Living with a 911 in SF?
 

What's it like to live with a 911 (or any sports car) in SF?

I just moved to SF (SOMA) from Chicago and finally feel like I can justify a sports car given the weather. But the potholes, the steep grades, and vandalism are all giving me pause.

Curious what other SF'ers think.

It was mentioned in another thread that Sport PASM suspension (30mm lower than standard) is something to avoid.

I’m not going to bull**** you, it’s an impossible task if you don’t have a private garage at home and assiduously avoid driving around town if you need to park in a public (non-valet) garage, lot, or street parking. If it were just that people were careless about door dings and other minor offenses I would be upset but manage to deal with it, but the fact is that too many people in SF actually go out of their way to vandalize nice cars on the premise of “they can afford it and deserve to suffer”. Then there is the street crime... ever since CA decrimminalized supposedly minor drug crimes the property crime rate has skyrocketed. Included in the non-violent drug crimes was possession of stolen property, and what that means is that a crimminal needs to be caught literally in the act of breaking into a car to get arrested because the possession of property stolen from a car is a misdemeanor crime now... the offender gets a ticket. Car break-ins are now a way of life and people expect it to happen. Road conditions, well all I can say is that you should get a subscription at the alignment shop and have a wheel repair shop on speed dial.

The steep roads are no big deal, but my advice is to move to the Peninsula or Marin if you want to own a Porsche or other nice car, or just get it and plan accordingly to drive out of the City when you want to enjoy it.

I live and work in SF (live out by the ocean) and only use my car on the weekends for drives out of SF. I agree that you need a private garage as i own my own house and do not have to worry about parking on the street or even a shared garage with a lot of tenants.and cars. There has been a lot of car break ins, i must see about 2-3 shattered windows on a daily basis where I work due to number of drug users that are in the city just looking how to get their next fix. SOMA can be nice in some spots, but you are in the heart of SF and in any direction of a few blocks can take a turn. If you have a garage or tenant parking garage you should be ok. After all that's why we have insurance.

I say, get want you want, life is too short.

When I was a kid I lived in SF with my mom for a while. One thing I remember clearly was how the stereo in her Alfa Romeo kept getting ripped off. They'd slash the 800 dollar top to steal the 150 dollar stereo. After it happened a few (dozen) times she ended up just buying a boombox and leaving the gaping hole in her dashboard and the top down at night.
She also threw sail boat bumpers over the door sills when she parked to keep people from dinging her doors....lol Come to think of it my mom was pretty cool.

That poor car though. :( I agree. if you don't have somewhere to park it, your car's gonna take some abuse...or worse.

I'm weighing the exact same dilemma as I am prepping for a move to the Bay Area summer 2018 and I'm fortunate to be able to choose where I want to live (SF or Peninsula) with an incoming GT3. Because I do love driving so much, I am leaning towards the Peninsula and being able to enjoy the open roads down there, then take Cal Train or uber to the city for a visit every other week or so. My fear is that if I lived in the city proper I would just stress too much over the car leaving it parked on the street/in parking garages when running errands, or be bottlenecked in traffic trying to leave the city for some nice drives.

I've lived in the city for the past 5 or so years. For the first few years i parked on the street in a 335 BMW. Never had an issue. Earlier this year I purchased and M3 and moved to a place with a garage. The roads were never an issue, nor was parking. I'd advise not to park in areas where you have to question whether you should be parking there - do that and there wont be an issue.

I did have a pothole issue, but it was on the road to the point reyes light house. Had to replace a $1300 front wheel on the M3 as a result.

My 911 will be here in a few months, so can't comment specifically on it, but living in the city with the m3 was never an issue.

Thats good to know and sounds like good advice. I looked at a couple condos in the SOMA area that were nice with gated secure underground parking, those are still in play based on prices I am seeing in the Peninsula...

I bought a small Honda scooter that I use sometimes. Very easy to get around/park with it.

SOMA does have quite a few window bashings and the neighborrhood is somewhat sterile for me, esp on the weekends.

I think the best neighborhoods in the city are Pac heights, Marina, and Russian hill - I'd find a place with a garage there.

