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Re:Rents are dropping across the US by pmiller2 on Wednesday June 17, 2020 @06:44PM (#23557686)
Wouldn’t the lesser of two evils in that case be somewhere around San Mateo? You’re roughly equidistant, IIRC, from SV and downtown SF there, the only geographical disadvantage being that you’re effectively cut off from the East Bay. But, for some, that’s not much of a disadvantage at all.
Re:Rents are dropping across the US by pengaru on Wednesday June 17, 2020 @07:08PM (#23557908)
I lived in San Mateo for a few years, right off 92 between 101 and 280 on the top of the hill.

It was an ideal spot for 92/280 access. But while it was equidistant from everything of interest on a map, traffic was often so impossibly bad that everything was equally prohibitively inconvenient to reach. And forget about parking in SF after you've managed to get there, not on any busy night everyone else is out on too.

If you want to access the SF night life regularly, San Mateo isn't really a convenient place for it. Maybe via Caltrain+BART@Millbrae? That wasn't easy from my place, our location was very car-optimized.

I did prefer the San Mateo weather to SF or Berkeley though, even up on the hill we got way less cold damp crap weather ruining our nights out on the deck.

Re:Rents are dropping across the US by chrisseaton on Wednesday June 17, 2020 @10:03PM (#23559035)
> Maybe via Caltrain+BART@Millbrae? That wasn't easy from my place, our location was very car-optimized.

Why isn’t the train a more attractive option? You’re in one of the very few areas in the US with even one train line, and you still don’t sound like you’re very keen on it.

Surely the train is a fine option from San Mateo right into central SF? What’s stopping you?

Re:Rents are dropping across the US by SpicyLemonZest on Wednesday June 17, 2020 @10:16PM (#23559123)
The Caltrain only goes to the very eastern edge of SF. BART has more coverage, but it's full of drug addicts and none of the stations in the city have working bathrooms.
Re:Rents are dropping across the US by pengaru on Wednesday June 17, 2020 @11:13PM (#23559433)
Too many reasons to write here, I already said our location was very car-optimized which alone is enough for me.
Re:Rents are dropping across the US by redis_mlc on Thursday June 18, 2020 @03:33AM (#23560689)
Caltrain summary:

- no wifi

- relatively expensive for a return trip

- 4th and King terminal is nowhere. You still have to get to FiDi or somewhere

- runs hourly after a certain time, ending at midnite (pre-corona.)

- if you forget/can't prove you paid, $200+fine and interrogation

There is garage parking downtown after 6 pm, but that's $20+.

Re:Rents are dropping across the US by pengaru on Thursday June 18, 2020 @04:27AM (#23561004)
> - if you forget/can't prove you paid, $200+fine and interrogation

This happened to me the first time I took BART to Millbrae from the Glen Park station. I did some transfer that I mistakenly thought was covered by my ticket but apparently wasn't. Was treated like a scumbag criminal by a BART cop on a power trip getting in my face and shoving me around, ended up with a stiff fine to boot.

Re:Rents are dropping across the US by redis_mlc on Thursday June 18, 2020 @07:30AM (#23562042)
I mentioned it because it's a big deal if you're an engineer, give the "wrong" answer, and events escalate.

I've had nothing but problems with Clipper cards and tagging on and off the Caltrain.