[fern12]

Have you considered looking at room rentals on Craigslist? If you're within walking distance of Castro (downtown), you may not even be at home that much, because you'll be steps away from the library, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. In a way, I think shared living can often be a form of networking, because so many people here work in tech.

I mention it only because in my experience, cheap studio rentals in MV are not worth the paper their leases are printed upon. They have thin walls, which are my biggest pet peeve. When you can hear everything your neighbors are doing (or conversely, have to walk around on tip toes to avoid irritating them), any privacy-related benefit of having your own place kinda goes out the window. Again, that's just my experience. When I first moved to MV in early 2016, I rented a studio for $1900 (a decision I ultimately regretted because of noisy neighbors/thin walls). In hindsight, I wish I'd just rented a room in a house from someone with a personality similar to mine (quiet introvert). Good luck with your search:)