On The Move, San Francisco June 8, 2010

On The Move: Moving from Hollywood to the Mission District for just $1,000

NabeWise sat down with Philip X. Rutkowski, a 30-year old PhD graduate and current research fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab for a quick chat about his recent move from Hollywood to San Francisco’s Mission District. Philip explains how the $1000 move was achieved in just two days and what makes the Mission such a perfect neighborhood for this gas phase metal ion chemist who happens to be a vegan foodie.

So Phil, what prompted the move to the Mission?
My job, really. That was the initial reason – I’m currently a post-doc researcher who studied for a PhD at UCLA before getting a post here. Also, since my wife’s a product designer, the move was great for her since San Francisco definitely attracts a lot of design firms.

And you were moving from L.A.?
I lived in West LA for two and a half years. It was way too perfect, as in clean, safe, and quiet; so, I moved to Hollywood for two and a half years.

Was it expensive to move from LA to SF? Moving van, gas, etc?
It cost about $1000. We did a one-way weekend rental for a 26′ U-Haul truck that came out to be $600. We also hired movers from U-Haul to help load and unload the truck. All we had to do was drive!

Nice! Then what was the most stressful part of moving?
Everything! We had one weekend over Thanksgiving to look for an apartment and to sign a lease. Luckily, we found a great place in the Mission after only one day of searching. I think the absolute most stressful part was driving the 26′ truck. Everything I owned was right behind me and there were hundreds of small cars speeding past me. Very stressful! Looking for a good apartment and signing a lease in two days is very stressful too. But it’s possible! Even in SF!

And the easiest part of moving?
The easiest part was not having to load and unload the truck. I don’t think I’ll ever move again without hiring movers.

Any advice for anyone who has to move to SF that you would share?
If you are looking for an apartment in SF, Craigslist is the way to go. What SF needs is for Westside Rentals to extend their territory to northern California, I loved that resource when I was in Los Angeles. You have to pay to get a subscription so you know all of the entries have been researched and are legitimate, it was great.

So why the Mission over any other nabe?
It is a central location to public transportation, restaurants, hangouts and because there are quite a few young people in the area. My wife and I rent a two-bedroom apartment in a Victorian townhouse and I absolutely love living here. Rent’s about $2000 per month in our immediate neighborhood and we definitely want to continue renting here for the next two or three years before thinking of buying a place of our own. That is, given our careers don’t move us.

I hear the Mission also has great weather.
San Francisco weather is very strange. The Richmond and Sunset Districts are ALWAYS cloudy! But the Mission District, a few miles away is usually sunny. Each district has it’s own microclimate. If you are not restricted to a specific neighborhood, do some research into the weather of the district you are considering moving to, because a one year lease could be miserable for you if its cloudy and chilly all the time.

I know you are a vegan, would you say the Mission District is vegan friendly?
Yes! This is true for all of San Francisco though. Not many restaurants are dedicated to being completely vegan but almost every restaurant has vegan options. We are shocked anytime we go to a restaurant that doesn’t have anything for us to eat. There are so many restaurants in the Mission District. My wife and I are foodies and we especially like ethnic cuisines. I never imagined I would eat food from Senegal or Venezuela. The Mission is GREAT for foodies, vegans, and vegan foodies!

So a typical day in the Mission District for you is….
Biking to get a falafel. Hanging out at Dolores Park. Eating at a new restaurant!

I heard Emmy’s is a restaurant fave for many of the locals there.
We’ve actually never tried their food although we have heard things about their spaghetti. We’re both huge fans of ethnic food – just this week, we’ve had falafel at Truly Mediterranean and Indian at Dosa. It’s so easy in the Mission District because everything seems to be within walking distance so my wife and I basically take a stroll from one place to the next.

How would you describe the Mission District to a rancher in Texas?
Hmmmmm… Well, there are no cows in the Mission. But…. There are plenty of bicyclists, coffee shops, pedestrians, eats other than American, hipsters and hippies, more hipsters and hippies, very small apartments, and iPhones.

OUR SUMMARY -WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM RUTKOWSKI:

1.) Apartment hunting on a holiday weekend can actually be successful
2.) You can hire movers to pack and unpack your U-Haul
3.) The Mission has a sunny climate, one of many micro-climates within San Francisco
4.) San Francisco has vegan options everywhere
5.) Craigslist is the best apartment-finding option in town