laptopsurfer

I am British and have been recently been offered a job in a technology start-up just outside San Francisco.

I am looking for some local advice about the best places to live, do I need a car or any other general information.

As I have come from working in the UK on a fixed salary, I am wondering what the local differences are in salary packages, especially related to expats. If you work in .COM / startup world would be great to chat.

I have worked in NYC and parts of Asia as an expat, so not a total newbie to this. I have learned it’s a good idea to seek the advice of others who have already been down the same road.

<Edited due to comments below, I had written this in a hurry and I apologise. I also suffer from a form of dyslexia and its always nice for this to be pointed out to me >

Roadster280

Not as British as you might be, because if you were, you'd note that a capital "B" is required. As for best place to live, nowhere in California, IMHO.

I see you've been to NYC, so I understand the question about needing a car. Obviously you did not visit the rest of the US. Yes, you need a car.

As for salaries, depending on exact industry/specialty, anything from 30 to 100% more than UK. Your expat package may well be part of the higher figure.

Good luck, and for God's sake, get a grip of your English. It is appalling.

Cape Blue

Depends upon what you want and where your office is.

If your office is anywhere near a BART station (light rail/tube) then you could easily live in SF and commute south (I am guessing that the location is south of SF - its where most of them are) without a car. Otherwise you may want to get one to also facilitate getting out and about round the Bay Area - hiking in Marin, skiing in Tahoe, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Yosemite, etc.

Car insurance will be a kick in the balls - you are treated as a new driver and it will cost $200+ pcm. I wasn't sure if you drove when in NYC. You will need to get a CA driving licence.

Where to live in SF? Not sure what SOMA (south of market area) is like now but it was worth avoiding pretty much all south of market street in the past. Otherwise it depends on you age, interests, sexual preference etc.

From memory:

Castro - gay
Soma - edgy/hip/rough
North Beach - jazz/hip
Marina - yuppy but great amenity in crissy field etc.
Cow hollow - yuppy and painful

have forgotten the rest, sure they will come back to me

Invaluable tool is craigslist.org - you can search for flats to rent, buy cars and pretty much everything else, you probably used it before in NY - it is a key tool in its home Bay Area.

I would guess that a one-bed apartment won't leave any change from $1500 pcm and can easily stretch to $3,000+ depending upon area.

Whatever you do get a place with parking - will cost you an extra $200 pcm but will probably be the best $200 you spend.

Don't know where you lived in the UK but a similar salary to London or to NYC would probably be OK. Sure you will remember to get a comprehensive health package from your employer.

I prefer SF to both London and NYC, they are both great cities but can seem a bit urban (after a few years) and take take hours to get away from - take you less than 10 mins to be on the beach or hiking from SF. SF also has way better climate.

Good luck, hope you enjoy it.

Cape Blue

Oh, and ignore the friendly responses from a few of the old lags on the board - it makes some of them feel big if they can get the odd put-down in on a new arrival.

ScousePete

Welcome to the board. Ignore the idiots.

CelestialAnnie

First...Let me say welcome to beautiful northern CA......... second, as a native CA....and living just below SF (the city as it's known to us here in smaller towns)... I disagree with the other person that commented on living in CA..... but I will say that No. Cal. is hhwwaayyy better (used this manner of English in HONOR of the other person, as well..lol) than So Cal..... I say live in the city itself....very diverse, great people, so many different cultures, great food, beauty, great art of any kind that may interest you..... in the city, not much need for a car..... but outside of it, you definitely need one..... you'd have to give me more info ie family, if looking for schools for younger children, that type of thing to really tell you about the other options.... but if single... I'd say go for living in the city.... You'll have a wonderful northern California experience there....... and the people are very friendly and welcome all who choose to move there. It is expensive to live there... I believe it tops the list on most expensive places to live.... but worth it............. IMHO.... you only live once..... go for it if you have been given the opportunity! Much Luck to you!!!!!

laptopsurfer

Hi
Depends upon what you want and where your office is.

I think it’s the other side of bay, around Union City / Haywood but I might be wrong. Does BART cross the bay ?

>Car insurance will be a kick in the balls - you are treated as a new driver >and it will cost $200+ pcm. I wasn't sure if you drove when in NYC. You will >need to get a CA driving licence.

I did not drive in NYC, no need. Sometimes hired a car when I went out to Hampton’s but from memory insurance was included. Do I have to take a driving test? Can I not drive on a international license?

