OT: Mid-Penninsula Housing (SF)

[PeregrineA1]

My SO is in the process of accepting a position in Palo Alto. The job will require 50% in SF proper and 50% in Palo Alto.

We are not going to sell our So Cal home as it is perfect for us long term and it is paid for. So we will be renting something small (both because of the cost and the need for space, or lack thereof).

Goals:
-Under $3K/month
-Convenient to rapid transit ie: within biking distance
-Convenient to decent rides. Road, mountain, and gravel
-Convenient to basic needs shopping and not too much work for a good meal out.

We've thought about the Pacific side of the peninsula, but it is likely foggier than our So Cal brains can take.

TIA

[Hindmost]

I am a little out of touch with the rental market. I have lived on the Peninsula/South Bay for a while. So here are some ideas.

Ideally you would be very close to CalTrain. San Mateo area comes to mind.

The Pacific side of the hill has its attractions but it can be remote in a driving or public transit aspect. When summer gets going it can be pretty foggy. Down the Peninsula and south can be protected and much warmer, drier.

[fuzzalow]

Doesn't where that professed desire to live put you straight into the middle of one of the most brutal, crushing and competitive real estate markets in all the United States?

Which is fine if you find yourself amongst the tier of professional workers competing in that market. But were that even so, it is not like even then it will be easy to do - because you are competing with your own peer class of professionals that may have every bit of the same asset base, income and references that you do. In fairness, I am speaking largely from a point of view as a buyer and not as a renter so I may be talking nonsense here for what I know little about. But I know what Manhattan looks like and SF and its environs aren't much different from NYC last I looked (SF is worse).

I hate being a kill joy but I think you oughta know what you are up against. Unless this potential job subsidizes housing, it won't be a simple thing to just say "yes". Good luck.

[lovebird]

I live in the Bay Area (Marin). Under $3K I think is going to be impossible. I seriously doubt that you will even be able to find a conveniently located studio apartment for that price in a reasonably nice area mid-Peninsula. Sorry to be a killjoy, but I think you should be thinking more along the lines of $5K for a decent 1-bedroom (possibly small 2-bedroom) apt in a decently convenient spot mid-Peninsula. Palo Alto and SF are out of sight expensive. I'd love to be proven wrong here, so anyone actually living in San Mateo, Burlingame, Foster City, etc. feel free to chime in. Best of luck!

[slidey]

Can you be more specific as regards your needs, i.e. more specifically what does 'small' mean in configuration as well as sqft?

I'd suggest finding places to live as close to possible alongside Caltrain stations. Start looking at the South, and then move your gaze up North.

Also, per my experience, it is more likely that an employer is open to being reasonable about the commuting needs instead of what seems to be a ping-pong between South Bay/SF. In other words, ask your SO to speak to the employer about making one or the other location as permanent as feasible.

[jwess1234]

I just moved out recently. I would say San Mateo or Burlingame. Both are in between SF / PA on the Caltrain and have down towns, food, and seem safe. Both are somewhat close to biking (hills in Hillsborough are great for mid week rides) and you can take Crystal Springs to get to Canada road, which is the the road that gets to you to a lot of the bigger Peninsula rides.

Good luck--feel free to PM me if you want.

[PeregrineA1]

First thanks for the responses so far.

We are very aware of the market. She has worked in tech for 21 year and for a company in Redwood City for 19 of them-she was lucky enough to be able to work remote for the last 16, of that came with 300K miles a year on a plane. The new position is for a start-up so on site is necessary again.

Small could be as small as ~600 s.f.. Room to cook, store a bike or two, and sleep. We have plenty of space in So Cal for weekends, holidays, etc.

I picked the $3K mark knowing it was low. The optimist in me thought maybe I had overlooked something and there was a possibility of hitting that mark.

To be more specific, are there certain neighborhoods that are better than others within these cities? Better, meaning more cost effective without public safety issues.

[FlashUNC]

Can live in Colma with all the corpses. You'd be fine till the zombie apocalypse happens. (Totally kidding.)

Man, Mid-Peninsula is tough. Belmont or San Carlos maybe?