Thanks for all the input & advice. Unfortunately I can't change where I live easily, due to commuting constraints (Caltrain station in SOMA). I do have a spot in an indoor parking garage for the car. It's not a private garage but... that's too much to ask for given SF rent :banghead:

Even now with my Audi, I almost never use the car to drive around / park within the city itself - mostly just use Lyft to get around and get in the car when we're leaving the city (going for a hike, driving to peninsula, etc). There are exceptions... the other day we drove over by golden gate park / lands end, but the parking there felt pretty safe. I guess we'll have to cut down on those exceptions.

Seems like it's not a dealbreaker but definitely will have to be more judicious about using a car for everyday tasks. It also sounds like it doesn't really matter if I have a 70K or 100K car.

It will work out. Living in SF with a car, any car, is about compromise and living with constraints because you can’t enjoy it driving around town anyways. As long as you can park with peace of mind, you will be fine.

I live in the avenues, rent a spot about 10 blocks away, it's not perfect but hey, it was only $275 per month!

It's all about compromise, I drive it to work down south once a week and it is not my only car.

I would not change a thing though :)

You guys make SFC sound like a human disaster, at least for humans that like nice things (and respect property).

Ok, I'll weigh in here. I've lived in SF for over 20 years. I've had a few Porsches, BMW 3, 4, 6 series (wife loves BMWs) and various other sports cars. Yes, I can say I've had my share of incidences but if you don't want to have a garage queen that you expect to double your money, you can keep your car in great shape if you have a garage. As you get to know the city, there will be places to take your car without any problems with dings and break ins. Just like any city, these things can happen. Yes, I use Uber all of the time to go downtown or the Mission. Usually in no shape to drive after going to clubs so it's a safe bet anyway. I drive and park my turbo in the Chestnut/Marina, Noe Valley (very large parking spaces on 24th street, and back and forth to work in So. City on a daily basis. The worse accidents I've had were drivers are backing out of diagonal parking spots and can't see the Porsche. I wish everyone else would have back up cameras. I would not sacrifice the joy of driving my car because I live in the City. Yeah it's pricy to park in good parking lots, but It would cost me the same price to park a beater honda or VW. Go on drives with the Renlisters on the board or PCA. Or drive down to Half Moon bay for lunch if you want to get a good drive in. I timed it once. I made it to Dad's luncheonette via hwy 1 in HMB faster than to A16 on Chestnut street. Dad's has the best burgers in the bay area.
Best
Alvin

Thanks for the tips Alvin - that's encouraging.

there is also a run this Saturday that you may want to go on (see post a few down from this one)

https://rennlist.com/forums/west-us-...rum-drive.html

I would say if you don't have a secure parking spot then you should be prepared to have your car messed with.

I have had my fair share of dings, bumper kisses (idiot drivers who can't parallel park and do the bumper shuffle to get out or in), keying, and a window broken to steal nothing over the years going out for dinner and fun in the city when I was younger and we didn't have Uber and Lyft.

I've been in SF for 5 years now. I sold my car when I moved here because I didn't really need one to get around, this being a big city and all. And it was a DD. Fast forward to now and I'm waiting for my 991.2 GT3. It will be a weekend car for driving out of the city. I'll be renting a private garage near where I live. Seems like the going rate is around $300/month. If not a private garage, a spot in an expensive high-rise/condo gated garage. No street parking.

Agreed. Do not park anything that cannot be bumped into, vandalized, or stolen on the streets of SF. Property crime in surrounding areas is also on the rise.

While I agree it's super risky, I've still seen the following cars parallel parked on the street here in the last month:

Ferarri 458 Italia
Ferarri GTB
R8 V10+
AMG GTS
Porsche 918
Lamborghini Performante
Lamborghini Huracan

We ended up moving out of the city to the Peninsula in the Millbrae area. Was great because there was a BART station right there. Took about 30 mins to get to the office. And, with kids it helps to have a yard and such. I wouldn't move back to SF, but the peninsula is always nice. I would say take some time to just check it out.

Not sure what else I can add. But I have had a 993 Turbo since the beginning of 2012 in the Mission. Unfortunately, have had 3 garage break in's. Interestingly, the the last two the perps avoided my car like the plague. First time they broke the passenger window and there was nothing to steal. You just don't know what will happen. Never keep anything of value in your car. Lock your fastrak, garage door opener, etc in the glove box or take them with you. I need to consider a video system for driving and parking while I'm out. I never drive from one point in the city to another unless I know exactly where I am going to park and the security level. There are random marching protests that could catch you out. Also consider if you can easily plug in a battery tender or if you will need to disconnect the battery.

