nnn

Hm, wouldn't count on it being open yet then, though not sure. As another idea, have you looked at Lower Pacific Heights? Should be a bit cheaper than points north. May not be quite as nice, but it's fine and still not too far from Fisherman's Wharf.

squeakr

San Francisco is like anyplace else or anything else – the more you want to be in a popular, extra safe tourist area the more you will spend on your Airbnb. If you stay in the mission, the heat etc. you’ll pay much less for your own place but it will be expensive to get anywhere on Uber.

I think you will need to decide if you want to spend your money on Uber’s or on the Airbnb itself . I would say Cole Valley and the Haight offer some good deals, but the Uber issue will be about the same.

I would also look at VRBO as the people I know that have rental places use that more than they use Airbnb.

And be very careful with “lower pac heights”. Many of those places are actually in the tenderloin which I wouldn’t go if you paid me to stay there. If you post the listings here that you see I can certainly help you suss out where they might actually be.

gaobest

Definitely keep posting address or intersection so that we can offer tips or words.

aztimm

Thank you! I forget about VBRO, and there are some properties on there that aren't on Airbnb.

If I had to put a limit, I would say no more than $300/night all-in (so including any fees and taxes). I'm a little flexible on that, if there is something wonderful that I find, especially in an area where I'm looking.

Some properties do include parking, but I don't think I want to deal with a car and driving (and parking!) in San Francisco. Back when I was in the Army at the Presidio of Monterey in 1989-1990, I drove up to San Francisco many times. The traffic seemed bad then, along with driving on some major hills.
Normally when I travel I would rent a car and drive, but most places I visit don't have decent public transit, at least going to the areas I need to for swimming. So rather than pay $40-50/day for a rental car, I'm willing to use that for other transportation, if needed.

I did see an interesting property on VBRO, located just south of the SF Presidio, close to 15th Ave and California, but that seems a bit too far west. I could be swayed...it does appear that there's decent transit there. How are the neighborhoods on the Pacific side of the city?
I also took a quick look at staying over in Oakland, Berkeley, or Alameda. It is a bit less, but then I wouldn't be staying in San Francisco. I'd pretty much go to SF to swim (or other specific purpose), then go back and probably not go back until the next day. The Homewood Suites in Oakland looks somewhat appealing...but then I'd be 1-1/2 to 2 hours away, unless I rent a car, then I'd have to deal with driving, traffic, tolls, and parking.

Eastbay1K

The Homewood Suites is not in a lots of stuff out the door without a car area.

Staying out in the Avenues in SF can result in longer commute times to Downtown SF than from Oakland or Berkeley. The buses can take forever and a day and aren't the most COVID safe places. (BART is much better in that department).

aztimm

How do you feel about the Rockridge area of Oakland?

I took BART there on a prior trip and met a friend for pizza at Zachary's (which was on-par with some Chicago places I've eaten at). There are some places that appear pretty close to that BART station (the station was right across from Zachary's, and there's also a Trader Joe's there). Prices are quite reasonable.

DELee

Dunno why, but when I see Rockridge and BART in the same text, I immediately jump to wanting to quote lines from Blazing Saddles...

David

gaobest

around 11:30am today I walked past the Bart station at mission / 16. I walked on mission.
there were 2 police cars with police doing something at that intersection. I just avoided the crowd and kept walking South because I had to fetch my hummus order on mission / 25th.
today I was in the 1% - the 1% of people walking on mission between 16-25th streets and NOT wearing a mask. Even the homeless and sidewalk vendors are masked. It is a mass of decrepit humanity. You do not want to stay in this area. Here’s a pic of where I got donuts - Asian staff and a lot of Hispanic customers buying DOZENS of French breads - maybe for their panaderias lol lol. This is the donut price in this area. I respectfully doubt any tourist could handle it here. So gross. I hope the donut is good.

aztimm

Wow, glad to hear that masks are taken seriously! So much different than where I live.
Unfortunately, that particular property is no longer available.

It really takes a bit to scare me... I've stayed in questionable areas before. While I'd rather be in a safe area, sometimes things just happen. But thanks for checking! As it turns out, that rental is no longer available for my dates, which is probably for the best.

aztimm

Ok, I found something in the city of SF that I either missed or just recently came available. It looks promising...

How is the area just west of Alta Plaza Park? This is roughly near Divisadero and Clay (exactly address provided when I book)?

Public transit there seems a bit lacking... But it is about 10-15 minutes by car to Fisherman's Wharf, and about $12 Uber, which is reasonable. There are some buses that connect to BART, that would make it somewhat doable for getting to/from SFO (or $40 for Uber).
For restaurants and stuff, there appears to be some down on California or over on Fillmore...and of course I can go into the city proper, a healthy walk.

freeagent

Alta Park is a pretty nice area, it’s in pacific heights which is one the wealthiest areas in SF. Just know that it’s on a hill so walking to anything will require going up or down a hill every time.

Great restaurants a little further south on Divisadero as well as on Fillmore.

KathyWdrf

There is actually quite a bit of public transit in that area (Divisadero/Clay) -- for example, buses run north-south on Divisadero, Fillmore, and Van Ness. And there are east-west bus routes as well. The main problem is that during the pandemic, many routes were cut out completely, others were modified by being shortened and/or run less frequently, etc. Fortunately, routes have been/are being restored, though not yet back to normal.

aztimm

I'm noticing that!
There's even a bit of retail not too far away... Target, Trader Joe's, along with tons of other stuff is about a 15-20 minute walk.

gaobest

divisadero / clay is fabulous. Why waste time with target and Trader Joe’s. They’re everywhere in USA. Just walk along Flat Clay from divisadero to Fillmore (very low incline for hills between the best stretch of Jackson south to California) for any kind of dining. Casual groceries 2 blocks away at Broderick & Sacramento. More dining along California Street 2 blocks south. This is all a very nice area. Hills are low inclines up to Jackson Street.
If you care about celebrities, the director Chris Columbus and the writer Danielle Steele live on Jackson street side of Alta plaza.

aztimm

I haven't yet booked... found another place that seems almost too good to be true. It is located somewhere between Chestnut, Jones, Lombard, and Taylor. Would be a great location no matter how I slice it, Walkable to Aquatic Park/Fisherman's Wharf, as well as Chinatown, North Beach, etc. The price is fantastic:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5280414...sts=1&adults=1

It appears to be a brand new listing, no reviews yet. The pictures are a bit odd...tons of city pictures, and some in the apartment show an unmade bed, luggage, and just kind of messy. I didn't see any pictures of the kitchen; at that price it wouldn't be the end of the world if there isn't one, and I do see that the washer/dryer is in a shared laundry room that I probably won't use, which is fine. I'd hope the place would look nicer for an actual stay.

After doing some digging, with the help of the pictures, it appears to be Trinity/Crystal Tower (2140 Taylor):
North Beach Apartments in San Francisco | Crystal Tower (2140taylorapts.com)

This appears to be a 10th floor unit, with views to the north (Alcatraz), which if true sounds unbelievable, especially at that price. It is about $1150 all-in, which I was willing to pay in Oakland, yet alone right in the city.

Anyone familiar with that area enough to provide some feedback?