[54ny77]

Having lived & worked in that area quite a bit over the years, my location vote would be Burlingame, Millbrae, Redwood City/Shores, or San Mateo with proximity to Cal Train is best (i.e., not up in the hills). Those are sorta in between SF and Palo Alto, which lessens the commute pain. The Palo Alto to SF haul sucks for consistent trips. I would not want to do either/or of those towns. No way.

[mvrider]

I don't know the rental market at all, but can provide some input on locations and proximity to rides. I have good friends who live in San Mateo, and it's true that the food scene downtown is quite good. However, those guys generally come further south to the Woodside area for longer rides, either by riding down Canada Rd, or driving. There is not a good bike-friendly crossing to the ocean between Pacifica and Woodside.

Proximity to transit (basically, just Caltrain) may be a consideration to you, maybe not. If not, then stick close to the I-280 corridor for better traffic and access to great riding. If yes, then you'll be closer to US-101 almost by default.

Redwood City has a transforming downtown, and good movie theaters. San Carlos is really cute, with good beer and pastrami. Much further north, Millbrae has access to Caltrain and BART in the same station.

Don't dismiss the possibility of finding a cottage on larger properties in Palo Alto, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Hillsborough, etc. A friend has been paying the same rent in her cottage for the past 6 years.

[DukeHorn]

Would BART (FiDi, Mission) or CalTrain (SOMA, Dogpatch) be more convenient for the SF commute? That's a big driver.

If Caltrain is more desirable than I would live further down the peninsula. If you need to take BART into the city live further north (starting at Millbrae) and drive down to Palo Alto for work.

From a safety perspective, I think the cities are all pretty similar. You will be see bit more blue-collar community in San Bruno, Colma, Daly City.


Here's a $2500 2/1 in San Carlos (closer to the Redwood City side). You can cycle up Edgewood to get to the other side of 280.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/5542663078.html

Here's a $3245 2/1 in San Mateo (south San Mateo) near Ralston, not super convenient to the Caltrain

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/5545267709.html

[colbyh]

are schools a factor? all of the cities in between SF and San Jose are expensive except the areas with sub-par public schools. San Mateo, Redwood City, Burlingame, and Mountain View have "downtownish" areas with a little culture and some evening life (night life being restricted to SF/Oakland/Berkeley and the Rosewood hotel...) that should have options. they are all on CalTrain and can get you where you need to go.

right now is a pretty good time to look apparently, we've had a couple of coworkers move to the area in the last month and found spots with little stress. I'd try to lock down a place before the summer rush hits if you can. apartments/condos are almost always available in some of the bigger complexes and don't command as much $, but for $3k you might be able to find a little 2br semi-detached.

it's basically impossible to find a peninsula location that doesn't have great rides near. stay away from Foster City and East Palo Alto if you can, haha.

[downtube]

It has become brutal over the last 2 years. Real estate prices have risen so fast on that side of the bay that the rental market has been pulled right along with it. I just saw a flyer for a 60 year old 1700 sq ft home in Palo Alto on a 6,000 sq ft lot, asking price was $2.7 M. I sure it will be a bidding war. These kind of prices just drive up every aspect of housing. Good luck, there is lots of great riding on that side of the bay. Enjoy

[jds108]

Despite not feeling sure I know just what you're looking for, you'll certainly be able to find something for under $4k.

I'd suggest looking at places closer to the hills (i.e. the centerline of the peninsula) rather than close to the bay, if only because of the better riding opportunities.

Like anywhere - I'd suggest trying to do a trial run of each commute as there are of course lots of traffic issues. 280 is much better than 101 if you're driving and have a choice.

I moved out of the area a couple of years ago but just did a quick check on craigslist for pricing.

I use to live in South San Francisco and it was windy and cold most every afternoon - a very localized weather phenomena. I'd roughly say that north of San Mateo you'll experience afternoon winds and south of there it's much less. Nobody else makes much note of that but I always noticed it.

Sorry that this was a bit rambling, hopefully there's a nugget somewhere for you.

[Pelican]

Having lived here for over 15yrs, I'd optimize for the commute more so than the riding. Caltrain stations with bullet-train service are limited, and having to go SF *and* PA sucks. You can find good riding (as well as food/groceries) from almost any city on the Peninsula, and the ride from 101 to 280 is only 10-15 mins. We're lucky to be in Palo Alto, but I've lived in SF, Mt. View, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale while bike/train commuting to various startups in SF and PA/MV.

tl:dr Riding here's awesome, commuting sucks.