It might depend on what type of Porsche you drive, how much you drive it - how easy it is to drive. SOMA is pretty easy to get on the freeways and get out of city streets. Your insurance premium should already reflect where you live - should you need coverage. Average I drive is once every two weeks. At first it was much less. I clipper card, muni bus, bart, ride my bike, zip car, uber when required. If I needed to drive regularly through out the city I just couldn't do it. With an air cooled car all types of people really like seeing it and give compliments.

Also, this is a classic place to own a Porsche. Lots of great mechanics, great roads, tracks, events, detailers, Rennlisters, etc. I annually drive down to RMG in Sunnyvale and CalTrain back and forth to pick it up.

I think it's doable. It took me awhile to get used to it but you don't live forever and you just gotta weigh the benefits and costs to your psyche (and wallet?). If you don't want to drive a Porsche in the city don't. That's fine too.

Funny enough I saw a silver 993 Turbo parked on the street in Hayes Valley late last year on a Friday night. There was a car 1 inch in front of it and 1 car parked 1 inch behind it... what a brave owner...

I just chatted with a guy who pulled up in a GT4 outside my apartment in Nob Hill. Nice guy; seems there are a few folks fighting the good fight haha

Just wanted to revive this thread a bit - I'm relocating to CA this summer and it looks like Bay Area is the destination. I will have the GT3 with me and perhaps what could be unheard of for SF, a second car (Macan). Still waffling on that.

I'm really torn between the peninsula (Redwood City/MPK/Palo Alto areas) and SF, for my work I can choose (I work mostly remote in Hawaii anyways). Both are expensive, no way around it (equally between renting and buying). Being a younger guy SF is definitely more attractive, but could be quite a buzzkill for a car loving guy like myself.

Trying to learn the neighborhoods of SF is also quite confusing, do you guys have neighborhoods you like? I like the Marina district, North beach, Nob hill areas (heh who doesn't), but I don't know how easy it is to drive a GT3 from there south to the Peninsula and I can virtually guarantee I won't get 2 secure parking spaces, if I'm lucky I'll get 1. SoMa and Mission Bay have stunning new condos with all the amenities and parking I need which is very attractive, but visiting there the areas are quite sterile with not much going on (yet). Access to 101S/Peninsula would be much easier I bet though. Don't know much about the southern parts of SF like Mission District, etc....

Any input would be greatly appreciated as usual

Edit - also feel free to PM me if you're willing so we can dive into this, would love to get an insider's perspective on SF since I am only familiar with the Peninsula areas

Dog Patch is nice too from what I can tell. Same area as Mission Bay I guess.

On a side note. Thinking about renovating my apartment and moving out temporarily. Looks to cost $4000 a month with half as much space, parking not included, no utilities, less storage - Wow! However, that will get you a well run building unlike my building and HOA.

Personally I wouldn’t own a Porsche in SF without a somewhat secure place to park. For me it would plague my mind.

Soma/Mission Bay/similar will see much more frequent street break-ins/etc than the northern neighborhoods (Nth Beach, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, etc) but the reality is nowhere is immune.. it is a city after all.

That said, there are lots of places that have a garage or underground style parking. You also have the option to rent a spot which will run 350-450mth in the nicer neighborhoods.

I have a 964 turbo and a GT3 RS and live in the middle of the city. I have experienced a shared condo garage (perhaps 24ish condos, each with a car park), at different times have rented a spot in another building, rented a spot in a 2 car garage to store a car, and now am fortunate enough to have garage space for 2 cars.

More than anything in SF you cannot have anything in your car. Not even a paper bag or an envelope, nothing. Most of the petty crime is smash and grab, so when there is nothing visible, the perps don’t tend to take the risk and just keep walking until they find a car with something worth the smash/grab risk.

Hope this helps and happy to chat about neighborhood pros/cons.

Matty

While all that is definitely true, I don't think a rationale person would park a GT car on the street as their main form of parking. At least I hope not. Renting a private garage or a spot in an underground/gated garage is easy enough. Just gotta make sure the entry isn't some crazy drop like a lot of the houses up here in Nob Hill and Russian Hill. From the street they might look like straight, flat driveways. But once the garage door opens, you realize it's a big hump/drop and a sports car can't get through.

