Let’s talk about apartment rentals in San Francisco. I’ve lived in various neighborhoods in San Francisco when I was in my early 20s, from Sunset, Hayes Valley, Japantown, Glen Park, to Mission Bay.
Up until I was 26, I was sharing a room to save costs in this expensive city. I remember in college, I was paying $900 USD for half of a room in the Sunset–good times.
But last year, I came back from Asia and decided to live somewhere nicer. At this point, I’m like 29 turning 30, and I just didn’t want to be living umcomfy anymore. Sharing a room was no longer ideal and I just wanted my own space nowadays. I had savings from my early 20s and was working so decided to make the move to a nicer apartment. Looking back, it was pretty insane to be paying that much for a room, but we also live in one of the most expensive cities in the world so at this point, can’t complain.
I found this 2bedroom/2bathroom apartment in Mission Bay through Facebook groups when I was looking to find my own space. Knowing myself, I wanted to live in a peaceful neighborhood without loud noises, parties, bars, and too much activity going on. I lived on Polk Street in my early 20s with a street full of bars and restaurants; it was nice for that time, but now I just wanted to live somewhere quieter and peaceful.
Of course I did the meet and greet, walk through, and got along with her really well. I found it on a facebook group which was called San Francisco Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets. She turned out to be a sweet Korean woman who was fully remote as a data analyst; she was a really nice person, so we got along well.
Regarding Facebook groups: there are a lot of scams on FB groups so 1) make sure you’re always meeting the person in real life 2) do not give deposits in advance without seeing the place or having a contract in place 3) get a gut check from other people if you don’t know about the location and space; always check out the space at night too.
I’m going to share what goes into a $2150 room in a luxury apartment at Avalon Mission Bay, the pros and cons, and just general sentiments about the neighborhood. You can also watch the video below if you want audio:
Pros of living there
- Sells as a luxury apartment with great amenities (basketball court, common spaces for hosting events, two nice gyms, bbq grills and patio outside)
- Great for running along the embarcadero along the water to farmers market
- The gym really sold it for me because it was large and spacious
- Used the common spaces for events and parties; on the top floor of the building phase 1, there was a gorgeous space that people could use
- Close to grocery stores like Gus’s and Safeway
- Chase banking was nearby; I am a client there so it was convenient for me
- Friendly front desk staff that I became friends with
Cons of living there
- Close to Caltrain so you can hear the caltrain bells dinging even close to midnight
- Many interesting figures that would yell and walk around at night, often screaming and yelling. At most times, they were probably high and unpredictable so I was really never out past 8 pm by myself walking around
- There started to be break-ins, packages missing, weird writings and notes plastered on the elevators
- We know this because we have a facebook group for the residents and there were constant complaints about these issues and lack of support from the company
- Lots of things broke in the apartment, including the bathroom handle twice, the shower head didn’t have water when I moved in, there’s constant maintenance in the building, and i felt like i could live somewhere else with more space but just not as “luxurious”
Why I chose living in Mission Bay neighborhood
- Great walking score (gus’s, spark social, SF Giants stadium, close to water, Chase Stadium)
- Access to caltrain right across the street
- Flat, clean, and easy to navigate; felt more safe in this neighborhood
- People say it’s super boring and not lively, but honestly I didn’t care. I prioritized safety
- Lots of free shuttles around UCSF, the city, and more
Why I eventually moved out
My one year lease was up and I was deciding to extend or move in with my boyfriend. Since we were both at each other’s place all the time, we decided to just move in together since we were both ready and could save a lot on rent. I made the decision to leave Mission Bay Avalon. In hindsight, it was good for the season of my life, for who I was, and what I needed during that time. It gave me the breathing space to work remotely, find peace in normalcy, and transition easily back into my continuing life in San Francisco after Asia.
