Category: living in SF (30)

Neighborhood Spotlight (Holiday Special): San Francisco Union Square!

Dec 05, 2018

December is here and San Francisco streets are lighting up with beautiful and festive Holiday scenery. There’s no doubt that Christmas season is almost upon us, and although it’s only the first week of December, it’s hard to contain the excitement of the season! This year, our holiday spotlight is on the famous buzzing plaza at the heart of San Francisco… Union Square!

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Every year, Union Square hosts a month-long event called Winter Walk where the famous plaza is festively decorated with scenery including 17,000 square feet of green space, food trucks, beer and wine gardens, and many different performances and events. Visitors come out from all over the Bay area to enjoy treats and take Instagramable pictures at the mobile photo stations with their friends and family to spread the Christmas joy.

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Apart from the many food trucks offering delicious treats and meals, Winter Walk also has scheduled performances throughout the month of December that will definitely immerse you in the Holiday spirit! Here is a list of upcoming events found on the event website, including themed performances, carols, and even disco-parties.

  • December 6: Dickens Fair Choir from 11:30 am-12:30 pm
  • December 6: “Mean Girls” themed drag performance by local drag queen Tye and friends at 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm & 7:30 pm
  • December 7: Performance by the Salvation Army Children’s Choir
  • December 9: Urban Flowers – Wreath & Centerpiece Demos from 11:00 am-2:00 pm
  • December 13 and 21: Pop-up appearances by the Bay Area’s beloved Dickens Fair
  • December 13: Silent Disco presented by HUSHconcerts from 5:00 pm-9:00 pm
  • December 15: Core Power Yoga from 11:00-11:30 am
  • December 16: Urban Flowers – Wreath & Centerpiece Demos from 11:00 am-2:00 pm
  • December 21: Special Winter Solstice performance by Luminescent Grand (the world’s first synesthesia piano)
  • December 23: Museum of Craft & Holiday Craft Station from 11:00 am-2:00 pm

 

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Another Holiday-highlight from Union Square is their famous outdoor Ice Rink located at the center of the plaza. Every Christmas season, the rink opens and is surrounded by holiday decorations such as the massive Macys Christmas tree, lights, and more. There are also special themed events and parties happening during the month of December, including free ice-skating lessons if you are a beginner. You can check out their full list of events on their calendar!

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It may not snow in San Francisco, but that shouldn’t stop you from all the Holiday fun happening in the city.

If you want to stay on top of all the Holiday events this year, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter by clicking the link below and know about all that’s happening in the city of San Francisco!

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Quick & Easy Thanksgiving Treats!

Nov 22, 2018

It’s the end of November already, can you believe it? That also means Thanksgiving is coming up very soon! As the weather gets colder, we know how it is tempting to stay at your cozy San Francisco rooms and snuggle up in some thick blankets. Thankfully, that is what this Thursday is all about! Break is here and you can stay at your warm and cozy San Francisco student or corporate housing while enjoying some yummy Thanksgiving snacks. If you still have not prepared your Thursday feast, we found some wonderful and delicious Holiday dinner and treats to get you going!

For a full list of ingredients and recipe, just click on the title and it will redirect you to it!

 

1. Sweet Potato Casserole

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Photo by Matt Armendariz

Savory, sweet, and buttery mashed sweet potatoes topped with Pecans? Now that sounds like a real treat! This desert will truly satisfy anyone that comes over for Thanksgiving dinner, especially if they have a sweet tooth. All you need is some sweet potatoes, brown sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs to whisk up this delicious recipe!

 

2. Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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Photo by Tara Donne

Macaroni and Cheese is one of America’s favorite comfort food, but that is not without a reason. You can never go wrong with some good ole’ macaroni on your dinner table, and everyone is sure to love it! This recipe is essentially our traditional macaroni with a little twist. Extra cheese, onions, paprika, and other delicious ingredients are added to the top while the dish is baked to perfection in the oven! Definitely check this recipe out.

