Ask HN: Some advice on accepting a job in SF
However, after reviewing the rent prices how are you guys doing it? I have a girlfriend and we plan to get married when we graduate, so I am just looking for an apartment for two people, and our cat, 550 - 800 square feet.
Yet, to rent an apartment in a half decent neighborhood or within driving/transit range of my employer is still $2,500 to $3,200 minimum. That's with a 20 - 45 minute commute, and for an apartment building built in the 40's - 70's.
What is this madness?
My offers in SF are for a base salary between $95k - $110k, so clearly I can survive (pretty comfortably), but it limits my savings and I have a school loan (which is $1000+ per month).
I also have other offers around the country ranging from $85k - $100k, but they are more corporate oriented and don't come with some of the nice perks or room for growth/improvement.
Is there some trick I don't know about when moving to SF?
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[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 34.7 ms ] threadIn SF I like the Inner or Outer Richmond since it's a quick express bus ride downtown via the 1 on California St and there are good restaurants around. I still occasionally see 2BRs with parking in Outer Richmond for $3400 on Craigslist which is a good deal in this market for SF. I also think Brisbane, CA is underrated depending on your commute and goals. There is a Caltrain stop pretty near. Email me if you have any questions about the area or whatever and I'll buy you a coffee when you get out here.
I can say that if you move here with your skill set you will very probably never want for work and can quickly earn more in a few years or sooner.
Thanks for pointing me in that direction!
On the west side of Alameda, where I rented a 2BR house for a little under $1500/month, has a ferry terminal and a cramped tunnel. Great if you have a car, want to take the ferry into SF every day, or don't mind the bus.
I worked in downtown Oakland and most of my coworkers lived in west Alameda.
The east side has a few well-maintained, very bike-friendly bridges, but they lead to the East Oakland.
Pick your job based on whether the work will be interesting. Perks are just monetary compensation where you get no say in how it is spent. Consider what it would cost to match the perks in terms of out-of-pocket spending, and whether or not you would actually spend the money if it was coming from your pocket.
When evaluating non-SF offers, do consider the value of a short commute, a traffic-free commute, and proximity (or lack thereof) to things you like to do.
http://sfcasualcarpool.com/
Good candidate locations: in Oakland near Rockridge (safe, nice area & easy commute) or Berkeley (college-town feel). That will usually give ~45m commute (one-way). You can get a place for $1400-$1600 there.
Think of SFO as your real-life Grad School. Plan to stay 2-3 years grinding it out, build your professional network, gain experience, see how the other half lives.
Then move back to the Heartland-- raise your family! You'll have tons more options for work/life balance.