Moving from San Diego to San Francisco!

It's horrifically expensive, with that extra tax you have to pay on everything. Parking is especially insane, often it's a lot cheaper to live in the east bay (still expensive) or south bay (still expensive) and BART in to San Francisco. The weather's nice, though--if you like it cool and foggy (which I do). Shop around for housing, deals are rare, but they occasionally pop up.

The Bay Area is so expensive I commuted from Sacramento for 3 years because I couldn't afford to live there on my student income.

I expect Aaron can chime in with the best in brews and where to get them, although Sunnyvale is the home of Rabbit's Foot Meadery, and Heidrun is on the North Coast somewhere (Eureka? Can't remember offhand). And of course, Morewine/beer has a home in Concord, a city definitely BARTable from San Francisco.

Pizzeria Delfina downtown if possibly the best pizza place in the country get the Pana Pizza, its $10... I used to get 2 or 3 at the resteruant, 1 on the way home and always have another the next morning for breakfast. I was in Monterey stationed at the military language school and every paycheck I would drive to san fransisco just to eat there...

Happy Trails.
Grand Adventures await you.

I always love the Open Studio Tours (in October, I think).

Well shoot! I'm leaving and you're coming up. Bad timing. I guess we'll be back in the spring for at least a little while so I can find you then.

East Bay is definitely cheaper than living in the city. We love Oakland and have been here for 6 years (after 1 year in Berkeley). The downtown Oakland area has lots of good bars and restaurants, the waterfront at Jack London is nice, and the warehouse district is becoming more and more fun with wineries and good meat restaurants popping up frequently. There are lots of loft-style apartments there too, and parking is easy. It's also right on top of Amtrak and BART, and the ferry terminal to boot.

Beer Revolution (on 3rd off Broadway in Oakland) has tons of bottles in their cases, and you can find cider and mead as well as beer from all around the world. Their taps rotate with frightening frequency (sometimes they get just one keg of something rare). The Trappist is on 8th a few blocks away and has mostly Belgian-style beers on tap and in bottles.

San Francisco has a brew shop; I think it's called San Francisco Brew Craft or something. It's not bad, though the owner guy is kind of grumpy (in a funny way if you're not too stodgy yourself). There are more in Berkeley, San Leandro, San Jose area, Concord, and I think MoreBeer has a shop near Mountain View too. Very easy to get stuff around here.

The city has tons of breweries and good pubs. I enjoy going to 21st Amendment on 2nd near AT&T Park. Toronado is a good bar for lots of fun taps and they host the annual BarleyWine Festival in February. You should be able to find good food by throwing a rock, so no worries there. There's a good fish restaurant on Hyde, can't remember the name but "Hyde" appears in it. We don't go to the city much since we enjoy and live in Oakland, so if you want more ideas for there let me know. I will say "Bay Wolf" which is probably our favorite.

Also Heidrun is moving to Pt Reyes.

Good luck with the move!

I was born and raised up in Santa Rosa (Northern Cali), but I currently work down in Redwood City while living up there still, so I drive through SF Daily, traffic is horrid. Even though I've lived/commuted through the area I still only know of the HBS up in Santa Rosa, granted I have not really searched outside my hometown.
Being an art graduate myself was wondering where your girlfriend is going to attend and what she is studying. I went to school in Emeryville at Ex'pression College for Digital Arts for animation and visual effects (working in the game industry now, finally... graduated in 09), I'm assuming it is the Art Academy, which is/was my schools rival school hehe.

Also Heidrun is moving to Pt Reyes.

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I hadn't heard that, oh, my...another reason to visit Point Reyes.

+1 on Toronado's. Something like 45 taps of all Indy beers. Love it.

I live in Santa Monica, but love SF I get up there pretty regularly.

Favorite pubs the Connecticut Yankee is where I and a lot of friends hang out, it's over at the foot of Goat Hill, Potrero Hill for all who don't know their history In fact if you look closely at the walls you can find a picture of me there. Not a great selection of beers, but always something drinkable and a good local pub.

The Tee Off on Clement sometimes has an amazing selection of Lagunitas beer, the first time I was there they had 6 taps, but it is a bit hit and miss. Good food though.

The Monks Kettle on 16th street.

And you have to go by the City Beer Store on Folsom, just don't take any more money with you than you want to spend on beer.

For a more low key time and if you want to talk then the Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant at the end of the Park is nice.

If you want a romantic interlude with your girlfriend you can't beat the Pelican Inn in Sausalito.

I could go on for pages, but you get the idea.

Also if some of that 25 gallons should fall off the truck between SD and SF, just make it around SM and give me a call first


Cheers
Jay

Moving is such a pain, but the adventure is exciting. Enjoy it all!