[lifeguard]

This is the high tourist season, not the cheapest time to stay in the Bay Area. But the best deal is Green Tortoise hostel. A little funky, but safe. Includes dinner every other night, breakfast every morning (make PB&J sammiches for lunch later!). They have laundry and full kitchen. Free internet.

http://www.greentortoise.com/san-francisco-hostel/index.php

The other hostels are good, just not as fun. Avoid staying in cheap motels in SOMA & Tenderloin districts.

There is an excellent hackerspace, noisebridge: https://noisebridge.net/wiki/Noisebridge 2 blocks South of 16th & Mission BART

UC Berkeley and Stanford are up by San Francisco. Melno Park was where a lot of magic happened back in the day. I would try to find housing in the East Bay (NE Oakland, Emeryville, Rockridge, or San Leandro) and commute to work near a BART station. There is light rail between San Jose and San Francisco I think.

[adambenayoun]

How about checking out airbnb.com - some housing solution are really cheap (shared rooms etc.. sleep on a couch/sofa).

[noodlehopper]

i was thinking of modeling Kurt... He is in Palos Altos....

to suburban.....?

http://www.inc.com/magazine/201207/leigh-buchanan/the-leanes...

[lifeguard]

I think living in ones car is a terrible plan, but an ok safety net (My backup plan was to live in my car next to the bay in Emeryville). At a minimum share a house with a bunch of people. If you want to do your best work, don't be homeless. It adds stress to your life after awhile. Get two weeks at the hostel to start and negotiate a discount for a long stay.

In Summer the kids go away, but during the academic year it is booming. Every week visit each of these places to network with people:

Berkeley campus

Stanford campus

noisebridge hackerspace

Fry's electronics

A classy bar in SF financial district (order only one drink and hold it all night as a prop)

Every month:

linux user group

2600 meeting

some FOSS interest group meeting