Also, a lot of people who rent out their garage still use the garage for storage and entry to their home. So there is a risk of them walking by the car and scratching it while carrying stuff into and out of the house. Or of boxes and bikes and other items falling and damaging your car. That's why I feel like a parking garage complex is a bit better. Maybe? I dunno, I'm still trying to sort my options out before my car arrives.

^^^^ Or a cat that likes to find their way onto the hood of your car for a rest :mad:

That's nuts haha.

I've seen a fair share of air-cooled 911s parked on the street (over night and many weeks) of Russian Hill, Presidio, Nopa, Cole Valley an Twin Peaks. 300/month can compensate for a fair share of scratches on the bumpers, but for me it would depend on the condition my car is in to begin with. A garage queen or new car needs a safe place, but a 80s or 90s, somewhat used looking and perhaps little dirty car shouldn't stand out that much and is probably fine out on the street of the aforementioned parts of town.

Another Sunset RLister?


I live in the Outer Sunset with a garage and it's no problem for me. I would not own a car without a garage. Just a huge pain.

Hey there neighbor,

I also live in the Outer Sunset as well. I'm right off of Sunset Blvd.

We should hook up and go for a drive sometime.

There has been an epidemic of car break-ins around SF, but an organized ring doing those was recently arrested. I don't know if that has or will impact things. For several months, I had to park my car outside on the street while our house in the Richmond was being remodeled, and fortunately, nothing happened. But that was 2 years ago. I still think that if you choose carefully, you can live with a Porsche in SF. It really helps if you have off-street parking at both ends of the commute if you DD.

I would avoid SF at all costs. I've lived in the bay area for most of my life. Compared to most cities around the bay, SF and Oak have the most rampant crime, vandalism of other peoples property than neighboring neighborhoods. Not to mention the STUPID prices being asked for property there, paying on the average of 1.2-1.5 mil easy for starters yet you have a City that tells you what kind of toilet you can only put in your own home. F that.

Not to mention the TERRIBLE roads in SF good luck with your 911 low profile tires with all the uneven roads, potholes all over the place or metal plates on the road. Everyone already knows of the terrible traffic in that place. I make every possible reason not to go through that city and rather stay on my side of the Penninsula.

There were a handful of other factors that impacted my decision, but the above did ring true for me and was part of the reason why I chose to relocate to SoCal opposed to SF in the city proper

There is no perfect location and *every* place has pros and cons, but having a GT3 coming and being fortunate enough to choose locale, I spend enough time in SF to see the homelessness issues and property crimes (smashed glass on different streets), plus the fact that SF is not a very drivable city in my opinion would mean getting in and out of SF might be challenging both in terms of traffic and road quality (potholes, construction, metal plates as stated above). The other side of the coin is that SF is a truly stunning city that I love to explore and walk around, especially by the water side. So because I have my GT3 coming, it just ruled out living there for me. If I didn't have the car/enjoy driving so much, I would have chosen SF. In LA my soul will rot in traffic at times but I love being that close to all the canyons/PCH drives.

My GT3 arrives soooooon. So I'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes since I'm in SF. Although I'm not exactly using the car to pick up artisanal cheese and tomatoes at the Ferry Building, or parking across from Delores Park while I wait in line at Bi-Rite for some ice cream. I'm in Nob Hill. So for me it's head across to Franklin, left on Lombard, and across the Golden Gate for some weekend fun outside the city. Nobody is daily driving a Lambo or Ferrari or GT car in SF. That's silly. Carrera, though? Sure. Dime a dozen. They're so common nobody even looks twice.

I am sure it would have been doable personally, but just not ideal for me. I could be mistaken and you find having the GT3 there is a breeze. Also I think there is a difference between the 996/997/even occasional 991 or Macan that I see on SF streets vs. a full blown 991.2 GT3 with the wing, CL wheels/full monty in full glory lol. It would just be a stress for me personally which I want to avoid. I am sure Nob Hill/Marina District/Cow Hollow, Presidio Heights, even South of Market/Rincon Hill are safe for parking it was mainly getting in and out of the city and navigating through the city itself/using the car to run errands that was a concern.

Congrats on your car arriving soon, that is super exciting. I remember when you were debating between the GT-R and the GT3. Looking forward to your impressions and delivery pics

I hopefully won't ever need to park the GT3 on the street in SF. Garage only.

I too often head across the Golden Gate Bridge on weekends for a nice drive up North.

