The Big Valley of Sorts
When offered the opportunity to provide copy work for a start-up Internet company in San Francisco, so years, ago, I must admit I was a bit nonplussed. But, finally caving to the pressure of my colleagues and peers, I acquiesced and accepted the position. Consequently, I had the unhappy task of finding suitable lodgings. I had to move all my belongings across the continent, from New York City, and move in within a two-week window. Being a good naturalized American, I navigated to Craig’s List and began my apartment search in vain.
Though I had been living on the East Coast and was accustomed to the exorbitant price I was paying for my one bedroom in Brooklyn. Of course, Brooklyn is one thing — Manhattan is another. Little did I realize moving to the San Francisco proper would entail paying Manhattan prices, sans the panache of New York.
In the name of full disclosure, I must admit I was a London native and accustomed to a certain partiality towards urban, dense city centers. Though San Francisco would like the majority of Golden State residents believe it is the most cosmopolitan city in California, I found it rather…well, dull. I thought Los Angeles had more cosmopolitan pizzazz. So, the thought of having to pay $3,000 for a one bedroom on Russian Hill filled me with a sharp sensation of dread.
Thankfully, my virtual search yielded some palatable results, namely, an affordable handful of pads in the North Bay. I crawled in traffic across the Golden Gate Bridge and booked myself into the Holiday Inn in Mill Valley to give myself ample time to view the properties. The agent charged with showing me the units informed me the North Bay quickly became the haven of the well off during the Seventies and Eighties. Indeed, judging by the price of housing, I was surprised I had found such relative bargains.
Although the North Bay is relatively suburban, it does offer some advantages to either living directly in the City itself, or in the Oakland-Berkeley nexus. If you can bear the traffic over the Golden Gate, the 101 highway drops you directly into the most fashionable districts in San Francisco. And, upon completion of the day’s tasks, you can return to your quiet, affordable digs in Mill Valley.
When trolling through the North Bay for a suitable apartment or home, you would be remiss to not reserve a room at the accommodating Holiday Inn in Mill Valley. Best of luck on your search.
