Need help from students at Hastings law school
Rakesh Sehgal
I am going to join Hastings law school in this fall and am looking for
some students currently there who might be able to answer some of my
questions regarding moving to and living in the San Francisco area. I
need to know about the kind of housing most students prefer. Is it better
to take the housing at McAllister tower or is there affordable apartments
available for rent in the vicinity? Do most students maintain a car or is it
better to use the city bus? How much does it typically cost to get a parking
sticker for the city etc. I have a few more questions. If you are ready
to chat with me for a short time please respond at cn0g...@unm.edu
thanx
Vandana
Robert Elliot Morton
Vandana,
Topic #1 -- RENTING IN SAN FRANCISCO:
It all comes down to money and time. San Francisco is a very difficult
place to find rental housing. Recent articles have said that the vacancy
rate is about 1% !!! In fact, this morning on the radio I heard that it
is cheaper to buy a home in the city than it is to rent; some people have
to put 6 mos. rent down to get a place, which is often more than a down
payment would be for a 1st time buyer; rent is usually more than monthly
payments on a 30-year mortgage. There are so many wonderful neighborhoods
in SF, but I found that the competition to rent an apartment in San
Francisco is more competitive than the academic competition at Hastings!
(I'm a SF rental drop-out -- I gave up and moved to the East Bay.)
Option #1 -- Live in the Tower.
This is probably your best bet. This will be the cheapest place you'll
find in SF. It is also very convenient living so close to "campus."
Unfortunately, the neighborhood really sucks. Most of SF is very cool,
but the Tenderloin is as gross as SF gets. Many of my friends found
living there depressing.
Option #2 -- Try to find an apartment in SF.
Good luck. Unless you move into a giant apartment complex, you'll need a
bit 'o luck. Anecdote: My girlfriend and I fell in love with a
one-bedroom apartment on Telegraph Hill last year, but the other people at
the open house were lawyers and stockbrokers. Who do you think the
landlord chose; them, or a student living on loans? If you really feel
up to the challenge, you'll need a few weeks here in the city to look, and
you'll need to sign up with a rental agency (about a $50 fee). Expect to
pay $500-$900 for a studio, and $900 plus for a one-bedroom. I know that
a large complex about 3 miles away (Fillmore Center) rents 1 bedrooms for
about $950 a month.
Option #3 -- Move to the East Bay.
While the rental scene is almost as competitive in the East Bay as it is
in SF, the rent is much cheaper. There are also some really cool
neighborhoods, especially North Berkeley and Rockridge in North Oakland.
There are many commute options to get to school.
TOPIC #2 -- DRIVING AND PARKING IN SAN FRANCISCO
It sucks. There's only metered parking around Hastings. There's no way
I'd leave my car on the street overnight there. It's just as likely it
would be vomited on as it would be broken into or stolen. There's the
Civic Center Garage nearby (whose stairwells also function as a urinal for
about 200 residents of the park above); it costs $4.50 per day for
students to park there, but I have no idea if they have a cheaper rate by
the month. Parking is so difficult in most areas of the city that unless
you have a garage, having a car is more trouble than it's worth. On the
other hand, the public transit system is excellent (for California) in San
Francisco.
Most apartments in the city have limited parking for residents, but it
usually costs between $100 to $200 extra per month. If you miraculously
find a place in the city with available unmetered parking, the parking
permits cost around $40 per year (I think? I haven't bought one in a few
years).
If you really love your car, the East Bay is your best bet.
If I were you, I'd mentally prepare myself, move into McAllister Tower and
leave my car at home. See how you like it the 1st semester. If you don't
(and you probably won't) get your car during the break and look for an
apartment in a nice neighborhood in San Francisco or the East Bay during
December or January.
If you need more information, feel free to e-mail.
--Robert.
ekiernan
cn0g...@unm.edu (Rakesh Sehgal) wrote:
>I am going to join Hastings law school in this fall and am looking for
>some students currently there who might be able to answer some of my
>questions regarding moving to and living in the San Francisco area. I
>need to know about the kind of housing most students prefer. Is it better
>to take the housing at McAllister tower or is there affordable apartments
>available for rent in the vicinity? Do most students maintain a car or is it
>better to use the city bus? How much does it typically cost to get a parking
>sticker for the city etc. I have a few more questions. If you are ready
>to chat with me for a short time please respond at cn0g...@unm.edu
>thanx
>Vandana
Vandana,
I am a potential 1L at Hastings as well (still deciding) and I've lived
in SF for the past 2 years, so I may be able to answer some of your
questions.
Unfortunately, Hastings is in an ugly and unpleasant area of town, as you
may have heard. I would STRONGLY advise against living at McAllister
tower. Hastings is accessible to most other parts of the city by bus
($35 for monthly pass and unlimited use). Late at night buses run less
frequently, though. However, there are ways around that. There is a
large municipal garage right across the street from Hastings (I don't
know how much the monthly rate is). The tricky part about having a car,
depending on where you live, is the permit issue. Some neighborhods
require a permit for unlimited parking in the vicinity (otherwise it's
typically a 2 hour limit; 1 hour at meters). But you can't get a permit
for an are you don't live in. I don't know if the civic center/Tenderlon
area (Hastings' neck of the woods) issues permits. I can try and find
out and let you know. Also, if you're bringing in a car from out of
state, CA will levy something like a $300 imort fee, fyi. I do have a
car in SF, incidentally, and never have a problem. If you are interested
in living away from McAllister Tower, I can recommend some neighborhoods
that are both affordable and relatively close to Hastings.
