living in San Fran ....

Sorry for some dumb-a*s questions but I want to pick your brains ...

Looks like my partner might be offered a job in San Francisco, which would mean us relocating from the UK.

I%26#39;ve had a look at a couple of real-estate websites and blimey, it%26#39;s more expensive than I had anticipated. Thought London was supposed to be one of the highest priced places in the world but SF gives it a run for it%26#39;s money! We%26#39;d probably rent initially, then perhaps buy when more settled.

Anyway, not sure if visa restrictions will allow me to work or not. If I can%26#39;t, we%26#39;d be reliant on one income. We%26#39;re used to a fairly decent standard of living. Given that the cost of living in the US appears to be cheaper than in the UK, we have no idea what sort of salary we%26#39;d need to afford us a comfortable lifestyle.

Also have no idea about which areas we should think about living in. I%26#39;m vegetarian and a bit of an old hippy, Other Half is the opposite! We%26#39;d like to find the impossible - somewhere that%26#39;ll keep both of us happy.

Any input very gratefully received, thank you.

living in San Fran ....

Panda,

Do a quick keyword search for ';envious.'; You%26#39;ll find a post ';Moving to SF'; from January 2006 from a father whose daughter was moving to SF. When I did that search just now, the posting popped up right near the top.

Many of us responded to that posting with extensive detail on neighborhoods, our preferences, suggestions, etc. It may be quite helpful to you.

There are also posts about vegetarian restaurants found on the site, but you can usually find places that have vegetarian dishes all over the city

living in San Fran ....

thanks very much, I had done a quick search but not found much, will try %26#39;envious%26#39; ...

Once you find envious%26#39; posting through the search function, you can also follow his postings from the past. I believe he reported back from his trip, and described where his daughter found an apartment.

As one of the respondents to ';Moving to SF'; mentioned, the East Bay (just across the Bay Bridge from SF) is more affordable, and you can get a little more for your money there. I lived in Oakland for 7 years and loved it, this after spending well 14 years in SF. I still own a condo in SF%26#39;s SOMA neighborhood.

Try craiglist.com for information on rentals. You will find listings for both SF and the rest of the area. The prices are what they are. Complaining won%26#39;t cause them to drop. There is a reason that prices are so high - because the quality of life is excellent and everybody wants to live here.

For visa advice, contact an immigration lawyer. It is a very complicated legal matter and I wouldn%26#39;t seek or trust advice from an internet forum.

SF is probably one of the more vegetarian friendly places - you should have no trouble finding a place to eat here!

San Francisco is the perfect city for a vegetarian hippy and friend to move. If my daughter could do it on a teacher%26#39;s salary then so can you.

My partner and I match your description pretty closely (he%26#39;s a Scottish meat fan, Im a Cali vegetarian) and we LOVE living in Oakland. Definitely check out the Oakland/Berkeley area as a viable option. If you are interested in easy access to SF, check for areas with a BART station.