apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

When I was renting I wasn't nearly as particular, but when we started looking to buy a place here in Santa Cruz, our list included all the same things yours does (literally!), and added solid ground to the list. Living in a seismically active area, I wasn't about to sink half a million dollars into a house built on the sand, as much of our downtown is. It was crushed in the earthquake and there is still one empty lot on Pacific Avenue that is yet to be rebuilt 19 years later.

All that really limited our choices, but on the other hand made it really easy to focus on the two or three neighborhoods that would work for us! Good Luck!

I'm not sure what your budget is. "affordable" means different things depending on your income...Glen Park comes to mind-- as it would since I was born and raised there! I'm not sure if you would consider the East Bay. I moved to Oakland a year ago and love it. Rockridge would fulfill each and every one one of your criteria. There are a plethora of grocery stores and markets- including farmer's markets-- buses, BART, warm sunshiney sun, none of that crazy SF wind. ...

the neighborhood for you is western addition/NOPA... fits all of your criteria:

there's an Albertson's on Fulton @ Masonic.

panhandle is close by for evening strolls.

relatively affordable is relatively relative.

5 Fulton will take you all the way from ocean beach to downtown.

added bonuses are great restaurants, bars, people.

In SF, I think the weather is a big factor.

I'm in the Castro near Dolores Park...perfect location. Walkable to Safeway, BiRite, and the supermarket-formerly-known-as-Cala. And easy access to Muni underground.

And sunny.

I would have to agree with noarch. I lived there for a while and it is everything you want and more. I moved down to the mission cuz I'm young and needed some more action. but the above is a WONDERFUL place to live.

I live right at the corner of Market and Laguna... kinda lower lower haight. I can grab wonderful coffee at Blue Bottle in Hayes, go out at night to the Mission clubs and restaurants, and go out with my gays in the Castro. I'm a block away from the Safeway on Market and next to a super nice laundromat. I love this neighborhood!! It has a lot of charm. Sushi Zone is right around the corner and Rare device is across the street. I highly recommend. :)

I also like a neighborhood to have:
-Some foot traffic and public space
-One nice coffee shop within walking distance
-A cozy neighborhood bar

I moved out of SF last year but when I lived there I had an in-law apartment in Sunnyside. I really liked it there. There is a Safeway on Monterey Street and plenty of access to public transportation (there are several bus lines and two BART stations within about a 15-minute walk). There seem to be more single-family residences than apartments around there, but I think that changes a little as you get closer to Glen Park (to the east) and further from Westwood/St. Francis Wood (to the west).

Downsides: lots of traffic around City College, can be foggy and windy, a bit "cut off" from most of the city by Mt. Davidson.

I think I meant Monterey Boulevard, not Monterey Street.

I absolutely love living in the Excelsior/Outer Mission.
There are no hipsters! And no panhandlers! It's not expensive and we have a fabulous apartment.

That being said, I'd love to live in the Dolores Park area but I'd rather have enough space to live in.

Do you want a humming nightlife close by, or a quiet residential area? In SF that will help you narrow it down as well.

I liked Duboce Triangle - all the nightlife of the Castro (and Mission) nearby, (and the huge Safeway), but mostly quiet residental in nature. It's not on that map - it is just above the Castro. I wouldn't say the rent is cheap though.

I'd like to add a vote for Duboce Triangle/Lower Haight/Mission area. It's got the groceries, boutique shops, coffee, BART, Muni, restaurants, bars, parks, diversity, no mace needed, and of course, plenty of sunshine!

Good luck!

I lived in Oakland near Lake Merritt, off Grand and loved that, casual carpooling, lots of access to cafes, food, etc and good weather. I moved to the city 9 years ago to Cole Valley for me its perfect. I don't shop at Safeway types of stores I like more natural and organic foods so the smaller markets work for me. I had to live somewhere dog friendly and close to MUNI..therefore I have been living in the perfect hood for a while now. I know my neighbors and can walk three blocks to get a bite or a drink if I don't want to venture.
I also like that I can walk to GG park or catch the train to the beach. I also have Irving/9th street for other options in food and shopping. I wanted to be in a place with more natural surroundings as well.

