San Francisco Living: A Year in Review

Fact: I still have two boxes I have yet to unpack.

I moved into my apartment a year ago today.

It's funny that I ended up living in the city, because I never aspired to move to San Francisco.  Really, I just wanted to shorten my commute.

With all the recent reports of the extremely high cost of rent in San Francisco, I count myself lucky to be paying significantly under market price for a studio, even one in the Tenderloin.  I saw a posting for a different studio in my building on Craigslist last month, and it was listed as $400 more than I'm paying.  Good grief!  I'm also thankful that my building is rent controlled, so I only experienced a 1.9% increase in rent this year.

Technically, I live in the Tenderloin, but I really consider myself Tenderloin adjacent.  There are definitely areas a block or two away that I wouldn't want to walk alone, but the areas I frequent are safe.  I'm right next door to a hostel, so there are always folks around, which makes me feel even safer.  I haven't experienced a single incident since I moved to the city, knock on wood.

My other concern as I moved into my apartment was the size.  Best I can figure, my studio is about 300 square feet, I took measurements, and my studio is 267 square feet, which is quite small, especially since some of that space is a hallway.

Probably my least favorite thing about my apartment is my kitchen, which is tiny.  I have 10 inches of counter space, which I tripled by squeezing in a tiny IKEA cart.  I was terrified of my oven for most of the past year, because I repeatedly burned things and set off my smoke alarm.  However, I finally invested in an oven thermometer, and discovered that my oven runs 75 to 100 degrees hot, which is extreme!  So, now I have learned to set things 100 degrees below, and can bake without fear.

I don’t feel like I’ve done a very good job of taking advantage of living in San Francisco.  There are so many neighborhoods that I have yet to explore.  I should really put together a to-do list like I had for D.C., and try to check things off.

I doubt I’ll stay in San Francisco forever.  It’s extraordinarily expensive, and I miss what less urban areas have to offer in terms of greenery, safety, and convenience.  On the other hand, I do love having access to ample public transportation (as compared to the suburbs), incredibly diverse food, and a fascinating collection of passionate, young people.

Anyone have any suggestions as I begin to compile an SF to-do list?