DrStudentDentist

San Francisco is such a fun, free place to live. The atmosphere here is so easy going and besides being a major city, it’s nothing like living in New York. There’s some talk about living as close as possible but that’s really a matter of personal preference. I live a mile from school; I absolutely love the location of my building and pretty much everything about my place.

Here’s a picture of the view from my balcony:

The last minute hunt for housing was one thing I wanted to avoid. I didn’t want to wait for the Pacific housing lottery to drop the bomb on me that I would be homeless with a month to look for something. Now that I’m seeing a fellow future classmate go through the hunt, I’m glad I put in that little bit of effort early on to secure a place of residence. Finding housing in any big city is not a fun endeavor. Many people are renting because of the housing slump and so in addition to sky-high rent, everything goes fast. However, there’s not too much to finding housing in SF and here’s five housing tips I’ve learned along the way.

1) Start early!

There is nothing worse than the gut wrenching thought of not having a stable place to live. Starting early allows for some leeway in the event places get snapped up. Additionally, you can wait for a price that works better for your budget. But if you cut it close, well, beggars can’t be choosers.

2) Craigslist is your best friend.

Craigslist was started in San Francisco. It’s very popular here and this free site is a godsend for students looking for a central location where people post potential housing. You can also slap up a free ad in “housing wanted” in case there are renters looking for tenants or roommates. With that said, be honest with yourself and whomever you’re rooming with, if it’s not a match, it’s not a match. Personality clashes mid-year or during finals week when stress levels are high are no fun and can be avoided.

3) Google maps is your second best friend.

Map everything. Get to know the different neighborhoods; i.e. Tenderloin is not a great such a pretty place to live. Remember, there will be days you come home after dark. Safety is something to think about. Also, housing that’s too far can be a hassle if you have no mode of transportation to get you to school. If you’re thinking about a vehicle, see point #3.

3) A parking spot is a luxury.

If you have a car where parking lots are the norm and street parking is a never, make sure you brush up on parallelparking before you get here. That skill will get you far. That and a 5 lb bag of quarters. Meters can run you $0.25 for 10 minutes and up to $0.25 for 6 minutes. As of now, there is a waiting list for a monthly parking pass at the Japantown parking lot.

Otherwise, nix the car and walk, bike, scooter or bus your way through dental school. Those are all economical and aside from the scooter, healthier alternatives for commuting. Personally, I will be biking to class. There is a bike cage at the garage by the school for free bike parking.

4) $900/month is awesome, awesome, sweet deal. Period.

5) And no matter where you rent, know your rights as a renter.

Having been screwed out of security deposits and had locks changed on me before move-out day, I know how awful landlords can be. So if you are looking for housing, make sure you read up on what you are entitled to as as a tenant: San Francisco Tenants Union