>Where to live in SF? Not sure what SOMA (south of market area) is like now >but it was worth avoiding pretty much all south of market street in the past. >Otherwise it depends on you age, interests, sexual preference etc.

I am st8 and 30. I prefer to be central and have everything around me, I am not one for traveling miles. Like my movies, local bar / cafe, shops around. in NYC I was like 3rd and 42nd, it was studio but was high quality, doorman etc and was about $2,200 a month from memory

>Invaluable tool is craigslist.org - you can search for flats to rent, buy cars >and pretty much everything else, you probably used it before in NY - it is a >key tool in its home Bay Area.

oh cool - used that like mad in NYC.

>Don't know where you lived in the UK but a similar salary to London or to >NYC would probably be OK. Sure you will remember to get a comprehensive >health package from your employer.

Salary in UK was £60k + Bupa, laptop, phone, company credit card

Was thinking of asking for $100,000 + apartment + health + laptop

>Good luck, hope you enjoy it.

I hope so 2! :-) Thank you for your comments

RoadWarriorFromLP

The exact location of where you'd be working is an important bit of information.

If the job is located south of SF in the Silicon Valley or nearby, I would suggest living near your job and not living in SF proper, unless you enjoy long commutes via car. Freeway traffic can be horrendous in both directions during rush hour (which is a lot longer than just an hour, as you might have guessed), so think carefully about your commute.

If you live in the right parts of SF, you can commute easily via public transport to places within "the City" itself via MUNI (buses, streetcars/ subway trains) and/or BART, or to portions of the East Bay via BART. But again, your workplace is an important bit of information in answering your question.

Roadster280

Thanks for the edit. I'd have been a lot less barbed with your revised approach.

As for $200pcm for car insurance, there's a away round this, depending on

a) whether you are planning to buy a house, and

b) how long you have held a driving licence.

Basically, you can twist an agent's arm to give you credit for your driving record with the UK, but to sweeten them up to do this, you'll need to give them your house insurance too. It worked for me. Of course, if your driving record is not all that long, it may not help much, but I pay less than $85 a month. Allstate is the insurance company.

I can't believe people calling me an "old lag"!! Hell, I am just old. Hence my having a pop at your original post. I can't help you with California though.

CelestialAnnie

So very true....... plus, that person IS in "Hotlanta"..... poor thing..... and yes, forgot about parking expense in SF........ ouch.... Feel free to ask me anything, I will help if I can..... since I am a native here....... again, Good Luck laptop!

laptopsurfer

I think it’s the other side of bay, around Union City / Haywood but I might be wrong. Does BART cross the bay ?

RoadWarriorFromLP

There are a few BART stations in Hayward (not Haywood) and Union City, but they may not be anywhere near your office. BART website is here: http://www.bart.gov/stations/map/systemmap.asp?ct=1

You might need to drive. I would not want to drive from SF to Hayward every day, that's a hell of a haul, but Hayward is not a nice area, so living there isn't a great choice either.

Cape Blue

Bart does indeed reach the depths of Hayward, although in classic US/CA style Hayward is very spread out. There is a BART website with the map online. Hayward is a bit rough in places.

Law requires you get a CA licence if you are going to drive and insure a CA car - if you are only going to rent once in a while you can probably get away with your existing int one. The CA licence is very handy as an ID form and is used very frequently as such. The CA DMV website has info and some examples of the theory test.

I would recommend North Beach as an area to look at. If you are into fitness/jogging/cycling by the beach then maybe the Marina.

As celestialannie suggest - SF will be the place to live. Some of the smaller places like Palo Alto are pretty good for future reference, I would suggest living on the peninsular than east bay.

I don't think you'll starve on that package, particularly if you get the rent. Not up on techie salaries but I think DarrenP is a techie living in SF - why not try to pm him and see what he says.

laptopsurfer

Been playing on google maps, closest place to office seems to be in fact Pleasanton which from looking online seems a small town. Sorry did not want to give out office location :-) the blue BART line seems to go out to there. How long would this take on the train should I live in SF? Not sure I want to live in a small town.

Cape Blue

I drove from SF to Hayward for a year or so and whilst it is about 35 miles each way, I found heading south from SF and over the San mateo bridge it wasn't that bad, mostly because you were heading against the commuting flow for most of the trip. On the way back it got a little heavy near the airport and as you reached SF (backed up from the Bay Bridge) but it certainly wasn't terminal.

I think you are very right about Hayward - certainly would prefer the drive over living there - especially as the OP is a single 30 year old.