Hi everyone. Not sure where to post this since GS has changed quite significantly from the last time I was here.
I’m going to be attending Berkeley for some summer session classes, from June to August and am looking for housing. I’m female, in my twenties, Pakistani Muslim. I’m looking to room with preferably another Muslim female, though I’m not that picky about ethnicity or religion ultimately, as long as I have privacy and quiet and I’m rooming with a female or a family. I need to be able to get to Berkeley and SF proper quickly since that’s where I’ll be spending most of my time (on campus and the city). A place in Berkeley itself would be ideal, as close to the campus as possible.
Help? I’m coming from Canada and don’t know much about the area or its neighborhoods, so the traditional go-to sites like Craigs List and so on are sort of overwhelming.
Oh yes, and I need to compile a list of cheap activities and places to eat, since I will be a poor starving student.
I think Craigs List is best bet . The area is little expensive but enough of public transport . Weather is awesome . You should contact PSA or MSA there and they should be able to help you out . From Palo Alto to San Francisco is about 30 mins drive and you can take BART . Most cost effective and quick .
In bay area there are a lot of desi restaurants . It is very easy to find halal places and prices are good . Few really good Pakistan restaurants i.e. Shan .
But start by contacting PSA/MSA and see how it goes . You'll like it here .
let me pass the info to my bro, he was at Berkleley and lived right by that world famous hippy street, he is in SF now but can give some advise. he lived close to BART (bay area rapid transit) station so heading downtown was not a huge issue either.
what are you looking to spend on rent? also, what about uni housing, summer availability is usually great.
Thanks NaMaan. I'll get in touch with MSA and PSA. I think I'll avoid eating/doing desi stuff though! I was in SF a few years ago and loved it but because my parents only wanted to go to desi places, I never really got to experience the city properly. I'll be there for a few months and want to get as much out of it as I can, especially because this is a place I'll be applying to grad school for.
X2, I'd prefer to spend 600 or below on rent. That's paltry I know, but throw in tuition and books and other sundry living (and shopping) costs and it's already getting a bit much. Thanks for passing the info on to your brother. And since he was at Berkeley, could you find out if the college is dead in the summer? I was trying to find information on talks and colloquia at Stanford and Berkeley and there seems to be precious little, which is very disappointing. Is there anything special going on during the summers on those campuses that I absolutely must do?