[peanutgallery]

Part of my retirement plan is for my central Pennsylvania home to eventually become beachfront property:)

You're very smart to rent

In the town where we live 2400sf with a 2 car garage, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a full basement in a great neighbourhood could set you back about $270k. A little less if you wanted to do a little work. 10 minutes from a huge mtb area and 15 from a great little ski hill. Good food and lots of microbreweries in the area. 2 hours and change from nyc and 90 from DC, baltimore or Philly

Never understood the draw of the bay area, the cost of living is quite nuts to me. Could never figure it out

Good luck

[pavel]

http://sfist.com/tags/apartmentsadness

[FlashUNC]

Never understood the draw of the bay area, the cost of living is quite nuts to me. Could never figure it out

Good luck

When this view is about 5 miles, as the crow flies, from your apartment, and up a scenic 3 mile switchback climb that then drops into farmland surrounding a reservoir where you're more likely to see foxes and cows than cars, the other nonsense doesn't seem so bad.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1662/24374291244_1b3d6002c3_b.jpg

[PeregrineA1]

The draw is the opportunity in tech for her. I can work anywhere (almost) and we get to come back to another over-crowded and expensive version of paradise when we choose.

Ultimately, we will be somewhere more wallet friendly. That is 5-10 years down the line.

Appreciate the guidance.

[peanutgallery]

After perusing apartment sadness, buy a motor home, might be your best bet. Cheaper than 1 years rent and you can live in whatever area you want

Find some poor fool in southern California that already suffered the depreciation and you're set for what a year's rent will set you back. Get a enclosed cargo trailer and you would have a garage. Bonus!!!

[sevencyclist]

I think Redwood City is a great place with more affordable rental options and a thriving downtown that continues to grow. Very easy access to Caltrain so you can head to SF or Palo Alto.

There are also quite a bit of rental apartments in your price range right near Menlo Park train station. Not palaces, but no problem to pay $3000 or lower for 600 Sq foot space. As someone mentioned, Belmont is nice as well.

Moving up the Peninsula, it becomes slightly more challenged for cycling since it might take a little longer to get to the "nice riding" area.

I am giving some example of what is available in RWC from Craiglist. Definitely possible to find something fitting your requirements.

In RWC Here is one brand new apt in nice area. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/5545554537.html
In RWC Here is one slightly larger, cheaper, but area not as nice. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/5514628183.html
In RWC Here is one medium grade in the moderate price and size range. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/5536318621.html

[Ken Robb]

After perusing apartment sadness, buy a motor home, might be your best bet. Cheaper than 1 years rent and you can live in whatever area you want

Find some poor fool in southern California that already suffered the depreciation and you're set for what a year's rent will set you back. Get a enclosed cargo trailer and you would have a garage. Bonus!!!

Where would you park it?

[peanutgallery]

Out in front of some millionaire's place

Hopefully they have a pool and other cool stuff

Where would you park it?

[CiclistiCliff]

Redwood City should be considered. Housing prices drop a bit as the school district is not as strong as Palo Alto, San Mateo, Burlingame.

[slidey]

Millbrae + CL + Patience + flexibility, will likely get you what you need.

I'd suggest looking for monthly leases, which allows you the flexibility to move around before settling down on what you deem to be a steady state with a longer lease. That, or Airbnb in the beginning.

[Waldo]

You can probably find a studio in Colma for under $3k; or adjust your expectations/goals.

[Waldo]

Hell, yes!

When this view is about 5 miles, as the crow flies, from your apartment, and up a scenic 3 mile switchback climb that then drops into farmland surrounding a reservoir where you're more likely to see foxes and cows than cars, the other nonsense doesn't seem so bad.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1662/24374291244_1b3d6002c3_b.jpg

[Waldo]

I lived in San Mateo during high school years and wasn't terribly impressed. As my friend Joe, who grew up on the Peninsula from age zero says: "Nobody lives on the f***ing Peninsula (he's happily in the East Bay now, as is his aged mom)." My sentiment also.