Marin is a nice drive there. I've taken my Panamera there to be serviced at S-Car-Go Racing to get my exhaust re-done due to shabby work done by some known shop in Redwood City. Don't trust just because you see a shop have Mclaren, Ferrari's or Lambos that they know how to handle Porsche. :roflmao:

Come by Mill Valley and look me up. I'd be happy to sit down for some coffee with you!

Tony

So far so good with the GT3. Got a nice private parking garage near my place. Taken the car through the city to get up north to Point Reyes and had to bring the car to/from Freemont a few times. No issues. Nobody even gives the GT3 a second glance because it doesn't really stand out all that much to be honest. The other day I pulled up in front of a corner store where a bunch of people were eating and nobody noticed. A McLaren 570S drove by and everybody's jaw dropped lol.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cd8ee94934.jpg

The GT3 looks sweet bud, congrats on getting that whole state transfer thing fixed so you can enjoy your car.

Take heed, SF and a lot of the major roads in the bay area are P.O.S. full of pot holes, uneven roads, temporary metal plates on the roads and freeways.

Your car is just the wrong color.......:p

So true lol

I was gonna go with Miami Blue originally, but chickened out. After seeing mine next to Miami Blue in person now, I wish I had stuck with MB. But chalk is beautiful as well. Either way, I'm just glad I got a GT3!

Beautiful car! Your comment about people not noticing it but gawking at a McLaren is interesting...... I would stare at the GT3 all day and not so much at the McLaren. But then again, I've been a Porsche fan forever.

Just found this thread! I live in SF (LPH aka Lower Pac Heights). I'm onto my third P Car while living in the city, Macan GTS for the gf/Tahoe/mtb'ing/futzing, 991.2 GTS (recently traded) and a new to me 991.2 GT3 (Miami Blue if you have seem my other posts). Here are things I've learned.

- I work in the south bay and don't self drive (bus). But, when I do drive I try get to 280, 1, Skyline and 9 as much as possible. Sure it's longer and takes more time but beats 101 and peak hour bumper to bumper.

- Get FAL. I didn't on the GTS and would touch the lip often enough to be annoyed. I have two spare lips that I need to sell. The GT3 has FAL and have no problems.

- Know your hills. No fun in peak hour trying to get up some of the steeper streets stoping at each intersection. This won't be an issue if you're in PDK or use the hill assist on the MT but, you do need to think about some of the hills.

- I still use Uber or the Macan for any stops around SF unless I know they have parking with room to open doors and is "safe"

- tunnels - go find them, hit PSE, use your right foot and enjoy the sound. Broadway and the GGB on/off by Chrissy Fields.

- We should all socialize more. There is a PCar in my building but the guy refuses to even give a friendly nod.

I've noticed this as well with other Porsche drivers. Very little camaraderie on the road. People in VWs wave at each other, Jeeps flash their lights at each other, bikers lower a hand. Porsche drivers... stare straight ahead and pray the other driver didn't see them lol

I'll wave if you are on my side of the GGP (Upper Sunset). After driving around the city for so many years, you get to know where to park and where to take Uber. I do drive my car to work daily as I sold the SUV. You are right about the hill but what gets me most is the pot holes and street construction. My suspension takes a beating and I have to check the alignment yearly. Just replaced the back two tires because the rear control arms wore out. The car was aligned but it didn't fix the problem of the car steering to the right. We found out that the tires were out of round and had uneven wear because the control arms were not holding the wheels straight (wheels were wobbling).
I would certainly join a little coffee and cars get together for people living in SF.
FourT6and2: I enjoyed your post in the Concours section on Pressure washer and Foam Cannon. I've tried a few other types with great success as well. We could trade notes, our you could use my driveway/garage sometime.

Eh. At least he didn't drive it home drunk.

I live on the Peninsula work in the city. Middle of SOMA for years, recently moved to the north-east part of Mission. I've driven into work exactly twice and that was to bring my dog into the office. So much less stress to take CalTrain or a motorcycle. I don't know how you all live in the city with a nice car.

Recently met a fellow with a Boxster who had recently retired. Offered him a view of the "social camaraderie" with Porsche owners and all he wanted to do was just drive the car. Some owners just have the car and enjoy, without any other "connections". Yeah, I have a fellow R'lister that lives a block away and never really socialize with him even though we have similar (993) cars. Others LIVE on Rennlist. Back in the day, many would "flash their high beams" when seeing another Porsche.

