You can’t afford San Francisco – what to do

You probably already know this, but you’re not going to be able to afford a San Francisco apartment. The boom is back – demand for entry to mid-level apartments has skyrocketed, prices are reaching for new records, and competitive over-bidding for leases is again common. Yes, it’s pretty scary out there. It’s so bad that developers are even building new buildings, lots of them, which is something we haven’t seen in these parts for quite some time.

Our advice is a little unorthodox, but we think it will save you a lot of time, stress, and heartache. You don’t have to live in the city to be happy, we’ve discovered. You can work there, commute in using public transportation, but live happily in a nearby community with great quality of life, cheaper rent and many more options for your new apartment.

Here are our top choices for the more affordable alternatives to the San Francisco housing headache:

Berkeley – If you love San Francisco, you probably love Berkeley too. It’s a smaller, more accessible version of the city that caters to broadening your horizons – culturally and intellectually. Stay out of the student neighborhoods and look for housing closer to the Oakland border. Albany and El Cerrito aren’t bad options, either, and all have convenient BART access.

Daly City/South San Francisco – You’ll find housing of all kinds in this proximate San Francisco communities, with Daly City having more older homes and apartments and South San Francisco featuring quite a bit of new construction. If easy access to the Peninsula is a factor in your housing choice, these two cities are your best bets.

San Rafael – Skip over Mill Valley and Sausalito, they’re too expensive and don’t have many apartments to offer, anyway. In San Rafael things begin to become a bit more affordable, but you’re still in a super cool small town with a fun funky downtown, great nearby outdoor recreation and good entertainment and restaurants.

Hayward – If you’re willing to travel a bit further afield, Hayward is an economical choice for East Bay housing. Reasonable apartment vacancy rates will make your rental search here much more palatable. A longer commute is part of the package if you need to get to the city daily.