The 5 best affordable San Francisco apartments this May

Two-bedroom in the Mission, $3,600/month ($1,800 per person)

This surprisingly large apartment might look like it belongs next to a strip mall in a fly-over state, but here in San Francisco, an affordable two-bedroom within spitting distance of Zeitgeist that contains working appliances is like a multilingual unicorn that grants unlimited wishes. Unless we’re hallucinating, there appears to be a brand-new washer and dryer, a dishwasher and hardwood floors. The proximity to the freeway isn’t ideal—but stop complaining!

Two-bedroom in the Mission, $3,600/month ($1,800 per person)

Two-bedroom in the Mission, $3,600/month ($1,800 per person)

Two-bedroom on Lone Mountain, $3,250/month ($1,625 per person)

Please don’t let the weird staging frighten you away from a fantastic apartment. The creepy wicker furniture will be long gone by the time you move into this pad alongside Golden Gate Park, and instead of those twee floral arrangements, you’ll discover that the Conservatory of Flowers is right outside. The sad picture frames on the floor will be ruining another open house while you enjoy permanent fixtures like the backyard garden, and renters are welcome to replace the depressing folding chair and twin bed with furniture not inspired by prison.

Two-bedroom on Lone Mountain, $3,250/month ($1,625 per person)

Two-bedroom on Lone Mountain, $3,250/month ($1,625 per person)

Studio in Nob Hill, $1,795/month

They don’t make ’em like this any more. It might be a studio, but this apartment has style. Nestled on the top floor of a building in the heart of Nob Hill, it features gorgeous wood flooring and accents, not to mention an eye-catching stained-glass window and, according to the agent, a walk-in closet—perhaps behind that imposing mirrored door? We’re less enamored of the pine kitchen cabinets, but it looks like there’s decent counter space. A mere block from Grace Cathedral and the California Street cable car line, this old-school space is a San Francisco treasure. If you don’t snap it up, Tony Bennett will. 

Studio in Nob Hill, $1,795/month

Studio in Nob Hill, $1,795/month

Two-bedroom apartment in Inner Sunset, $3,200/month ($1,600 per person)

Sixth Avenue might not sound sexy, but this slick-yet-boxy abode has hit the foodie motherlode. The apartment is within easy walking distance of that great 9th-and-Irving-area corridor—a rare neighborhood that hasn’t yet tipped into one of the many San Francisco clichés. Great shopping, eating and drinking are mere minutes away—Park Chow, Nopalito, Ambiance, Pluto’s and Peet’s, to name a few. But it’s the Golden Gate Park’s green expanses half a block north—with the de Young Museum, Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Garden, and the Twirl & Dip soft-serve ice cream truck—that really seals the deal.

Two-bedroom apartment in Inner Sunset, $3,200/month ($1,600 per person)

Two-bedroom apartment in Inner Sunset, $3,200/month ($1,600 per person)

Two-bedroom apartment downtown, $2,800/month ($1,400 per person)

The listing optimistically describes the neighborhood as the TenderNob, but let’s face it—this place is on the edge of the Tenderloin. Still, like every corner of San Francisco, the ‘Loin is changing fast and this is a great deal on a charming top-floor retreat with gleaming appliances that’s a block from the lively bars of Polk Street, the AMC Van Ness movie complex—and a handful of vibrant drug dealing nooks. You may even be able to walk to work (though it’s a good idea to pack some pepper spray when you have to put in overtime).

Two-bedroom apartment downtown, $2,800/month ($1,400 per person)

Two-bedroom apartment downtown, $2,800/month ($1,400 per person)