Moving to San Francisco / S&T?

Demiurge wrote:

I *do* like bars.

Do yourself a favor and check out the Toronado once you get settled in to the area. Probably only the BEST BEER BAR ON EARTH.

Even better if you go during their yearly barleywine festival, but I wouldn't recommend it without someone sober enough to make sure you can stumble back in the general direction of home.

Landshrk83 wrote:
Demiurge wrote:

I *do* like bars.

Do yourself a favor and check out the Toronado once you get settled in to the area. Probably only the BEST BEER BAR ON EARTH.

Even better if you go during their yearly barleywine festival, but I wouldn't recommend it without someone sober enough to make sure you can stumble back in the general direction of home.

My liver quivers in anticipation.

Apartment hunting from afar has proven to be more difficult than I'd expected. For now, I've got a possible reservation at University Hotel in Berkeley for a few weeks for which I'm waiting on confirmation. But I wonder if there's a better way.

So here's a crazy idea for a backup plan: Would anyone in the Bay Area let me couch surf?

About me: I'm a mid-size redhead who is obsessively clean and enjoys spending time on the Internet. My new gig is on market hours, so I'd be at the office at 5:30am and out of your hair. I don't take up much space, I'm not loud and I'll be spending much of my time exploring the area and looking for an apartment.

I plan on flying down the week after Labor Day, probably the 8th or 9th. Hoping to sign a lease as soon as possible. I would obviously pay for whatever costs are necessary.

Again, backup plan. I think the residential hotel will work out. This is just in case it doesn't.

What do you say? Let's discuss.

Caveats:

Unfortunately, I can't offer you a long term place to stay (maybe 1 week).
I live on the peninsula - close to CalTrain which would get you into the city (~40 minute train ride). Not a great choice if you're exploring the East Bay as you'd have to train up to the city, and then switch to BART for a 20 minute ride to Berkeley or elsewhere.
I have an almost 3 year old daughter at home (but given your appreciation for Rabbit's kid's that may not be a problem).
I have two 70 lb dogs.

The pluses:

I have a nice home, and a guest bed, Rock Band with the premium drum kit, and a nice collection of board games.

If nothing else, regardless of where you end up, I'll be hosting a bunch of BBQ + Board Game events at my place on the weekends, which might make for a nice retreat from apt/roommate living!

An even worse option:

Come live with my family in San Jose! It's only 1.5 hours away by the same train system described by HedgeWizard. I, too, have board games, rock band and a small child. You would be in the room with the PS3.

In order to be at work by 5:30, you would need to get up by 2am. Fun!

I currently live just outside the Bay Area, however with a Van Pool its 1.5-2 hour commute. Ugh...why do I torture myself...

On the bright side I have 3 couches available for crashing and a guest bedroom with a bathroom in it, it was meant to be the master, but doesn't fit a king size bed.

:p

Demiurge wrote:

Apartment hunting from afar has proven to be more difficult than I'd expected.

We found an SF real estate agent who posts 3-5 minute video walk-throughs of her properties on youtube. She seems to manage quite a few properties all over the city, and she posts new videos every week. Probably better than just going by pictures and descriptions if you can't physically visit every apartment.

fangblackbone wrote:

I'll be there.

We must bring Its-Its and sourdough bread.

No need. The wife found Its-Its in our local Safeway here in Seattle, and hasn't stopped raving about them since.

Also, please stop stealing all the cool people, San Francisco.

Jonman wrote:
fangblackbone wrote:

I'll be there.

We must bring Its-Its and sourdough bread.

No need. The wife found Its-Its in our local Safeway here in Seattle, and hasn't stopped raving about them since.

Also, please stop stealing all the cool people, San Francisco.

Transfer down here, and then you won't need to say that.

HedgeWizardjoinus wrote:
Jonman wrote:
fangblackbone wrote:

I'll be there. [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color]

We must bring Its-Its [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color] and sourdough bread.

No need. [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color] The wife found Its-Its in our local [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color] Safeway here in Seattle, and hasn't stopped raving about them since.

Also, please stop [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color] stealing all the cool people, San [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color] Francisco.

Transfer [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color] down here, and then [color=white][size=8]join us[/size][/color] you won't need to say that.

[size=8]join us[/size]

Thanks for the offers, guys. For now I think I'm gonna stick with the residential hotels in Berkeley and just get aggressive about the apartment search when I'm local.

