It’s starting to look very likely that I’ll be taking a job in San Francisco in the very near future. With that in mind, I’m hoping some of the S.F. tri people can give me some advice on where I should focus my apartment search.
Where are the best locations to live if I want access to good biking? Obviously biking in the city, proper, is going to be stop-and-go, lots of traffic kind of business. What about hour-long rides and 3-5 hour rides? Where should I live if I want good access to training roads? What about road biking – where’s the best place to start if I’m looking for people to train with?
1.a. If I commute to work on a bike, what should I be aware of? (Aside from the fact that most car drivers are homicidal maniacs.) I’m the kind of person who follows traffic laws, in general, so hopefully that meshes well in S.F.
What’s the best situation for swim training? YMCAs? Local gyms? Ocean? Are there any masters swim groups that welcome freestyle-only tri people?
Are there any bad parts of town that I should avoid altogether? I’m not against living in older apartments (as long as I have hot water and a heater for the winter!), but I’d definitely like to avoid any problem parts of town.
What local tri clubs should I look into joining? What’s the difference between the S.F. Tri Club and the Golden Gate Tri Club?
I’d like to work in a place that has walking access to the usual (grocery, laundry, etc.) but also, hopefully, in a place that makes the tri life a bit more convenient. I have no problem living in S.F., proper, either. I’m not the kind of person who wants to say they live in S.F. but actually hides out in some suburb near a BART station.
The city has good access to riding. Ride out over the GGB and you’re in Marin. Jump on BART and it’s a quick trip to the East Bay. Cal Train gets you to the Peninsula. All have excellent riding.
1a. Watch out for Muni tracks. Hell, just watch out for Muni altogether. Depending on where you live and work, you may want to learn the wiggle. Get an SFBC bike map, it will get you anywhere in the city via the safest bike route.
There are tons of places to swim, YMCAs, Golden Gate Swim Club, JCC, open water at the Aquatic Park (my choice).
Tenderloin, Hunter’s Point/Bayview, Western Addition. Some would say the Mission, but it’s gotten very trendy. People still get killed there though, even with all the hipster bars.
Golden Gate Tri Club is the way to go. You’ll have plenty of people to train with should you choose.
When I was living in SF (until last summer) I lived in lower Pac Heights. Loved that area. I could walk 1 block to catch the bus or 4 to catch the cable car to work. I was 1 block from a park, 3 blocks from shops and restaurants on Filmore. It was a great neighborhood. But it wasn’t cheap.
The best riding seems to be in the east bay. But theres good riding in the pennisula and south to santa cruz and good riding in Marin county too. But if you live in the city, the east bay is just a bart ride away.
If you lived in the south bay (San Jose and vacinity), know that caltrain doesn’t allow bikes on trains during commute hours. Also, BART doesn’t like bikes from east bay under the bay during morning commute hours either. From Civic center south, Bart’s fine with bikes till 4pm, then doesn’t like bikes. Basically, if you work normal hours and want to bike commute to the city, you’ve got to live there.
Yeah, if I were to hit up the east bay for rides, it’d probably either be on the weekends. During the week, I’d want to maximize my ride time before or after work, so I’d plan on just taking off from my front door.
I think both the East Bay and Marin offer outstanding riding, though I generally prefer Marin for its (usually) better weather and (mostly) lighter traffic. As far as finding training partners, goodness, there are so many people out training at any given instant you won’t be able to avoid it. There’s a reason SF is the slimmest city in the country.
One more option is to live in Marin, say Larkspur or Sausalito, and either ride into the city or take the ferry. If you’re working near the Embarcadero, this is very convenient. On the other hand, if you’re single, you’ll have better luck meeting people in the city than just about anywhere else, so living in the city might be more convenient.
Like Katy said, Pac Heights is awesome. The Haight might be a little cheaper.
If you lived in the south bay (San Jose and vacinity), know that caltrain doesn’t allow bikes on trains during commute hours. Also, BART doesn’t like bikes from east bay under the bay during morning commute hours either. From Civic center south, Bart’s fine with bikes till 4pm, then doesn’t like bikes. Basically, if you work normal hours and want to bike commute to the city, you’ve got to live there.
Uh, my 60 year old mother commutes to the city on Caltrain with her bicycle everyday. You have to get a spot on the bike car, and sometimes they’re full.
Get an SFBC bike map, it will get you anywhere in the city via the safest bike route.
