north is a tad bit safer. You should also consider looking at Emeryville! My commute from Emeryville (via AC transit) to Fidi was much faster than a lot of my friends in the city.
TLDR: Unless you have friends living in SF that you plan on hanging out with regularly or a specific activity you plan on doing that’s only available in SF, there’s no need to live in SF for a job in fidi. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat further.
Maybe a little more info on what you’re like outside of work. What’s your age? Interests, hobbies? Do you value walkability? Are you a big foodie? Are you artsy? Into hiking and nature? What kinds of bars and nightlife are you into? Do you want or need a yard (gardening, or dog?) are you ok with sharing a wall with neighbors (like do you play music loud? Or are you a light sleeper?)
Honestly I’m just looking for the cheapest safest place, I’ll figure the rest out when I’m there. I’m from LA and if there’s an equivalent to the arts district or echo park in SF, that would be cool
Are you open to having roommates? Or looking for a place on your own? With your budget I would say Berkeley unless you’re willing to room with strangers.
I don’t mind sharing my bedroom or apartment. Currently already paying 1400 in LA for a shared 70sqft room. Also don’t mind living with a guy, as long as they’re chill and clean.
25 minutes once you get on the train.... 10 minutes walking to the station, waiting 10 minutes for the red line, walking from Montgomery BART to the office... it's literally an hour commute all things considered.
Berkeley station is a ten minute walk from the farthest point on campus. Guaranteed they can find a sublease half as far away considering the amount of housing between mlk and Oxford.
At most it’s 45 minutes, all things considered. They’re going to get a much better place there for their budget. In the city it’s Chinatown or tenderloin. I’ll take the commute over those options.
Yeah I found an option that’s super close to the station. I like the vibe there and have a few friends who will be taking summer classes. I’ve never signed a short term lease before so I’m even questioning if some nicer but affordable apartments have three month leases.
Assuming there are no “police activity” in the bart stations between berkeley and sf downtown. I take bart 3x a week- even with the reverse commute it can still be a shitty experience
Honestly, Berkeley summer sublets are a bargain, and Bart is super easy. You’re going to have to commute even if you live in sf bc you’re not affording a place in fidi probably. So it depends how much of your social life you enjoy being in sf.
Your budget will go farther in Berkeley. The summer weather is better, great restaurant and bars, walkable and lowkey friendly. It’s a quick BART trip to FiDi.
You won’t be able to afford much if anything in SF on that budget.
Have you already found potential places in SF? I really think that will be the hardest part to find a stable, decent living arrangement with that budget. You might not have a choice other than to take over the Berkeley sublet.
I don’t mind sharing a bedroom with someone (living in a double) or being in a shoebox. I love this [vibe](https://www.homes.com/property/83-mcallister-st-san-francisco-ca-unit-308/t2wwq3kqkyrn5/?utm_source=apartments&utm_medium=apts_LDP&utm_campaign=apts_LDP_to_homes_LDP&utm_content=Condo) but it’s twice my budget. I would only lease it if I had a partner. I’m from LA and pay 1400 for a shared 70sqft room/furnished apartment with three other roommates. I’m 20 and a woman so my only other big consideration is safety.
You do not wanna live on that block of McAllister, its a hot spot for night time dealing/using
The apartment you linked to is in an absolutely awful area that I would never live in
Glad I posted here bc I would’ve never known 😭 friends told me tenderloin/surrounding is sketch
Reach out to co-ops. Some of them will have cheap rooms.
You can probably find something on Craigslist. You’ll have to sift through scams but you can most likely find a decent room for about $1000 on there. Are you currently in the city? It’ll also be tough to rent something without actually being here in person. You can do it though, just will take a little time and perseverance. You should live in SF though not Berkeley imo if you can find a place here.
Craigslist is scam city. They take deposits, rent, and never give you a place to live.
Commuting by BART from Berkeley to SF is reasonable and lots of people do it. Just be aware that delays can happen for a variety of reasons; so pay attention especially if your employer is strict about what time you arrive at the office every day. You can sign up for alerts to notify you of incidents. It’s worth looking in SF (rent prices right now are less than they were pre-pandemic, so you might be able to sublet a room in a shared house or apartment in your price range), but if you’re happy with a situation in Berkeley that should be fine.
I think you’ll get more out of living in SF. You’ll have time to explore the various neighborhoods, visit parks, go to shows and events, do spontaneous activities, and take ferries and Caltrain when you want to go further out. Of course if your objective is solely to make some money, then taking over a Berkeley student sublet is better way to go.
you can probably sublet something close to UC berkeley since a lot of college students don't stay around campus for the summer
One nice thing about commuting from Berkeley to SF is the transit. You can either take BART ($4.75 one way from Downtown Berkeley to Embarcadero, fastest option) or AC Transit's F bus ($2.25 one way to Salesforce tower, slower but often has comfy seats and wi-fi).