Always looking for a place to wash my car haha! I washed it outside my apartment the other day, right on the street. No real problems except my next door neighbor (a market) has a honeybee colony on their roof. I did NOT realize bees pooped so much. But about 5 minutes after washing my car, it was COVERED in bee ****. Little yellow/brown goop. So won't be doing that again.

I flash my headlights or waive when I see another PCar. or give them the "Nod with a smile"

Interesting the OP chose LA over SF. SF itself is tough, but it's only 50 sq miles and just north and south of it are some choice twisties. I lived in the South Bay of LA for years and the closest decent (albeit epic) road was Angeles Crest about an hour away - on the bike splitting lanes. The car...yuck. Ever take a sports on 110 car around downtown or the 405 between West LA and the South Bay? Just avoid if you can.

I have an office in Soma I never go to. There are a couple of secure public lots right in front of my office, I guess it's not that common. PM if you guys want to know where.

I was fortunate enough to be able to choose SF or LA for my relocation as well and chose LA, very very happy with the choice but IMO you can't go wrong with either area. I'm not in the camp that one is better than the other, appreciate what both SF and LA have to offer. The issue I had with SF was for living *in* the city (not north in Marin and south in Peninsula) I had big reservations about owning a GT3 and if I would even use the car (figured I would walk/uber/caltrain mostly), whereas in LA I would "have" to use it since it's a car/driving dominated city. LA seems much more accommodating for cars than SF *to me*. For a weekend run agree that there are likely equally great driving roads in the Bay Area and SoCal, love driving Skyline and Page Mill Road is a recent discovery which was a blast. For LA I am still learning the lay of the land but ACH is holy, the PCH is just fun for me as crowded as it is, heard of Ortega/74, Malibu canyon roads are heavenly/numerous, and I feel like I am just scratching the surface.

Also I found that the people were friendlier/warmer in LA than SF to my surprise but maybe it was just me!

edit - another weird thing/"problem" I had with SF is when I was looking to rent in an apartment, most of the newer buildings in SoMa were not only a good $1k/mo more than the equivalent in West LA, but they required you to "valet" your car to park in your own apartment. So you exit your car/hand over the keys when you enter your garage and then the full time valet takes the car from there, and when you are ready to leave you call valet and they bring the car up for you. On the other hand, some of the older apartments I was looking at in Cow Hollow/North Beach areas had 0 parking. Didn't like either proposition, and just wanted a good ol fashioned parking spot...

I wouldn't want to HAVE to drive my GT3 every day to get around. I much prefer being able to walk everywhere in a big city. If I have to drive everywhere, I might as well live in a suburb somewhere where the cost of living is lower lol. Like Atlanta. Or Austin. Or Colorado. The appeal of a big city, to me, is being able to walk around and feel like I'm actually in a city instead of a sprawling nightmare. :) The SF Bay Area is good for owning a car like a GT3 because you can get out of the city on weekends and enjoy some open roads. And it helps to make those drives more special because you aren't in the car every single day.

Parking is the rub. Plenty of private garages to rent though. My apartment has no parking, but my garage is 2 minutes down the street. Has it's own gate, assigned spot. Easy. I would not want to valet my car, so yeah that's stupid. Haven't encountered that though.

^ I might have chosen the wrong words in terms of "having" to drive the GT3, opposed to wanting to drive the GT3 on a daily basis :cheers:

As for valet nearly every new building in the SoMa area required it, wasn't sure about Mission Bay and considered that area as well for a newer apartment development/easier to head south to the Peninsula

Man... valet. I would refuse. I cringe when I give the keys to the dealership for service or a detailer, let alone a valet.

Yeah I'm the same way. Even asked both the buildings that I was looking to buy or rent in the area if there was any way I could pay extra to *not* get valet and just get my own spot, answer was flat out no.

Then as I was leaving one of the parking garages after a tour, saw a younger kid hop out of his McLaren 720S and throw the keys to the valet lol

Screw that. What happens when the valet curbs a wheel or scratches the bumper or damages the interior somehow. I don't understand what building management is thinking. They really want to deal with liability on someone's $200,000 - $300,000 car?

I used to live in one of the towers in SOMA, great view, crazy rent $ (SF blah) and valet. I had no issues with the valet team, they were a bunch of awesome guys that loved their job and worked super hard but, I was always nervous handing off the keys and watching the car roll off into the car elevator. I was also a nice person to them spoke to them, used their names, shared a chat and didn't just throw my keys at them and treat them like dirt - i suspect this helped keep my car safer in their care.

