mrcarrot

Hey,

I moved from the UK to work in Sunnyvale nearly 2 years ago now and also live in SF. It took me 6 months in total to relocate - the movers themselves had a 3 month lead time to pick up my meager possessions!

Originally I got a temp flat near work (actually in Santa Clara at the Riverside/Rivermark area), but the total lack of anything to do that didn't require driving to made me head up to SF as soon as I could (3 weeks later infact).

I commute down on the Caltrain most days and then drive when I have offsite meetings or have stuff to haul. Thankfully, I live 2 blocks from 4th + king in SF (caltrain station) and my office is less than 2 mins walk from the Sunnyvale stop, so it really is 68mins door to door with the train. I usually surf the web on the train with a 3G dongle or sleep and even after 2 years, rarely dislike the journey. Its $10 return from SF to SV (using the 8 ride ticket) so its fairly inexpensive as well compared to UK transport.

You can drive it in 40mins (again, I live close to the freeway) if its not rush hour - handy for bailing at odd times.

I'd suggest trying to find some accommodation in SOMA for the first month if you can. There is quite a lot of 'furnished, by the month' apartments to rent there and if your work is paying, some of them can get pretty swanky ;0)

I live in SF because the food choice is great, drinks are lots of fun, hills add some variety and its not too hot in the summer. I don't like aircon and in SF we never have the heater on or need a fan to cool the room down.

The first year I was here, SV town centre was pretty nice and we'd often have beers after work there. However, for nearly a year now, the road has been dug up and its not much fun anymore.

Good luck with the move! I have not regretted doing it so far and would have been gutted if I'd overlooked the opportunity when it came.

Cheers,

mr C

Tollers

Thanks for the advice Carrot. I totally agree. I dont want to have to use a car to do anything. I'll get my first month paid for, but i know the company have a budget and they always squeeze as tight as they can. This move is going to completely eat my savings. SOMA would be good, or Mission. I'm going to try and plan it to be on the route for my Shuttle bus (which has wifi, so i'll be able to work on the way in too).

I missed a delivery whilst at the dentist yesterday. Think it's my Visa arriving after just 3 workings days! Hope they redeliver it today

Tollers

Tollers

Straight, sane, professional, geek, but i'm sure a lot of people are going to assume i'm gay unless i grow my hair back (or get a bulldog tattoo).

Why is there a problem with the single guys? Surely there must be a lot of variety and choice. SF seems a fairly cosmopolitan place. I'm not used to being called talent though. It's nice to be objectified now and then

md95065

The "problem" (according to many straight single women in San Francisco) isn't with "single guys" - it is with "straight single guys" - and the problem is that there aren't enough of them to go around (or, at least, that they are too difficult to find).

Jscl

"i'm sure a lot of people are going to assume i'm gay unless i grow my hair back (or get a bulldog tattoo)."

Errm, no, the bulldog thing is NOT going to work!

I have two straight guy friends in San Francisco and they love it there. I wouldn't worry about a thing when it comes to the social life there.

jackattack

I totally agree with MrCarrot's recommendation. SOMA is a good place to live for people who work in South Bay. (Relatively) easy car access in and out, good rail link on CalTrain. It would be worth checking where your office shuttle stops are (obviously).

I work at a company which has a shuttle bus from the city down to office in Cupertino. It also has a shuttle from the CalTrain station in Mountain View and both options are pretty popular. Lots of my work colleagues live in SOMA, and drive down to the office on a Monday morning, leave their car at the office during the week (our office campus is very spread out and meetings are all over Cupertino). They take the shuttle back on Monday pm and then use the shuttle the rest of the week between Cupertino and SF before driving themselves back in the car on Friday evening so they have the car for the weekend. Saves a ton of $ on petrol, although coming from the UK, you'll think it cheap anyway.

Happy commuting.

Tollers

Flight booked for the 26th! Everyone wants leaving drinks, but there is sooo little time.

Start packing tomorrow!

Brat1

Fantastic

Enjoy the rollercoaster and well done

Kaffy Mintcake

Locals call San Francisco simply "the city". As in Journey's song ... 'when the lights go down in the city' ...



Maybe the OP didn't mean San Francisco, but your post reminded me of this.

Kaffy Mintcake

Tried to karma but had to spread. Why oh why did my parents move to Ohio?

meauxna

Mine almost moved us to Des Moines Iowa!

Kaffy Mintcake

Almost is the key word. My parents went from San Francisco, to Hawaii, to LA, to Ohio. I got a bum deal.

Tollers

Well,

I landed on Friday and am trying to settle in. Nicotine withdrawal making it all a little more emotional and stresfull than it should be. Am now worrying about opening a bank account, the process of which has now lasted over 6 weeks, but worried that i wont get money into the account in time for my temp accomodation to finish and therefore allow me to cash my paycheques in time for a new appartment.

People here have said there is no point applying for a SSN for at least a week as it takes immigration time to process my arrival. Anyone know if this is true?

Mark

meauxna

Welcome over!
(hey, cigs are cheaper here, tut)

It's true that if you wait about 10 days from arrival, you'll have a higher chance of success the first time at the SSA.

You should be able to open a bank account without your SSN.

mrcarrot

I opened a bank account with Wells Fargo just with a passport. Used the local branch near my office in SV however (next to Denny's) and they were very helpful and accommodating.

I also waited 2 weeks before applying for the SSN because it involved driving somewhere random and I got lost twice in my lunch hour trying to find the place.

Cheers,

mr C