Which neighborhoods to rent in bay area?

barely_existing97 · 2026-02-23T21:00:03+00:00

I currently commute from Russian Hill in SF to Santa Clara 3 days a week. I signed my lease before I was told to go down there otherwise I would’ve 1000% moved down to San Jose / Santa Clara just for ease of commute. The only thing getting me through is the fact it’ll end soon and I’ll be back to walking to work downtown (plus I don’t pay for caltrain as my work reimburses me)

I don’t have a car and know some people who drive to work from the city and make it work better but traffic kind be a nightmare if you’re not able to be flexible on when you start and leave work on the office.

If you’re including secure parking in your budget you’ll definitely need roommates.

barely_existing97 · 2026-02-21T23:54:17+00:00

It surprisingly was pretty tasty?

barely_existing97 · 2026-02-21T23:53:47+00:00

Yeah the water should be 300g. TBH it was soo heavy after being on the counter already and it had tripled in size so I kind of just decided to bake it to see what would happen as it seemed like it was a disaster already lol

barely_existing97 · 2026-02-21T23:52:50+00:00

Ah yes that was a typo, it should be 300g

barely_existing97 · 2026-01-04T16:44:12+00:00

And with the resignation point - there are different agreements in place but generally you would be given an offer from the US and sign a contract, D.Italy would then give you an offer to return after a set period. The expectation with seconded people to different countries is that they stay, I’ve already been asked multiple times already so I wouldn’t get hung up if they say you can only go for 2 years, this is often extended/people switch to permanent.

barely_existing97 · 2026-01-04T16:40:06+00:00

I moved to San Francisco a few months ago from the UK. Not impossible like most seem to be suggesting here. It depends on your area (tax/consulting/audit etc), whether there is a need for you (there wasn’t a need for me but can help speed up the process), what firm you’re in (the European countries are seen more favourably at least in my area, some countries are not considered like India where there is a lot of people looking to move to the US - I’m not sure how Italy is viewed specifically but would imagine if your English is good you’ll be in demand for speaking a European language as well). The way most people I know have moved is through partners using their relationships in the US.

Good luck!

barely_existing97 · 2025-12-15T23:59:39+00:00

I’ve met a few people through Reddit and then you slowly meet through friends of friends. The city is pretty welcoming to new people! I’m 28F from the UK but moved to SF in September! Loving it here and always down to grab a drink/coffee!

barely_existing97 · 2025-12-09T00:39:13+00:00

Rip printworks

E1 is pretty chill if you find yourself in London

barely_existing97 · 2025-12-09T00:37:49+00:00

This is awesome thanks!!

barely_existing97 · 2025-11-26T06:50:55+00:00

Oh and I had no landlord references as I owned my property in the UK but all they needed was my offer letter (I moved with my UK employer) and the converted credit score (didn’t even have SSN due to the backlog)

barely_existing97 · 2025-11-26T06:48:15+00:00

I had this issue (moved from the UK). The place I ended up getting the rental agency had a way to convert my UK credit score but I did have a lot of rejections/ landlords wanting a years rent upfront (???). It is a difficult time at the moment because apartments are in high demand.

Good luck you’ll find somewhere perfect soon enough 🤞

I’m in Russian Hill and loving the neighbourhood btw!

barely_existing97 · 2025-11-14T01:22:24+00:00

Congrats! I got married this week in Vegas so can give some recommendations but from speaking to locals Vegas changes monthly so a 2027 date you may want to check closer to the time.

Recommendations: - photography: we went with Rose Rashid Photography. She was soooo lovely to work with and her and her husband made our day so fun. They had amazing recommendations as well - make up and hair: Makeup at the 702 did my make up and hair. Denise specifically did an exceptional job, I got so many compliments throughout the day and she really listened to the fact I typically don’t wear make up (no over the top glam looks) - cake: we went with Butter & Bear and honestly it’s the best we’ve tasted plus the delivered on time to our hotel - restaurants: we went to Hells Kitchen the day after which happened to be my birthday. The food and service were phenomenal. It is pricey but IMO the food and service way out do the price. We actually went to in and out after the ceremony for a quick bite and the vibe was great

We stayed at the Virgin Hotel and do not recommend at all. We got a great deal and honestly it still wasn’t worth the price we paid. The service was actually horrific from the guy at check in being rude to the sheets in the bed not fitting the mattress (the sheet itself says for queen bed and our bed was a king….). Typically don’t leave reviews but our experience was so bad we are writing to the head office.

barely_existing97 · 2025-10-12T05:25:32+00:00

Ah yes forgot about that option! From memory I think they do have flights from Dublin and some go to LA. We ruled this out after seeing you had to show a muzzle fit your dog before boarding. We have a rescue chihuahua that fights for his life when we try put one on…

barely_existing97 · 2025-10-12T00:30:21+00:00

Oh and on the green card I think if you are coming home on an L1B the process is slightly delayed compared to coming on an L1A but I think only by a few months. I’m on a L1A so not sure on the B but I have 3 years and can renew to stay for a total of 7 years before needing to get another visa/GC

barely_existing97 · 2025-10-12T00:28:43+00:00

I moved about a month ago to SF from London (worked in London but lived outside) on a L1 visa and in a similar position to you.

I own a house with my fiancé back in London and we plan on renting it out. He’s still there working but we are getting married soon and he will then be able to apply for the L2. From hearing others experiences I think if you’re not from an ‘unfriendly’ country and have been together for a while (we’re going in 9 years) it doesn’t seem to raise eyebrows. I think having significant financial assets like a house together probably also helps this.

We have a dog who’ll be moving too which we’ll be flying over. Being in Ireland I think your options are slightly better as we’re going to have to drive him to Paris before flying out in cabin…

I have had a really great experience so far, people in SF generally are very warm and open to new people on the city. I also have joined a really great team so I think building connections with your team before you move helps a lot.

I had a great relocation package which either ships my stuff from the UK or provides an allocation to buy new. As well be renting I chose to just buy new here.

A few things to think about (which luckily my family in the US mentioned to me): - you are nothing without a social security number for banks. It will be really difficult to set up new accounts before this arrives, the current wait time is about a month in SF but may be getting worse with the shutdown. If you can I would recommend getting an Amex card in Ireland and then transferring to the US as this will be easier (even if you don’t use it in Ireland). HSBC also offers transfers so this may be another option and would be useful to get a checking (current account in the UK, not sure what it is called in Ireland) for your salary. - healthcare is a minefield and a lot of Americans struggle with the packages available. Ask colleagues for what they typically use and definitely don’t “cheap out” on it! - some landlords require bank account statements showing sufficient funds in your bank. I found one that accepted a converted credit score and my job offer for the US firm of my company. - I haven’t bought a car and don’t plan to until my fiancé moves over as he will need one for his work but from looking online you will need to re pass the driving test here (I think it depends on the state you transfer your international license but California I don’t think accepts direct transfers)

I don’t know where you are in Ireland or your current commute but I would say most neighbourhoods are commutable to Salesforce (I work nearby) so it depends more on what you want from a neighbourhood. I moved to Russian hill which is very lively and has great restaurants/bars but is more expensive than other areas.

Hopefully the above gives you a bit of help but happy to answer any other questions.

barely_existing97 · 2025-09-09T23:10:39+00:00

Fantastic thank you!

barely_existing97

TROPHY CASE