Left your heart in San Francisco? You wouldn’t be alone. Over the last year the city on the bay has experienced steady economic development and Mayor Edwin M. Lee believes that “San Francisco is an economic bright spot with innovation continuing to put our region solidly on a trajectory for major economic growth.”
Assuredly, the city has experienced its fair share of newcomers. But before you move to San Francisco – your dream stay by the bay, there are a few things you should know.
Moving to San Francisco Guide
Any efficient planner seeking to move to a major city, such as San Francisco, knows that there’s a number of ways one can go about getting to know the city, but there’s only one way that’s the most efficient. You must visit the city’s Chamber of Commerce however you can – physically or virtually.
San Francisco’s Chamber of Commerce revealed a plethora of community and business information that would be integral to those moving to San Francisco to finding a job, networking with various business leaders and finding courses that are offered to the community, low cost for non-members or free of charge to members.
One such event listed is a Golden Gate Business Association Make Contact Mixer, a perfect opportunity for those new to the city and looking to network, promote your business, and meet new friends and contacts.
With all those new contacts, social events and friend you’ll be making, you’ll definitely need to know how to get around town. ‘Muni’ or the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency operates buses, streetcars, and cable cars throughout the city.
Did you know that San Francisco even has underground street car routes? Aside from Muni the Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, offers transit connections to cities in the East Bay or south of San Francisco, including San Francisco airport.
Of course driving your car within the city is also an option, this is especially true if you have children who you’ll be taking on this adventure with you. If transporting your vehicle becomes a necessity, Montway is still one of the best auto shipping options covering the whole country.
Speaking of children, when moving children from state-to-state, education and housing may be the number one task on your list of priorities. The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is the seventh largest school district in California, educating over 55,000 students every year.
A visit to their website gives you access to their current school accountability report cards, as well as, enrollment information for each school. These are integral when trying to decide what location and paperwork will be needed to fit your child securely into their next educational experience.
Finally, it may not be a shock that housing prices and rental unit costs can be very steep in the San Francisco area. According to an article in the San Francisco Gate, it is one of the highest in the country. Not to worry though, for the right price and quick thinking, you’ll be singing ‘home, sweet home’ in no time at all. It’s a good idea to frequently peruse Craigslist.org and Trulia.com. Those qualifying for low-income housing might consider making contact with the San Francisco Housing Authority.
You may also want to learn more about moving expenses and tax deductions because in many cases you can write off moving expenses.
Using these navigational tools will make moving to San Francisco much easier in no time at all. You can read about our Moving to Chicago guide as well.