In an unrelated incident my Macan got touched up by a tourist bus and needed to get some body work done. I happened to end up and the body shop that serviced my building (and a bunch of the other valet based towers in the city, they were very proud they won that business). While at the shop there was a steady stream and a full shop of all manner of nice cars that had been touched up by valets, wheels, panels, bumpers, dings, scratches, etc. The manager at the body shop was seeing 10's a week coming in, great business for them! All above board and well managed but, it's proof that cars get hurt in valet.

I no longer live in a valet building and I now have a GT3. If I had lived there would I put the GT3 into the valet? Probably but, I also would ensure that the guys who were looking after my baby were also looked after, only takes another 5-10mins each time you take the car out to build a relationship with the valets, drop them a nice gift (they liked whiskey and beer) from time to time, or even better take them out in the car for a spin. Just another form of risk mitigation.

Totally. I get 'greasing the wheel' and building a rapport with people. But having to do that plus tipping plus holiday gifts and all that just to ensure they don't damage your car... such a pain in the ass. I bet you enjoy parking the car yourself now ;)

I honestly do - nothing like the sound of a cold start GT3 reverberating against the concrete in the garage. Also don't have to deal with the car elevator breaking, random Honda CRV driver blocking the exit and the lost Uber driving trying to valet park their ride :)

Oh, I just transposed my preferences on you. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other either. If I had GT3, I'd just prefer to drive the twisties and track and not subject it commuting and chores. SF is good for that because it's so small, public transit / bike lanes everywhere, twisties are readily accessible just outside the city. But I think you just like being the in the car as much as you can - LA is good for that because you need a car to get to most places.

What part of LA did you end up in?

I live in a condo in SSF, I rent 2 private garages 3 miles apart for the 911 and 997. My resto mod 74 BMW 2002 is parked on the street along with my truck. I got used to waving other pcar or classic car owners using the aircooled. When I use the 997 I do it with other pcars but I get snobbed:( Having 3 manuals and an automatic my truck, going in and out of the city in daylight I take the truck or 997 if, I dont plan on staying long inside the city, evenings when everybody is out, i'd take even the 2002 for thrills. I don't want to get caught on uphill traffic in the 911 or the 2002.

I just spent a day last weekend visiting the city with my 2018 911 and I found the car to be extremely compliant while driving around. I have the 19" wheels hand had no issues with clearance or scraping anywhere I went. Don't see why this car would be any issues living in SF.

LOL try driving there daily, having to park your car in the streets, besides the never ending supposed road work that sits for weeks, months to years without being worked on, uneven roads, monster pot holes, metal plates not seated right or sticking up, road debris.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...ffic/?slide=24
http://fortune.com/2018/07/12/worst-...-driving-2018/
http://www.thedrive.com/news/22053/h...es-to-drive-in

I live only 5 mins from SF, I avoid that place like the plague and cringe when I have to drive near or through that **** hole. If driving wasn't as bad, try taking bart or walking around the streets that's another story in it's own.
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/01/63462...nd-human-feces

But if you have to live there and drive there with you P-Car, good luck to you.

Lived in SF for 8 years. I don't drive much in the city. That's what Muni / Uber is for. Street parking is terrible. I live in a building with my own parking spot. When I drive it's to drive out of the city. That said, the roads in the city are actually getting better.

I have lived in SF for almost twenty years now. The key to being an enthusiast in the city is to save your shekels to get a house with a big garage. Or, if it doesn't have a big garage, remodel it and make a big garage. Yes I know real estate prices are sky-high..

Once you have your garage, only drive your vehicular treasures outside SF proper for pleasure drives. Within the city, you must have a beater car that you don't give a rat's @ss about. This is the key to finding all the best parking spots and getting anywhere quickly. Bumper Braille? Who cares, my bumpers are already screwed up. Idiotic Uber/Lyft Drivers? Don't care. Potholes? My 15" wheels laugh. Other idiotic drivers weaving in and out? Don't care - my beater Prius is 10 years old, full of dings and bumper damage, and hasn't been washed in 5 years. See if I care if you hit me. You will cry more than I..... :-)

Seriously - if you need to drive IN SF, use a beater car. All those people driving IN the city in their fancy Model X / Benzes / Range Rovers / etc .... they have yet to figure it out. :-)