[kordless]

I think someone else mentioned it, but BART doesn't go to Redwood City. Caltrain does. As a daily BART rider from the East Bay, occasionally needing to be in Palo Alto, I don't recommend combining a BART and Caltrain commute.

If you want to live in SF, and commute to Redwood City, your best bet is to ride the 8:44 or 8:59 baby bullets on Caltrain. The one at 8:59 gets you in Redwood City in a scant 30 minutes.

Pick a place in the city that is near the Caltrain station, maybe even within walking distance. Dogpatch/SOMA/Potrero? Keep in mind Muni timing sucks, BART is semi-stable, and Caltrain is the most reliable.

Also that's a reverse commute, so maybe even drive it.

[prodigal_erik]

Be advised that Caltrain is having money problems and plans to drastically reduce their service this summer, so if you ever need to commute after 8:30 AM or stay past 7 PM you might be screwed. That's a very long bus ride, or a high cab fare.

http://www.caltrain.com/riderinfo/Proposed_Service_Changes.h...

I stayed in motels as I got to know the area and decided where I wanted to commit to staying. Some offer weekly rates that are competitive with local rents. Sequoia Inn was nice, and it's in Redwood City:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/roo/2299556424.html

[impendia]

I've driven it before, the 280 is kind of bad but tolerable and the 101 is definitely bad.

[juiceandjuice]

I drive the 280 every day now to Palo Alto. After 9:15 am from Noe Valley and after about 6:30 PM, it's a breeze. It takes me 35 minutes.

[mattdeboard]

Agreed, and I didn't think of that. A reverse commute would've been a dream when I lived there. Leaving the city in the morning and returning in the late afternoon/evening? Yes please. Unless of course it's Friday.

[grourk]

Caltrain is not the most reliable. In my experience, BART is more reliable.