San Fransisco-Berkeley Commute

<p>I'm an out of stater who is not familiar with the Bay Area. </p>

<p>I plan on applying for junior level transfer to Berkeley after two years at a California community college. I am looking at a school in the city of San Fransisco however I am not quite interesting in finding a housing situation in the heart of the city ( Sky-high rent is not at the top of my list, if you catch my drift).</p>

<p>Does anyone know how long the usual commute is from S.F. to Berkeley? I imagine the bridge is backed up with cars during "rush hours" (Much like it is here in Boston on I-93). Is it possible for one to use public transportation to and from S.F. from the Berkeley area? Possibly even ride a bicycle? </p>

<p>For a college student looking to go to school for the first two years within the city of S.F., does anyone have any pointers on location of affordable housing within reasonable distance?</p>

<p>Use the BART system, it is quite reliable and only a short distance from the campus (Downtown Berkeley Stop)</p>

<p>Go to craigslist.org Click on SF. Then click on real estate.</p>

<p>You can take public transportation from Berkeley to SF. How long it takes depends on where in SF you are going. Driving a car, it takes between 25 and 50 minutes depending on where you are going. (Unless it is commute time).</p>

<p>I haven't done the BART trip (public transportation) in a long time so I don't know how long it takes, but that is the way to go if it works out.</p>

<p>Housing is not cheap in the bay area. If you are going to City College or SF State, renting a room in a house in the Sunset (near 19th ave.) or the Monterey Blvd. area makes sense.</p>

<p>Berkeley is a great place for a college kid to live. You might not need a car if you live there (which will save you money).</p>

<p>You are refering to the Sunset District of S.F., correct?</p>

<p>Is this where some of the more affordable, less pricy housing situations are in the area? What is the area like?</p>

<p>Yes. The Sunset is full of middle class housing. Do you want to be surrounded by college kids? Then go to Berkeley. I went to school at both City College and Berkeley. </p>

<p>I can't remember if there is a Bart station near City College, but I believe there is. </p>

<p>You are going to City College, right?</p>

<p>Why not just go to Vista Community College?</p>

<p>I believe the Balboa Park Station is very close to City College, so living in Berkeley and going to City College of SF is very easy.</p>

<p>(You are testing my memory).</p>

<p>Correct. I want to make the move from NH to California before the Spring 2007 semester begins and I am just looking at the cost of living the various areas around S.F./Berkeley.</p>

<p>As a former City College student who has successfully made the transition to Berkeley, do you have any pointers for me? I am saving up the necessary funds to make the move possible and my parents are assiting me in the housing situation as well, but with rent prices the way they are, I am really interested in the bare minimums for my two years there :)</p>

<p>I was thinking of trying to find a cheaper place in Berkeley rather than in the heart of S.F. as long as the commute would be feasible. </p>

<p>I figured I could save a few bucks each month and it wouldn't hurt to be in the heart of the college town of the school that I am trying for (Maybe driving by the campus each day would serve as prime motivation for my first two years and remind me of why I moved 3000 miles from home in the first place).</p>

<p>Again, why not Vista community college?</p>

<p>Here is a sample Bart schedule. It takes about 35 minutes from downtown Berkeley to Balboa Park. I think the walk from City College to the Bart station is about 10-15 minutes. It's about $3.55 each way.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bart.gov/stations/quickPlanner/schedule.asp?origin=BRK&destination=BALPK&time_mode=departs&depart_time=9%3A00+AM&format=expanded&trip_mode=roundtrip&depart_month=7&depart_date=6&return_month=7&return_date=6&return_time=3%3A00+PM&return_page=/stations/quickplanner/quickPlanner.asp&new=yes%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bart.gov/stations/quickPlanner/schedule.asp?origin=BRK&destination=BALPK&time_mode=departs&depart_time=9%3A00+AM&format=expanded&trip_mode=roundtrip&depart_month=7&depart_date=6&return_month=7&return_date=6&return_time=3%3A00+PM&return_page=/stations/quickplanner/quickPlanner.asp&new=yes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>As for advice, it's been a long time since I went to those schools. Many people make the transition from City College to Berkeley successfully, so just do your homework. :) Also plan out your classes in advance so you know what you need to take. </p>

<p>As for where to live, that is a personal choice. The Sunset is quiet.</p>

<p>The area around the Haight is more interesting. The Marina area is probably the best area to live, but it is far from City College. You can probably get to City College faster from Berkeley than the Marina. It is expensive.</p>

<p>This is a great area to live.</p>

<p><a href="http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/roo/178772767.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/roo/178772767.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Click on yahoo map.</p>

<p>Well, I guess in reply to your question:</p>

<p>At first glance, I saw that City College of S.F. sent 140 transfer students to Berkeley last year while Vista sent 68.</p>

<p>After analyzing the student body ratios however, with City College having a student body close to 14,617 and Vista being closer to 1560, I realize now that I may have been overlooking a better opportunity for my own situation.</p>

<p>I must admit, when I saw that City College sent close to 140 students to Berkeley last year, it almost over shadowed my opinions on the other CC's in the area. I should have taken into consideration the size of the student body and what not.</p>

<p>Poor judgement on my behalf and thank you. I am putting serious consideration into Vista after this.</p>

<p>anyone know how far AND how long it would take to get from berkeley campus to Oakland Arena?</p>

<p>Where the Warriors play?</p>

<p>By public transportation, it would take about 25 minutes.</p>

<p>Driving, around 20-25 minutes if the traffic isn't too bad.</p>

<p>i live in san francisco
and yes the ccsf (city college of san francisco) is the best community college in the surrounding area
and yea, it is not a very long walk down to the balboa bart station....in fact i was at city college today because im registering there for my fall semester (im a spring admit at Cal)
if u take the richmond line, you could get to downtown berkeley in 20 mins on a good day and around a little more than 30 mins on a busy one</p>

<p>also, about housing im not so sure but i noe that people who go to sfstate...which is by my house....many of them live in the student housings @ the park merced villas....
i dunt think the apartments there would be in ur budget tho because its like around 1000$ one month =/</p>

<p>yes, the warriors, thanks dstark</p>

<p>i thought Cal only took fall transfers.</p>

<p>
[quote]
i thought Cal only took fall transfers.

[/quote]

He applied for fall, and they offered him spring admission. You can't apply for spring; they offer it to some well qualified applicants who don't get a space in the fall.</p>

<p>im a she lol you probably got fooled by my screename</p>

<p>but yea, i was a fall applicant and they offered me spring admissions...and im an incoming freshie! not a transfer student :)</p>

<p>o yea i have a question for you guys, how do they come about selecting the spring admits? is it based on application times? or a random drawing since they "say" that grades weren't a factor....=/</p>