[MadRocketSci]

What's the going rent for a 2BR house in EPA these days?

Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Foster City, Mountain View, and Menlo Park....the closer you get to 101 the cheaper, the less well maintained, maybe you can get something near 3K for 1 or 2 BR? I remember when i first started biking discovering all the hidden trailer parks along the bayshore....

[mvrider]

I lived in San Mateo during high school years and wasn't terribly impressed. As my friend Joe, who grew up on the Peninsula from age zero says: "Nobody lives on the f***ing Peninsula (he's happily in the East Bay now, as is his aged mom)." My sentiment also.

We "few" Peninsula dwellers & riders are very happy that "nobody lives" here ;-) If even more move out, it'd be even better!

[alexstar]

We "few" Peninsula dwellers & riders are very happy that "nobody lives" here ;-) If even more move out, it'd be even better!

Yeah, we noticed! (build more housing!)

[54ny77]

Joe doesn't give good advice. :bike:

I lived in San Mateo during high school years and wasn't terribly impressed. As my friend Joe, who grew up on the Peninsula from age zero says: "Nobody lives on the f***ing Peninsula (he's happily in the East Bay now, as is his aged mom)." My sentiment also.

[Waldo]

Yeah, we noticed! (build more housing!)

They keep moving to the East Bay. It's getting filthy with Peninsula refugees over here.

[Waldo]

Joe doesn't give good advice. :bike:

Joe knows Peninsula.

[fuzzalow]

Joe knows Peninsula.

HaHa! Joe can't afford Peninsula!

[Waldo]

HaHa! Joe can't afford Peninsula!

Joe is a lawyer and his wife is a CFO of a hedge fund. Joe can afford whatever the hell he wants.

Next disparaging comment?

[pdmtong]

I lived in San Mateo during high school years and wasn't terribly impressed. As my friend Joe, who grew up on the Peninsula from age zero says: "Nobody lives on the f***ing Peninsula (he's happily in the East Bay now, as is his aged mom)." My sentiment also.

the two sides could not be more different

east bay vs. peninsula
oakland vs. SF
Raiders vs. 9ers
A's vs Giants
Cal vs. Stanford
Transplants vs. locals
Great food vs. over-priced mediocre
taco truck vs. Eclectic food truck
heterogeneous vs. homogeneous
it goes on and on

the only similarities of paceline concern, if you ignore being able to see the ocean, is plenty of great riding both road and mtb

[fuzzalow]

Joe is a lawyer and his wife is a CFO of a hedge fund. Joe can afford whatever the hell he wants.

Next disparaging comment?

Don't make yourself out as naive - in the realm of real estate, nobody can really afford or get whatever the hell they want. Or are you not aware of the scale involved with these transactions?

For example: Michael Bloomberg lives in my neighborhood. He desires to own the entire townhouse he currently owns most of. He has acquired units in the property for over 30 years and he recently added another unit at $14M so he's almost got all of it, but still not yet.

Hey, I'm just talkin' real estate here, even in response to your friend's comments on Peninsula living. I couldn't care less what your friend does or what you think he can afford. I can say his comment was goofy and inflammatory, in a juvenile, ingenuous kind of way - neighborhood tribalism. Sure, those comments could be meant in fun, but even so, it reeks of disliking something that you know you can't have.

You wanna diss where I live, be my guest. Don't care. It's a big world out there.

[Waldo]

Snip: Sure, those comments could be meant in fun, but even so, it reeks of disliking something that you know you can't have.


It's not a matter of what one can or cannot have, in Joe's case, it is what he prioritized. I don't know how much you know about Peninsula and East Bay accessibility/lifestyle/costs/people/etc. living in "a helluva town and all," but there's as much unaffordable housing in the East Bay as on the Peninsula. Having lived on the Peninsula (where my parents live still) and in the East Bay, if money is no object, I choose East Bay every time.

