JaJO

Temescal is my new neighborhood and definitely up and coming. Sure, it is still a little rough around the edges. There is still some crime and you will definitely encounter the strange homeless person walking around. However, the stretch of telegraph from 52nd street to 43rd is terrific. Two Chez Pannise former chefs have opened up restaurants there. The well loved bake sale betty's is right in the neighborhood, with delicious chicken sandwiches and baked goods. So is Genova's, the fancy Italian sandwich shop that has been reviewed as a place to go by the NY Times. Temescal also boasts a number of other great eats including Barlatta for Tapas, Dona Tomas for Mexican food, and the newly opened Burma Superstar. For someone who hates to cook, its a great neighborhood! There are also two small art galleries that sometimes hold events on Shattuck and 56th, and the area is pretty much right between Ashby, Rockridge and Macarthur BART with the 18, 51 and 1 bus line running through. I think in no time at all this area will (hopefully) be the new Rockridge. For the moment, rents are extremely low and the food good!

In my opinion, the east village is the best part of New York. Last New Years, I rented out an apartment on 6th avenue for a week. The neighborhood is classic new york, lots of brown stone apartments. There are great places to eat, and I had some of the best mexican food i've ever eaten at a little restaurant on the corner of 6th Ave. The area is young and hip and has a lot of boutique shops and salons. The best part is that it is easily accessible by walking to greenwich village and to the big department stores on Wash Ave. There is a great amount of history in this borough, which is definitely palpable. One thing that would probably keep me from moving here are the prices. My one week studio rental was $500, and the girl who rented the studio normally was paying $1600 a month!!

Williamsburg has a lot to offer. There are great restaurants, music spots, and young people. In addition to that, there is easy access to the Brooklyn waterfront, where I enjoyed many an amazing fireworks display on 4th of July, or hung out and gazed at Manhattan from a short distance. Rents however, have gotten pretty out of control ( I was living on Bedford Ave in an apartment and paying $1000 for a room). It is definitely not that affordable, unless you have a pretty good job. If you do, there are tiny thrift stores to enjoy, a lovely wine shop on Bedford and great people to enjoy!

Yes, this might be a dodgier part of San Francisco, but I still love it. Where else can you get such a diverse mix of people, and the cheapest and most delicious restaurants around? Walking around the mission district, there are tons of little boutiques where you can pop in to shop, thrift stores running all the way down Mission street and Valencia, and delicious eats (my favorite is DOSA). The best part of the neighborhood is that the rent is not tooo ridiculous (I found a rent controlled room in an apartment on Natoma for $440). Watch out for the somewhat seedy characters on Mission itself and near the BART, but take time to enjoy a lovely afternoon at Dolores Park or an EXCELLENT cup of coffee and Ritual.

This is a terrific street. It is a little cul de sac hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Guerrero street. And yet its just minutes away from the Park, and not far from an amazing coffee shop called Java City. Besides being a beautiful and secluded street in an otherwise hectic neighborhood, it is also easily accessible by bus/bike/muni to both Castro and the mission night spots, so there is always somewhere to go out to!

This is a great little one block street, hidden away from the craziness that is mission street. I lived here for a few months and it was fantastic. You are minutes away from 16th street BART, close to all the bars/restaurants/dolores Park. And yet, you still get a bit of a neighborhood feel being on a tiny side street that no one else can really find. These are the best deals in town if you ask me. I paid only $440 for rent to live in the heart of the mission! Mission itself can be a little crazy with all the homeless people around, but the excellent choice of activities/nightlife/shopping make it a must see.