Originally Posted by
Wingman32
So...I'm actually in San Francisco right now, and I've been checking out neighborhoods etc all weekend. So far my two favourites are: 1) Noe Valley--yes I know...baby carriages, loving families, and all that, but its close to downtown and far enough south to make it less painful to work. 2) Haight Ashbury...really fun and cool area, close to the park, and a pretty good connection to the rest of the city.
Definitely nots:
Anything Richmond or Sunset--too far.
Marina--too yuppie, I'm leaving the Northeast...don't want to find it in SF again.
SOMA is trying too hard to be New York...and San Francisco is not New York. Definitely not worse, but different.
Possibles:
Mission/Cole Valley/North Beach?
Thoughts? Comments? Corrections? Anything I've missed?
-W
All three of your "possibilities" are great choices. However, the Mission is going to be by far the most convenient for commuting South. I wouldn't even consider North Beach as it requires a long trek through SF city streets to get to the freeway. Cole Valley is also pretty far from a freeway entrance. The Mission is close to both 101 and 280. It also has the city's best restaurants (IMHO) and some good nightlife. That would be my choice, but you should also keep in mind that the neighborhood varies extensively on a block by block basis, with some blocks having some significant crime problems. If it were me, I would want to live in the blocks between Guerrero, 17th, 22nd and Dolores, with the area around Dolores and Liberty being the most preferable.