I think another nice pocket is 14th and Market close to many things and MUNI.

Fairmount/West Bernal/Baja Noe/St Luke's. The 14, 49, 24 and 26 go through there, as does the J-Church. Grocerywise you have Safeway and the Good Life up on Cortland. The rents on the downslope are a little less heinous than the viewy bits of Bernal and Noe.

I wanted to be close to school/work. And was able to find a place that would allow me to walk, bus, or drive to State.

And I did NOT want to be in any sort of non-nature area. Which is why I ended up where I did.

I HAVE to have trees and grasses around me. I need to see flowers and the sky. I can't be wedged into a place that is surrounded by buildings with no yards, no trees, no birds chirping, no wildlife.

My idea of wildlife is four-legged, rather than late night clubs.

I think it's interesting that Lily didn't mention where she works, so it's difficult for me to make recommendation on a neighborhood that's close to work. I lived on Uranus (no joke), a block from the geographic center of the city, and loved it--views, safe, close in, and more. That said, it wasn't convenient to grocery stores other than some excellent corner markets. My criterion for grocery schlepping: I want to pick up a half gallon of milk or bottle of wine and cheese without delay. I agree that Cole Valley is absolutely lovely, and Duboce Triangle is wonderful. I had friends in "outer" areas of the city but found my home in that center.

No better place than Cole Valley.

The west-side is cold..colder than you think it will be!
It's nice to live near GG Park, tho..

Inner Sunset area (9th & Irving), for sure. It fits all your needs.

I second chicago_chic - the Inner Sunset rocks! There are lots of good produce markets, an Andronico's nearby, a 20 minute commute to the Financial District, City CarShare pods everywhere, and a nice vibe without being a scene. The weather can suck - especially in the summer - but a walk to Cole Valley or the Haight can remedy that.

Alamo Square is the little hidden secret in SF. Great park especially for those with some little four legged roommates and especially if you love the Painted Ladies.

Safe neighborhood close to Lower Haight and Hayes valley all easily in walking distance. I prefer Divis. for nightlife with some good bars and the best greasy spoon in the city Eddie's Cafe.

Lucky is not a far walk and and for uber convenience there are a ton of fresh produce markets and butchers within walking distance.

Best of all rent is great relative to everywhere else in the city and all Metro lines are a short walk away.

Mission Dolores or Inner Sunset. Maybe Alamo Square...

I move (alot) for work and have lived in five apartments in six years. I agree with all your criteria but know I've found "the place" when I can walk to get a beer when I feel like it or a bottle of milk when I've run out and need it for my morning cereal. Noe Valley is my favorite and I miss living there!

Innermost Richmond, right where it bumps up against Laurel Heights/Jordan Park. Say between Arguello and 8th ave, and California and Geary.

You are walking distance from a great cheap grocery store (New May Wah) and a fancy one (Cal-Mart), a huge variety of buses (1,2,4,33,34,44,38...), very safe, wonderfully neighborhoody, and actually affordable.

Lower Haight/Duboce Park is absolutely my vote. I have moved three times and always stay in the neighborhood. It has the N Judah line, plus the J line that take you downtown (only 2 stops to Civic Center!), the 22 bus takes you either into in the mission or North for shopping on fillmore, Golden Produce/Golden Natural foods is AMAZING and has all the groceries you need, it has delicious restaurants, great bars, and the rent is not bad... that is- if you can find a place that is up for rent :) It's my jam because it's totally central in the city, and i'm not overwhelmed by hipsters or prepsters. Give it a try and be my neighbor!