I *love* those bike maps. "Official" bike routes (which generally are the best biking streets), countours, and my personal favorite - the color-coded streets, from white to red, with red for where the average grade is over 18%. :)
I’ve been out to visit my friends twice, and they live in the Haight near Scott & Page. I think it’s an awesome area. I think the other thing you should be aware of is that if you ride your tri bike through GG Park, then I think there is some kind of mandate that you have to wear your aero helmet! Seriously! >:-/ Tools!
The city has good access to riding. Ride out over the GGB and you’re in Marin. Jump on BART and it’s a quick trip to the East Bay. Cal Train gets you to the Peninsula. All have excellent riding.
This is a key point. If you live in the city, unless you live directly at the Marina, you’re always a commute away from real riding or running. Yes, you can run right in the city, but unless you’re running at Crissy field or on the Embarcadero itself, it’s going to be super hilly or lots of traffic lights. I actually don’t understand how folks that live in the city proper have time to train since every ride must be preceded by a car or train ride. It’s also really cold there, like all the time, except in September and October when it’s gorgeous.
I lived in the city for a few months while I was dating someone who lived there. All we did was ride Paradise loop and run on Crissy field. Both are beautiful yes, but really, it was the only ride we did. There just aren’t many options other than that for your run-of-the-mill workouts.
But if being in the city itself is important, you can do it, it will just be more effort or more boring (from a workout point of view) than if you live either north, east, or south.
Live in the city (you can do East or South Bay when you get older), enjoy what SF has to offer!
Consider living in The Sunset. You’re right next to GG Park, and can take the N Judah line into downtown for work.
There are great rides everywhere! Over the GGB to Marin, East Bay with all the Cal Bears, South Bay with climbs like Old La Honda and Tunitas Creek (as used in this year’s ToC).
You’re gonna be so glad you didn’t go to Manhattan.
If you live in the city, unless you live directly at the Marina, you’re always a commute away from real riding or running. Yes, you can run right in the city, but unless you’re running at Crissy field or on the Embarcadero itself, it’s going to be super hilly or lots of traffic lights.
Um, no. Ever hear of The Presidio or Golden Gate Park? Track workouts at Kezar?
It’s also really cold there, like all the time, except in September and October when it’s gorgeous.
It’s not really cold. It doesn’t snow. By my calendar it’s July, it was pretty nice in the city today. September and October are beautiful though.
All we did was ride Paradise loop and run on Crissy field. Both are beautiful yes, but really, it was the only ride we did.
Just because that’s all you did doesn’t mean that’s all there is. How about riding across the bridge to the Headlands, Fairfax, Nicasio, Pt. Reyes Station, Mt. Tam, the 7 Sisters, Stinson? It takes about 20 min to get to Orinda via BART (I know, a commute, but a small one) and that opens up a ton of ride options. There are even mountain bike options right in the city, you just need to know where to go.
I now live in the East Bay, but I loved living in the city.
It takes about 20 min to get to Orinda via BART (I know, a commute, but a small one)
What I’m saying is that your options are more limited. 20 minutes on Bart x2 because you have to get back. Now your workout is going to take 40 minutes longer than if you left from your door. That’s 40 minutes you probably don’t have for your average weekday workout. Running in GGP? Sure, but what if you don’t live near it? Then you have to drive to it…through the city…and drive home. Again, another commute. You can’t simultaneously live near Crissy field and GGP. You have to commute to one. Yes, it’s possible, but it’s more effort and more time. I know you can bike across the GG Bridge to get to more routes than Paradise loop, but your ride is always going to start by crossing the GGB and you’ll have to trek to whatever route you want. It’s possible, but on a daily basis it’s the same old thing.
Live where you want in the city, just keep in mind you’re living in a 7mile by 7mile lump of mostly hilly concrete so you’re going to have to work hard at finding variety in your daily workout. This just isn’t true when you live north, east or south.
I just wanted to bump this thread to say that I got the job! So I look forward to training with the S.F. folks in the near future.
Now… To find an apartment…
Congratulations on the job offer!
Apartments are pretty plentiful, at least by looking at all of the FOR RENT signs around.
As for where to live, I’m partial to Russian Hill, which is a short ride away from the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge. But right now I’m hating the city as it’s freaking freezing here (53F and foggy this AM). If I didn’t have such a good set up, I’d move down the Peninsula, closer to the velodrome.