Many students plan their move to the Bay Area in early summer. The online community offers helpful information about the Bay Area housing market, and also connects students to potential roommates and residences. Some students visit San Francisco well in advance (June - early August) to find suitable housing before the semester begins. As the current rental market has become extremely competitive, students are encouraged to begin the housing search process early.
Students unable to solidify their housing before Orientation often make a reservation at a hotel, youth hostel, residence club, or Golden Gate Hall before their arrival. It is recommended that students not search for housing during Orientation placement exams and auditions. Please allow a minimum of three to four weeks to locate permanent housing. Hostels are usually the cheapest alternative, averaging $23 to $30 per night. Several hotels and residence clubs in the city provide weekly and monthly rates, and some include two meals a day plus maid service.
We recommend you come prepared for your apartment search with a rental resume and a credit report. For help with designing a rental resume, refer to the Rental Application Resume form found online at www.rentalguide.com/pdf/rental_application.pdf. A credit report will be needed if you intend to look for your own apartment and/or sign a lease. If you do not have a credit history, be prepared to have your parents co-sign your applications. For more information about your credit report, contact Experian at www.experian.com; Equifax at www.equifax.com; or TransUnion at www.transunion.com/index.jsp.
Communicating with potential landlords or roommates is easier and more secure if you have a steady personal voicemail and/or email. If you do not have a mobile phone, voicemail companies can provide you with your own phone number for a small fee. Mailbox companies also have locations throughout the city where you can retrieve personal mail. Do not have your mail sent to the Conservatory.
In order to distribute timely and important housing information, the Conservatory has created an online housing community. This interactive community provides a forum for Conservatory students to discuss housing needs, trends, and opportunities and includes a roommate database, comparison charts for over fifteen Bay Area neighborhoods, and helpful online links. Access is restricted to current or incoming students.
Golden Gate Hall, located only two blocks from the Conservatory's new building, has served as the Conservatory's partner residence hall since summer 2006. Golden Gate Hall is a unique residential community that encourages interaction among San Francisco's collegiate students. Golden Gate Hall offers 24 hour reception and security, a large student lounge equipped with a flat screen TV, a pool table and comfortable couches, and a fully equipped kitchen and dining area. Conservatory students can lease rooms at Golden Gate Hall on a month-to-month basis. Details can be found by contacting Golden Gate Hall at
www.goldengatehall.com, (415) 703-9988 or
goldengatehall@aol.com.
Vacancies: Completely empty units; i.e., apartments, flats, houses, and condos, where you likely will be asked to sign a lease.
Rooms/Shares: A "share" is a situation in which you become a roommate in an apartment or flat that is already rented.
Sublets: Short-term rental from someone who has a signed lease or rental agreement. If you find the right combination of price and duration, this can be a good option. Usually you are not required to sign a lease.
Home Stays for International Students: Live with a host family in San Francisco
www.IHPSHomestays.com
Temporary Housing ($23/night - $30/night, Rates Subject to Change)
Fisherman's Wharf Hostel
Fort Mason Bldg. #240
|
415.771.7277
www.sfhostels.com
|
| |
San Francisco Downtown Hostel
312 Mason Street
|
415.788.5604
www.sfhostels.com
|
| |
San Francisco City Center Hostel
685 Ellis Street
|
415.474.5721
|
| |
Residence Clubs
The following residence clubs may include meals. They provide 24-hour security, weekly housekeeping and include private telephone and message services.
City of San Francisco
San Francisco is one of the most distinguished and celebrated cities in the world. Its diverse cultures and lifestyles attract prospective students to the city, and with a little bit of direction, you can discover all the treasures of San Francisco! Short descriptions of the major neighborhoods are listed below. To further explore the city, visit the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau's Web site at www.sfvb.org.
The Castro
The universally-agreed Mecca of gay life is San Francisco's Castro District. It is home to a predominantly lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community with excellent bakeries, boutiques, cafes, restaurants and nightlife. The Castro hosts a variety of festivals, street fairs and activities throughout the year.
Cole Valley/UCSF (University of California - San Francisco)
A generally quiet neighborhood populated by families and young professionals, this area offers a variety of mom-and-pop shops in lieu of mainstream franchises.
Haight-Ashbury
Commonly referred to as the Upper Haight, the Haight-Ashbury was the center of '60s psychedelia. It is now home to a variety of gift shops geared towards the ex- or wannabe hippie, piercing salons, vintage clothing stores and Amoeba Music, the country's largest independent music store.