In the meantime, we should get serious about the meetup idea. How do the 10th or 11th sound for everyone?

That's perfect timing. I'm in, just name a place.

Is the plan to meet in the city, or in the East Bay?

Demiurge wrote:

In the meantime, we should get serious about the meetup idea. How do the 10th or 11th sound for everyone?

Sadly the 10th is my girlfriend's birthday and we're heading up to go canoeing the following day, so I wouldn't be able to make those dates. But sounds like there will be more down the pipe, so no worries if that's the most pragmatic day, of course.

I vote for the 10th! (Not as a response from above, but because its most likely for me to show.) Please make the date snappy so I can request for a schedule change and commute arrangements.

No can do either day. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in SF do work. I can also recommend The Thirsty Bear if you're in the mood for some good micro brew.

Moggy wrote:

No can do either day. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in SF do work. I can also recommend The Thirsty Bear if you're in the mood for some good micro brew.

Crazy, that's down the street from my work and I had no idea. Sounds like a good spot to me

They're right next door! I used to pass them by every day. It'll be fun to actually walk in.

Sku Boi wrote:

They're right next door! I used to pass them by every day. It'll be fun to actually walk in.

7inchsplit wrote:
Moggy wrote:

No can do either day. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in SF do work. I can also recommend The Thirsty Bear if you're in the mood for some good micro brew.

Crazy, that's down the street from my work and I had no idea. Sounds like a good spot to me :-)

You guys work next to an awesome bar and haven't been there? For shame on both of you. Thirsty Bear is a great bar, and a ton of fun. Personally, I don't like it as much as Mars Bar, but that's 'cause I work a block from Mars, (which is also a great place for an S&T by the way...)

Depending on the day/night, I may train up instead of driving so that I might imbibe a few more!

ThatGuy42 wrote:

You guys work next to an awesome bar and haven't been there? For shame on both of you. Thirsty Bear is a great bar, and a ton of fun. Personally, I don't like it as much as Mars Bar, but that's 'cause I work a block from Mars, (which is also a great place for an S&T by the way...)

I tend to head back to the East Bay to do my drinking. If we do want to do it over in the East Bay, The Trappist Belgian bar is absolutely amazing, and right by 12th St. BART. They have two bars with different beers on tap, and they rotate new ones in and out daily.

I'm down/up/with it/for it/etc...

The 10th works quite well. The following week...not so much.

I USED to work around the corner from Thirsty Bear, but now I'm closer to Mars Bar.

The 10th sounds like a winner for this particular meetup. Don't worry, everyone: I'm hoping this is the first of many.

Let's give The Thirsty Bear a try. What time we thinking?

Well then. Start at one, finish at the other. Or let's have TWO S&Ts

Without a doubt, Wednesday evenings work best for me. My Wednesday class finishes at 3pm and my Thursday class doesn't start until 3:30 and then goes on until 10pm.

So when you're all up for a mid-week S&T, count me in!

When we had the San Fran S&T of '08 at Thirsty Bear, the food was really good there. The paella was nice.

Moggy wrote:

Well then. Start at one, finish at the other. Or let's have TWO S&Ts

Without a doubt, Wednesday evenings work best for me. My Wednesday class finishes at 3pm and my Thursday class doesn't start until 3:30 and then goes on until 10pm.

So when you're all up for a mid-week S&T, count me in!

Don't worry, we'll do more. This is just an introductory event. There's a good chance I'm gonna see you guys at the bar before I see where I'm staying for the next few weeks.

5:30pm? 6pm? Don't know what everyone's work schedules are like.

EDIT TO ADD: I don't care where we meet up. I just want to know when I get off the plane I've got people with whom to drink/nerd-out.

I can be at the Thirsty Bear by about 5:45 (coming from Cal Train)

I like 6pm but that's because I'll be coming from Walnut Creek. Most other folks are closer I think. Thirsty Bear is a little easier to get to for folks who are BARTing, but I'd be okay with Mars Bar if that's better for most of us.

7 or 8 is the earliest we'd be able to get into the city, I think. It really just depends on traffic. I don't mind showing up fashionably late.

Either Bear or Mars will work for me; Mars is closer to CalTrain which is good by me.

Thirsty is closer to BART.