My husband is a seismologist in Berkeley and according to him looking at the recent seismic activity we should expect a big one really soon, like in a half a year... I'd move OUT of SF altogether to East Bay - to Lafayette, Orinda, WC, and such. We live in Lafayette and this area stands on a hard rock, so even after a huge one we'll be just shaken and not lying in ruins like Hayward,Fremont, Oakland, Berkeley, SJ and yes, SF (Hayward fault quake is gonna get ugly, really ugly)

I lived on Cole/Stanyan (without a car) for a time Very pleasant neighborhood Good transport Grocery Store on Haight Lots of great shops & cafes/restaurants on 8th Avenue and surrounding streets Right by GG Park Very central

Then lower rent brought me to Excelsior/Glen Park, which is obviously not so glamorous but has its charms Then on to Portola which ended up being my favorite neighborhood (This is when I settled into SF properly and enjoyed myself the most) I had the best neighbors many of whom were born & bred in situ Best views Grittier cafe/bar scene but also far more interesting (The absence of Starbucks is a blessing to me - not a hindrance) Great weekend markets on Alemany

For me, being a grad student, I have a few peculiar things I added to my list after my undergrad experience. These are: healthy and inexpensive food pick-up options either near the apartment or between work/school and the apartment. That way when I'm very busy or up late studying I won't resort to ordering pizza. I'm moving in August and there is a great falafel place right next door. The second is that I have to be very near a park or green square. My first apartment was next to one and whenever the weather was nice I could go read outside and run into my apartment if I needed anything. That meant that I could enjoy the outdoors on a whim, even when I was super-busy. That was in Chicago, and since the whole lakefront is a park, its easier to be near one there than in many cities, but that will always be on my list. Bonus points if it has a dog run.

I'm with Tailypo on Inner Richmond. Very nice neighborhood to live in. 9th & Irving in the Sunset is nice too, but a bit more crowded.

Kind of funny hearing Alamo Square described as a "secret," considering it includes "Postcard Row."

I loved living in the Inner Richmond (4th and Clement). Lots of Chinese grocers, run downstairs for some dimsum, hit the Irish bars for pints, and grocery stores and Hamburger Hamlet and parks all nearby. Now, that was years ago, so I don't know if Hamburger Hamlet is still there....

Mission is my favorite! I live right on mission street and absolutely loooove it. We don't own a car and the limo (aka bus) stops right in front of our building. BART is only a couple of blocks away, City Share has a pod around the corner,it is sunny, restaurants galore, etc.....

I’m not going to pretend that this post is unbiased when I say that my neighborhood is the best in San Francisco, especially considering everyone in San Francisco could easily argue that their neighborhood was the best because San Francisco is awesome, but I’m pretty confident that it ranks among the top 3. With that said…I highly recommend Mission Dolores. It’s not “technically” a neighborhood; it’s more of a boarder. It’s the space between the Castro, Noe Valley and the Mission around Dolores Park. The cost of living gets higher the closer to the Castro or to Noe Valley you go, but if you stick to the Mission you can get some ‘affordable’ (I use the term loosely since this is SF after all) apartments. Nearby there is a Safeway, but if you want to go for quality food and local business you can hit up Birite or Golden Produce. The area is safe, fun, and friendly, and you don’t have to worry about walking around at night (or at least no more then in any other city). The J-Church picks up at the park and will take you to all of the MUNI train lines. There’s also some great bus routs that are easy to get to. The foods awesome, there are great events (like movie night in the park) and it’s not pretentious like Pacific Heights or the Marina (sorry for those of you that live in those neighborhoods, but you also probably know what I mean). The Haight, Potrero Hill, Cole Valley, Castro, Duboce Triangle, Bernal Heights and Russian Hill are also great. You can't really go wrong.

A big factor for me was not being in a fog area, being on bus lines, no a lot of night noise and being in non trendy area. Potrero Hill fit the bill for me and now that the whole food moved instead of walking four blocks to the market, I walk only two blocks.

I'm going to second Potrero Hill. We lived there four years and loved every minute of it. No fog, warm in the summer, great view, ample parking (at least when we lived there). I wish the Whole Foods was there when we were - that would have been the icing on the cake!

Hmm... I live in Japantown and need to move soon (rent is going up), and I've already found my ideal neighborhoods: Duboce Triangle north of Castro area, Lower Haight, Cole Valley, anywhere near Dolores Park.

My question is, how do I find a 2 BR apartment with washer/dryer on-site and dishwasher for $2000/mo? Is this even possible?

I agree with karnooshka99, I was in the same area (on haight/octavia) when I was working in SF and it was just about the nicest place to be. So close to everything, felt pretty safe and friendly.