[Waldo]

I would quibble with your putting SF on the Peninsula side of the ledger. SF is its own universe, belonging to neither Peninsula nor East Bay. Otherwise, I agree and tick the East Bay box in every category. the two sides could not be more different

east bay vs. peninsula
oakland vs. SF
Raiders vs. 9ers
A's vs Giants
Cal vs. Stanford
Transplants vs. locals
Great food vs. over-priced mediocre
taco truck vs. Eclectic food truck
heterogeneous vs. homogeneous
it goes on and on

the only similarities of paceline concern, if you ignore being able to see the ocean, is plenty of great riding both road and mtb

[pdmtong]

Snip:

It's not a matter of what one can or cannot have, in Joe's case, it is what he prioritized. I don't know how much you know about Peninsula and East Bay accessibility/lifestyle/costs/people/etc. living in "a helluva town and all," but there's as much unaffordable housing in the East Bay as on the Peninsula. Having lived on the Peninsula (where my parents live still) and in the East Bay, if money is no object, I choose East Bay every time.

unaffordable is still relative.
real estate money still goes a lot further in the east bay than it does mid-pen.

[pdmtong]

I would quibble with your putting SF on the Peninsula side of the ledger. SF is its own universe, belonging to neither Peninsula nor East Bay. Otherwise, I agree and tick the East Bay box in every category.

yup...agreed SF is its own thing.

94618? now I get why you are loving the east bay. you wouldn't say that if you were in union city.

[Waldo]

yup...agreed SF is its own thing.

94618? now I get why you are loving the east bay. you wouldn't say that if you were in union city.

In my book, on the east side, anything below the San Mateo bridge is South Bay

;-)

[Hindmost]

SF is its own universe, belonging to neither Peninsula nor East Bay.

Geographically speaking you are correct. But when the Niners are winning everyone claims them. Plus the Niners used to practice in Redwood City. I used to bump into players when I went the orthopedic clinic in Portola Valley headed by the team doctor.

[peanutgallery]

So what is the eta for California to slide back into the sea?do the locals have to do the the whole FEMA flood insurance thing?

There will be some bummed out homeowners:)

[Bostic]

San Francisco is its own universe as mentioned above. Born and raised there until my 30's when I moved to Silicon Valley to lessen a commute. I wouldn't move back there, just too many things I don't like about the City. Politics, parking, personalities. I am fortunate to have family that live in a section that has parking when we visit. It's a 50 mile bike ride from home in San Jose to Ocean Beach at the Zoo. What I do miss is Ocean Beach and Land's End. Growing up it was a mile walk to get there. Now it's an hour drive but close enough to get in my SF fix when I need it.

Being from San Francisco, I grew up with just three seasons. I didn't know what snow was until family moved to Reno and I started driving HW 80 to get there. It would be quite a challenge to face an east coast winter.

The below link has all the reasons why I never take for granted the wonderful cycling that is available here.

http://web.stanford.edu/group/cycling/routes/

I have traveled to several states in the US. Great cycling routes are everywhere but on a scale, nothing enough to change the balance to want to move there vs staying in the Bay Area. Well, maybe Maui where I'd like to retire to.

The Peninsula cities and towns are all expensive. $$$ is a relative term but I still think the price is high on any income level. I wouldn't want to try East Palo Alto. Starting a ride from there would be stoplight misery in any direction for some miles.

[fuzzalow]

It's not a matter of what one can or cannot have, in Joe's case, it is what he prioritized. I don't know how much you know about Peninsula and East Bay accessibility/lifestyle/costs/people/etc. living in "a helluva town and all," but there's as much unaffordable housing in the East Bay as on the Peninsula. Having lived on the Peninsula (where my parents live still) and in the East Bay, if money is no object, I choose East Bay every time.

It's OK that conversations diverge and sometimes go all over the place. And your comments were all over the place - talkin' mid-Pen real estate somehow gets to Joe knockin' it & what Joe makes and how you prefer the East Bay. How the heck did we get onto a topic a irrelevant as that? I'm OK with that too, tangents are fun to talk about too as long as there is a point to be made.

unaffordable is still relative.
real estate money still goes a lot further in the east bay than it does mid-pen.

Yeah, 5 minutes on a RE Broker's website for the region would tell me everything I'd need to know.

If anyone really wants to know the relative valuation placed in any real estate location, one only need look up what is demanded in that market locale. Money talks and BS walks. Location, location, location. Simple, huh?

94618? now I get why you are loving the east bay. you wouldn't say that if you were in union city.