Hayes Valley/Civic Center
With the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco Ballet, Opera, Symphony-and the Conservatory-Civic Center is the cultural nexus of San Francisco. Adjacent to Civic Center is Hayes Valley, which caters to the "symphony crowd" with its fine restaurants, boutiques, trendy furniture stores and upscale shoe emporia.
Lower Haight/Western Addition
One of the more culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco, Western Addition and the Lower Haight offer a vast array of housing ranging from low-income complexes to gorgeous older Victorian and Edwardian buildings with San Francisco charm. The Lower Haight offers unique restaurants and bars, as well as intriguing shops.
The Marina
A bustling area that boasts many tourist attractions but also a plethora of trendy restaurants, bars, and shopping. Many young professionals call this area home.
The Mission
The Mission is an exceptionally diverse area of San Francisco with a strong Latino influence. The area boasts a colorful collection of authentic restaurants, taquerías, Mexican bakeries, produce markets, specialty shops, kaleidoscopic murals, and a lively, thriving club scene.
Nob Hill
Known for its landmarks and famous hotels, upscale Nob Hill offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and a range of bars and clubs.
Noe Valley
West of the Mission and south of the Castro is Noe Valley. Like those two neighborhoods, its streets are lined with renovated Victorians. Somewhat upscale and slower-paced, Noe Valley attracts young families, students, artists and professionals.
North Beach
Even though it's home to Little Italy and the Beat movement, North Beach offers an extremely wide variety of restaurants, bars, clubs, shopping (fantastic bookstores and funky shops) and sites.
Pacific Heights
A very wealthy neighborhood offering beautiful multi-million dollar homes and amazing views, Pacific Heights boasts upscale shopping and restaurants. However, some find the most exciting activity is to sit at a sidewalk café on Fillmore Street and people watch.
Potrero Hill
Once a largely industrial area, the Internet boom brought a change with warehouses being converted into offices and houses. Potrero Hill is fairly residential with unusually clean streets and a strong sense of community. You will see window boxes and gardens adorning almost every house.
Russian Hill
Encompassing two of the highest points in San Francisco, Russian Hill is a neighborhood of steep ascents and descents, panoramic views, interesting restaurants and shops on Hyde and Polk Streets, and fairly pricey housing. Macondray Lane was the inspiration for Barbary Lane in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City.
The Sunset
Home of the Conservatory from 1956 to 2006, this largely residential area is a good place to find affordable housing. Irving Street features a number of excellent, reasonably-priced restaurants.
The Richmond District
A middle-income, family-oriented area, the Richmond is convenient to a variety of shops, restaurants and transportation. In addition, Clement Street offers many options in East Asian cuisine. This neighborhood is relatively inexpensive and is close to Ocean Beach, The Presidio, and Golden Gate Park.
Public transportation service in San Francisco is readily accessible. MUNI, the city's bus and in-town train system, is convenient to use and provides easy access to every neighborhood in town. All collegiate students are enrolled in the MUNI Class Pass system, which allows access to any MUNI surface bus, underground train or cable car in the city of San Francisco. Visit www.sfmuni.com and www.511.org for more information.
The nearest public transportation lines to 50 Oak Street include:
| MUNI |
|
Underground Station:
Van Ness Stop:
Lines J, K, L, M, N
|
| MUNI |
|
Bus Lines:
Market & Van Ness Stop:
Bus Lines 6, 7, 9, 26, 66, 71, 71L
Fell & Van Ness Stop:
Bus Lines 47, 49
Mission & Van Ness Stop:
Bus Lines 14, 14L, 26, 49
City Hall Stop:
Bus Line 5
Hayes & Van Ness Stop:
Bus Line 21
|
| BART |
|
Station:
Civic Center Stop: Daly City-Richmond; Daly City-Fremont; SFO-Pittsburg/Bay Point; Daly City-Dublin/Pleasanton
|
United States Post Office
1390 Market Street (Market & Polk/10th Street)
415.931.1053 or 1.800.ASK.USPS
The UPS Store
Opera Plaza (at Golden Gate Avenue)
601 Van Ness Avenue, Suite E
415.775.6644
BayLink Voice Mail Service
www.bay-link.com
800.909.8439
The Conservatory assumes no responsibility for accommodations, services, injuries, loss or damage that occur on any properties suggested by Conservatory and its employees or found through listings on the SFCM-Housing Yahoo! Group, housing referral board or suggested housing web sites, newspapers or bulletin boards. Students and landlords alike are urged to thoroughly investigate any housing, rental or roommate options.
