Johnny Rotten

Speaking as a local, I would strongly recommend analyzing your budget and comparing it to the cost of living here. You'll want to spend no more than one-third of your monthly take-home on rent. If that sounds easy, take a look at the current listings. I don't mean to discourage you, but I'd hate for one of my fellow TPFers to walk in blind.

Parking is tough and varies wildly from district to district, with the Mission and Nob Hill being the worst, IMO. The weather is typically windy and cloudy, although not chilly by PA standards. Freeway commuting can be atrocious depending on which way you're going at what time of day, with the Bay Bridge supposedly the most highly-trafficked one in the nation. I've easily spent over an hour getting from one end of that benighted steel trap to the other, a few times.

That said, it's a funky, busy little city with a beautiful baseball field, parks, great museums, ballet, theater, symphonies, cafes, nightclubs and restaurants; impressive independent book and music stores; and a vibrant creative community of writers, artists, musicians and more.

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"The idea that money doesn't buy you happiness is a lie put about by the rich, to stop the poor from killing them." -- Michael Caine