OK, so I looked up the wiki on zip 94618 and find out its Piedmont. Great. Kudos to Waldo for earning a nice life. No need for Waldo to adopt a defensive tone, even if somebody else would NOT choose the East Bay every time as he would. The OP was askin' about Mid-Pen.

Some of us Paceliners have lived, and live, in some nice towns. There is no need to brag on zip codes 'cos nobody else really cares a wit anyway. I truly don't get the insecurity when there isn't unanimous acclaim that the town anybody lives in isn't the most splendiferous of towns as proclaimed by all. If you've got it good, don't you know that already? 'Cos it didn't just fall in your lap, you hadda earn it, right?

Anything I've got didn't come easy but I never feel insecure about it. Above all else, I am thankful that I got this far.

[Waldo]

I suggest you check zip codes again. 94618 has been Oakland forever. I've lived in three different residences in 94618 since 1989 and each time it was Oakland.

And thank you.

[fuzzalow]

As this topic in the main Re: Mid-Pen seems to be played out, might I inquire as to what the state of San Francisco is in and if there should be any weight given to articles like this: San Francisco Torn as Some See ‘Street Behavior’ Worsen (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/25/us/san-francisco-torn-as-some-see-street-behavior-worsen.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-1&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&region=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article)

Are things as described in the news piece or it is sensationalized pap? It seems distressing that the petty property crime of breaking into cars is a constant reminder of how lawlessness and desperation permeates a city as great as San Francisco. Or also, in fairness, how utterly clueless City residents are to encourage this kind of crime by leaving gym bags and purses in cars as invitation to misdemeanor opportunism. As a resident of NYC, I do not see much in the way of car break-ins, or the evidence of same as broken safety glass in the curbs.

Um, what I just said applies to only what I see in NYC-Manhattan and is a very limited prism in the view of NYC life - Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx is NYC too and car breakins, muggings may happen in that-NYC as much as described in SF. Big city life is big city life and anybody soon develops the street smarts to cope.

I just thought I'd ask. I look to this forum to give me a view of how others live that I can't see living in my own bubble - but I know the part about the bubble to ask what others think.

[FlashUNC]

As this topic in the main Re: Mid-Pen seems to be played out, might I inquire as to what the state of San Francisco is in and if there should be any weight given to articles like this: San Francisco Torn as Some See ‘Street Behavior’ Worsen (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/25/us/san-francisco-torn-as-some-see-street-behavior-worsen.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-1&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&region=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article)

Are things as described in the news piece or it is sensationalized pap? It seems distressing that the petty property crime of breaking into cars is a constant reminder of how lawlessness and desperation permeates a city as great as San Francisco. Or also, in fairness, how utterly clueless City residents are to encourage this kind of crime by leaving gym bags and purses in cars as invitation to misdemeanor opportunism. As a resident of NYC, I do not see much in the way of car break-ins, or the evidence of same as broken safety glass in the curbs.

Um, what I just said applies to only what I see in NYC-Manhattan and is a very limited prism in the view of NYC life - Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx is NYC too and car breakins, muggings may happen in that-NYC as much as described in SF. Big city life is big city life and anybody soon develops the street smarts to cope.

I just thought I'd ask. I look to this forum to give me a view of how others live that I can't see living in my own bubble - but I know the part about the bubble to ask what others think.


I read the story this morning. You leave a bag on the seat in plain view in a car in any big city and it'll be gone. Atlanta, New York, LA, SF, wherever.

The increase in property crime is an issue, but do I think the city is unsafe? No way, and I say that as someone who's gotten mugged within the last year.

[Waldo]

This morning, I exhaled with relief, after finding my car's window unbroken, having left a box of cookies in plain view on the front passenger seat in Oakland.....

[hokoman]

Peregrine, Our 1 bedroom apartment in SOMA, next to caltrain and the att ballpark will be up for rent soon. 787 square feet, with a parking space in a 110 unit residential building. Current tenants of 3 years are having twins! More than what you want to spend, but less than market....

[weaponsgrade]

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Living-Google-Campus-van-rental-Silicon-Valley-7376638.php

no bathroom and you still need to find a place to park it but it does check all your other boxes