No car in San Francisco?

I am moving to San Francisco this summer and am thinking about going car-free. I know I will love the massive amounts of money I will save but I feel like I will be losing some independence. I am a person who likes freedom to move about and am a night owl. I know public transit is supposed to be good but I have also heard it is unreliable. I also worry about dating women when I don't have a car. Does anyone already do this in SF or have any advice?

Public Comments

1. Bus service in SF is unreliable, and on some routes, dangerous. The subway system, Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, is a safe alternative and can get you most everywhere. SF is a fairly compact city, and a good choice if you want to go car free.
2. if you are in the city, it is very possible to be carless. i did it for a while. there are city trains and busses, and connecting trains to the east bay and the south bay. you can get anywhere in the city, the public transportation is quite good for the US. buses run 24 hours and cover the city, although a little more sparsely than in the day, of course. the only downside is getting out of town, it makes it harder to go to marin or wine country or down to monterrey or santa cruz. don't worry about the women, first of all as a single (straight) man you will be in demand, secondly they can drive you around in their hybrids. and there is a thing called city carshare which is a club you join that lets you use cars for a day. if you only use it rarely, that can be very viable financially.
3. If you want to be car-less then walk, but you should want to have your own transportation so you don't have to rely on anybody else.
4. You've gotten some good answers here. I would just like to add that as a night owl, you'll probably be taking cabs. Fortunately, the city is so small that the fares will be inexpensive, especially as compared to the cost of driving and parking at your evening destination. The average cost I've paid to go from one end of town to another was about $15. Also, biking is an option. You can take your bike on most buses (there's a rack on the front of the bus) and on BART (except during rush hours). Here's more info; the site also includes a map showing the elevation of various routes: http://www.sfbike.org/
5. I have lived car-free in SF for over a decade. I've never liked the bother of owning a car, and parking alone can run $300+ per month. Public transporation works very well, and late night cab rides work for those times when I don't feel that waiting on the bus is a good option. I rent a car every once in a while, when I want to get out of the city, or need to do a major shoping run. Many people use bikes to get around and many of the buses have bike racks on the front for those long uphill routes. Another option is a car share program. SF has 3 companies that offer short term rentals for a monthly fee plus a per mile charge.
6. San Francisco has the best transit on the West Coast. But that's mainly because the competition sucks (L.A., Portland, Seattle, Honolulu, and Las Vegas all have lousy public transportation infastructure). There's a comprehensive bus system, which can take you within two blocks of anywhere in the city. However, they're also very slow and sporadic. This is largely due to odd traffic patterns. You'll sometimes see no buses for half an hour, and then suddenly have 4-5 of them cluster in one direction. In the city proper, buses run 24/7 everyday of the year. Suburban bus service is less reliable and tends to shut down early in the evening. The subway/rail system (BART, MUNI Metro, Caltrain) is far superior to the buses in terms of comfort and speed, but it certainly doesn't go everywhere. If you're going to the Marina District or Pacific Heights, for instance, you're pretty much out of luck. Also, the suburban stations are spaced 2-3 miles apart from each other. This effectively makes them 'park-and-ride' stations. They're designed to work with cars rather than as a replacement for them. Trains usually have their final runs from Midnight to 1 AM...with service suspended until the morning commute (4 to 5 AM).
7. you could get zip car or city car share
8. buy a car but use it only on certain occasions and take the bus to work and for groceries
9. I am a female college student who frequents the muni, even at night. Its my only source of transportation, and I go all over. Me and my friends, like you, are also night owls. Dont listen to that guy who says the Muni is unsafe, it's fine! Sure there are some wacko's who yell about the war (true story), but you just ignore them. It can be unreliable at times, some of the bus stops have clocks that tell you when the next bus is coming, or you can call the muni number. Many buses run late, however taxis are never hard to find. If you call in advance for a taxi use De Soto (yellow sucks!). There are also trains and cable cars to get around. In terms of leaving the city, there is the BART to go to the south or east bay, and the Golden Gate Transit buses that go as far as Sonoma. I've used these and never had a problem. If you're worried about dating, there are always cabs and City Car Share. It's kinda like renting a car but its cheap (only 5/hr and 44c/miI think). In the end its really up to you. Only one of my friends here has a car, and parking is terrible so she only uses it to drive home to Santa Barbara every once in a while. Likewise, a majority of my professors use BART or Muni to get to campus.
10. Sure. Many people live in S.F. without a car or just join Flex car or rent one as needed. The Municipal railway in S.F. isn't the greatest system on the planet, but if you plan well you can get around and get to work on time. They have the cable cars, the subway (Muni), electric buses, diesel buses, streetcars, and BART. I commuted in SF for years and did fine.
11. it will be a lot better if u don't have a car. and no matter what neighborhood there are sooooo many car break ins. seriously it doesn't matter if ur car is locked they will break the glass. you have to hide everything in ur trunk. people will steal anything. trust me. someone broke into my car and stole altoids. geez. and there is so much trafic. finding a place to park is insane. women will understand that u don't have a car. public transportation is great. hope i helped :]