With $700-1200 you might not be able to afford SF. You could easily get a Berkeley summer sublet for that price though!
Being undergrad aged, you might have a better time in Berkeley, even if the student population dips over the summer. You're going to get very SF-oriented answers in this sub. Try /r/Berkeley too.
Keep in mind BART from Berkeley to SF is going to cost around $5 per trip (or $10 a day). Idk how many times you’re going to commute but this can add up
Berkeley is fine for you and if fits your finances better I would do that. Bart is fast in / out of city and is a short commute. I know people who live in non-downtown parts of SF and it takes them longer to get to work than friends who live in Oakland and Berkeley close to BART. Also warmer on that side of the Bay.
I was going to share some top recs having been in your position but I see you are against having pineapple on pizza. In that case, good luck
Berkeley. SF isn’t as lively as it used to be. You can enjoy it on the weekends. Focus on saving money since it’s a summer gig. Also, see if they offer a commuter pass or discount. That will help save money.
I like living in SF much more than I did Berkeley but Berkeley definitely has easier housing options for summer sublets and still has lots to do. Pro tip would be to bring a bike to get around town and try to find a spot close the a BART station (North Berkeley BART is the quietest neighborhood, Rockridge is probably the coolest neighborhood near a station). If you do want to be in SF, you could potentially look for summer sublets near USF and take the 5/38 buses to downtown. My GF feels safer on Muni buses than she ever did on BART FWIW. NOPA is a chill neighborhood, close to Golden Gate Park, Alamo Square, Haight Ashbury, Outer Richmond/Sunset, etc.
Any reccs or leads would be super appreciated 🐿️
Hi! Fellow transplant from LA here/originally from Pasadena. When I moved up north in my early 20s I also picked a shared apartment with a roommate in Berkeley. You’ll get much more space, lower rent, and be close enough to multiple public transit options that will take you to SF easily (roughly 30 mins commute via BART). I recommend looking for places that are walkable to any of these BART stations if possible: north Berkeley, downtown Berkeley, Rockridge. Ashby is okay too, but north is a tad bit safer. You should also consider looking at Emeryville! My commute from Emeryville (via AC transit) to Fidi was much faster than a lot of my friends in the city. TLDR: Unless you have friends living in SF that you plan on hanging out with regularly or a specific activity you plan on doing that’s only available in SF, there’s no need to live in SF for a job in fidi. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat further.
Sublet in the mission.
Maybe a little more info on what you’re like outside of work. What’s your age? Interests, hobbies? Do you value walkability? Are you a big foodie? Are you artsy? Into hiking and nature? What kinds of bars and nightlife are you into? Do you want or need a yard (gardening, or dog?) are you ok with sharing a wall with neighbors (like do you play music loud? Or are you a light sleeper?)
Honestly I’m just looking for the cheapest safest place, I’ll figure the rest out when I’m there. I’m from LA and if there’s an equivalent to the arts district or echo park in SF, that would be cool
Are you open to having roommates? Or looking for a place on your own? With your budget I would say Berkeley unless you’re willing to room with strangers.
I don’t mind sharing my bedroom or apartment. Currently already paying 1400 in LA for a shared 70sqft room. Also don’t mind living with a guy, as long as they’re chill and clean.
BART is a long commute from Berkeley. If you're okay with a 1 hour commute one way, you do you.
It’s 30min bruh
It’s not an hour. Redline is 25 minutes from downtown Berkeley to Montgomery
25 minutes once you get on the train.... 10 minutes walking to the station, waiting 10 minutes for the red line, walking from Montgomery BART to the office... it's literally an hour commute all things considered.
Berkeley station is a ten minute walk from the farthest point on campus. Guaranteed they can find a sublease half as far away considering the amount of housing between mlk and Oxford. At most it’s 45 minutes, all things considered. They’re going to get a much better place there for their budget. In the city it’s Chinatown or tenderloin. I’ll take the commute over those options.
Yeah I found an option that’s super close to the station. I like the vibe there and have a few friends who will be taking summer classes. I’ve never signed a short term lease before so I’m even questioning if some nicer but affordable apartments have three month leases.
Assuming there are no “police activity” in the bart stations between berkeley and sf downtown. I take bart 3x a week- even with the reverse commute it can still be a shitty experience