Expert: Ernest Tufft - 4/5/2009

Question
QUESTION: Where is a safe place to live? SOMA is close to where I will work but I have no idea. What are some must do's for me while I am out there. I will not have a car and am from NC...country girl going to the city! Any help you can share will be wonderful!

ANSWER: Except for the Bayview and Hunter's Point Districts, San Francisco is a surprisingly safe city.  The Tenderloin District is the traditional triangle of crime, but it's so small that one can quickly walk through it.  SOMA used to be considered a dangerous district, and in some spots it still is pretty seedy, but it is a very large and mixed district.  Although there are some nice loft condos and modern townhouses in SOMA, I would prefer one of the neighborhoods away from this downtown area.  You actually don't want a car, at least not at first, because the cost of parking can be enormous.  MUNI is one of the nation's leading transportation systems, providing a wide variety of underground rail, surface antique trolley, cable car, electric and natural gas bus routes, many of which overlap to such an extent that within most of the city, catching a ride to where you want to go is often quicker than driving.  Like any large city, women walking alone at night ought to exercise caution, but I'm certain that within a very short while you will fall in love with SF.  While newspaper headlines city budget problems, like any city in the nation, SF remains among the nation's best run cities.  The many museums, symphony, ballet, and other such attractions are underwritten by the deep pockets of many wealthy families devoted to the city, many of whom are familiar corporate brandnames.  As you may know, SF politics is by any comparison among the most liberal in the nation, and so tolerance of current debates over social issues, the arts, sciences, and even business is near fanatical.  Brace yourself for diversity at a level found nowhere else.  You will find no shortage of things to do on any given day in SF.  Use the Zipreality and MUNI websites to help examine the neighborhoods and rail transportation routes to locate the neighborhood you like.  I recommend staying more on the bayside of the ridgeline, as Ocean Beach and Sunset Districts are too often foggy and cold for my liking.  Overall, prepare yourself for some of the highest rental costs in the nation, but some neighborhoods in the south of the city, such as the Crocker-Amazon, can be fairly reasonable and nice, and still within easy commute to SOMA.  Hope this helps...

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What is the ridge line and what areas are on the bay side of it? Please give me more districts that you feel are safe close to Mission but safe We had found a place in the 1400 block of Howard St but are a bit concerned We are 22 year old females and want to go out at night and see the city but want to be safe because we have never been to such a big city.Thank you so much for your help!

Answer
Actually, SF has a knot of ridges and valleys, but in general you can use Google maps, or Zipreality for SF, to see that Buena Vista, Golden Gate Heights, Forest Hill, Balboa Terrace neighborhoods run along a ridge that goes basically along a north-south axis.  Your 10th and Howard location is down on the flats (bay filled in a century ago) within the shadows of some pretty tall buildings.  This location is safe enough, but maybe not the best place to "live" for the summer.  San Francisco is NOT a BIG city.  It's much smaller than NY, LA, or Chicago in terms of geographical land area, and in fact can be walked by healthy and strong hikers within a day's adventure.  I love to hike up and down the hills of SF, wandering from quaint neighborhood to quaint neighborhood.  Bay Area residents refer to SF as "the city" for its urban concentration of business and activity, not it's size.  If I were you, I'd would be reluctant to settle on a place until I arrived and became more familiar with this complex city.  Consider staying at the Green Tortoise Hostel (you can book reservations on-line at their website), a popular inexpensive backpacker hangout, located within the trendy North Beach neighborhood.  From there, you can take a few days to network and inspect apartments to rent for the rest of the summer.  Don't worry, you will be able to get to work on-time and enjoy the nightlife of the city regardless of which neighborhood you settle into.  When you arrive, make a dedicated effort to ride MUNI to all corners of the city, so that you get a more comprehensive understanding, rather than that of a tourist.  The more you know, the better deal you will find on the most interesting place to stay.  But, be prepared to pay a lot for a very small place regardless of where you stay.