Feel free to email me directly if you want, I'd be happy to help in any
way I can. And I may see you there in the fall! Good luck.
Sandelands
cn0g...@unm.edu (Rakesh Sehgal) wrote:
>I am going to join Hastings law school in this fall and am looking for
>some students currently there who might be able to answer some of my
>questions regarding moving to and living in the San Francisco area. I
>need to know about the kind of housing most students prefer. Is it better
>to take the housing at McAllister tower or is there affordable apartments
>available for rent in the vicinity? Do most students maintain a car or
is it
>better to use the city bus?
I lived in McAllister Tower last year and will be living there this year
as well. Its actually not a bad place to live.
Yes, it is in a poor neighboorhood. However, it is very close to school
and the rent is quite reasonable. There is a coffee house next door that
has great cafe Mocha. And since you don't have to commute, you will have
time to get one before your 8:40 classes.
If you decide to live in the tower try to get one of the large studios on
one of the higher floors (13 or above). The tower has great views of the
city as there are no other highrise buildings nearby. The studios are all
of different floor plans. No two are alike. Generally the large ones rent
for around $580/month. The smaller ones are like cracker boxes; I would
avoid them. The one bedroom apartments are ok, however they don't give you
the feeling of space that the big studios do. Actual square footage is
about the same.
The most convenient place to keep car is the Civic Center Lot ($90/month)
or the Hastings lot ($80/month). I used the Civic Center lot last year.
Personally, I liked having a car at Hastings. It proved to be a godsend to
me because I could escape the city on weekends and go hiking at Pt. Reyes
or just soak up sun on Stinson Beach.
As far as getting around within the city use your feet, a bicycle or the
bus.
Dave
P.S. SF is a great city however its an expensive one. If cost is an issue
for you (like it is for most students) then live in the tower and spend
your spare change hitting the town.
Another option, if you want to get a roomate you can find some reasonably
priced two bedroom apartments in the Sunset and Richmond districts.
Life was a beach... Now its the Socratic Method!
Universtiy of Califonia, Hastings Law
Class of 1998
Dan Osher
In article <4qd71n$72...@musca.unm.edu>, cn0g...@unm.edu says...
>
>I am going to join Hastings law school in this fall and am looking for
>some students currently there who might be able to answer some of my
>questions regarding moving to and living in the San Francisco area. I
>need to know about the kind of housing most students prefer. Is it better
>to take the housing at McAllister tower or is there affordable apartments
>available for rent in the vicinity? Do most students maintain a car or is it
parking
>sticker for the city etc. I have a few more questions. If you are ready
>to chat with me for a short time please respond at cn0g...@unm.edu
>thanx
>Vandana
Hello, Vandana!
I'm going to be a 1L at Boalt this fall, but since I've lived in the Bay Area
most of my life, and have just gone through moving back here myself (from
Texas), I thought I might be of some help.
First, the housing situation in San Francisco is absolutely horrendous.
Apartment occupancy in the city is well over 98%. A friend of mine has
been searching for a new place since December with no luck at all. I went
with him last weekend to look at a three-bedroom, $1300 apartment in a
so-so neighborhood, and was appalled to see the living room filled with
literally dozens of people filling out applications. So, if you want to live in
the city proper, I'd recommend allowing a lot of time and preparing to
spend a lot of money.
Also, if you're going to be in San Francisco, a car's a pretty bad idea.
When I brought my car in from Austin at the beginning of this month, there
was a $300 charge above and beyond the normal registration fee for
bringing in an out-of-state car. It also cost me another $200 to pass the
smog test. Beyond all that, however, parking in San Francisco is
abominable, and public transportation's pretty good. You'd be much better
off walking to the grocery store and taking the bus to school.
With all this in mind, I'd recommend doing what I did: giving up on living in
San Francisco at first, and finding a place in the suburbs. Hear me
out--the very best public transportation system in the area is BART, a
regional rail line designed to bring people from the East Bay into downtown
San Francisco. It is a very nice, fast system, and has a station within a
couple of blocks of Hastings. The farther you get from San Francisco,
particularly if you head East, the more you get for your housing dollar.
Housing is also much easier to come by, which is important if you need a
place fast. For example, after a demoralizing search of several disgusting
buildings in San Francisco and Berkeley, each of which had many
applicants who just wanted the good location, I expanded my search to
include Walnut Creek. (I know Bob Dole just had a rally here; no place is
perfect...) I immediately found a beautiful apartment complex directly
across the street from BART, with swimming pools and hot tubs, with
immediately available apartments, which cost *less* than the Berkeley
and San Francisco tenements.
And since you're going to Hastings, your apartment could just serve as a
place to sleep and study; you'll be going into San Francisco every day, so
it's not like you'd be constantly out in the boonies--you get the best of both
worlds.
Anyway, that's my two cents. I hope you find this helpful, and if I can be
of anymore assistance, feel free to write!
Dan