 

3. Homemade Cranberry and Orange Sauce

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Photo by Tara Donne

Sweet and tangy, you can’t forget the bowl of cranberry sauce for your Thanksgiving feast! Skip the canned cranberries and check out this super quick and easy recipe for your perfect homemade cranberry sauce! All you need is: fresh cranberries, oranges, sugar, and a cinnamon stick… That’s it!

 

4. Traditional Apple Crisps

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Photo by Tara Donne

Do I hear another delicious homemade desert? Old-Fashioned Apple Crisps have been around for ages, and it never loses popularity! This recipe adds some extra flavor to the apple crisps using lemons or oranges so that the desert has a bright and sweet taste. You can also add some vanilla ice-cream on the side to finish off the treat and indulge in the deliciousness of this recipe!

 

5. Classic Roast Turkey

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Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com

Last but definitely not least, Thanksgiving would not be complete without a delicious roast Turkey! Roasting a Turkey at home may sound intimidating at first because of the long lists of ingredients and the seemingly never-ending cook time, but we assure you that it is actually very simple! If you have never roasted a Turkey by yourself, check out this step-by-step recipe on how to roast your own turkey at home!

 

Warm up in your fully furnished San Francisco housing and treat yourself to some delicious dinner and treats this Thanksgiving!

We wish you all a wonderful and happy Holiday!

DIY Halloween Costume Ideas!

Oct 29, 2018

Halloween just a few days away, which means candy, haunted houses, and scary costumes. With that being said some of you might be wondering, what if I don’t have a costume ready? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! There are tons of spooky costumes that you can make yourself so you won’t have to spend the day sitting at your San Francisco housing, and go have some fun this Halloween! Here are some of our favorite simple and fun DIY Halloween costumes that you can make yourself.

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Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

 

  1. Paper Doll Costume

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Get creative with this affordable DIY and make a costume out of an everyday essential… Paper! Grab some large paper or even pieces of cardboard and paint on any outfit of your choice and impress your friends with an entire outfit made out of pieces of paper!

 

  1. “Life Gives you Lemons” Costume

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Make the best out of our favorite quote and dress up with a Life Gives you Lemons costume. All you need is a yellow or white outfit and some lemons to recreate this fun and witty costume!

 

  1. Emojis

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Emojis make a fun and quirky costume for Halloween, and the best part is there are so many to choose from! Scroll through the hundreds of different fun emojis to find the one that you would want to dress up as! You could make the costumes out of paper, old T-shirts, or you could even purchase an emoji costume online or at your favorite Halloween store.

 

  1. Mime

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Remember that striped shirt you bought years ago that is now sitting at the back of your closet? You can easily create a mime costume simply with anything that is striped! Simply throw on some white face paint and creative mime-like designs to make your costume come to life. If you don’t have a striped shirt, you can always make your own with some dyes and an old shirt!

 

  1. The Classic Ghost

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Ah.. The classic ghost, it truly never gets old! This costume is one of the easiest and quickest and is suitable for anyone that wants to have a fun outfit without spending too much time or money on it. You can make the canvas out of tablecloths or by sewing pieces of white cloths together and drawing the face on top with markers or sharpies.

 

  1. Sims Character

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Sims characters are easily recognized by their green symbols floating above their heads. If you need a super quick and clever costume, cut out some cardboard pieces and glue/tape them together to make the diamond shaped symbol. Then, simply paint it green and attach it to a headband (you can even make your own out of tin foil) and you are done!

 

We hope these ideas are useful in helping you choose a Halloween costume this year!

 

If you liked this blog, don’t forget to check out some of our other ones too here, and we hope you have a spooky and fun Halloween!

San Francisco Housing Explores: Best Beaches In SF!

Oct 17, 2018

Sweater season is officially here as San Francisco’s chilly weather slowly approaches. We know that sometimes students and workers just want to crawl under a warm blanket at their San Francisco room rental, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t occasionally go out and have some fun!

If you live at one of our wonderful affordable San Francisco housing options, then lucky for you, there are some beautiful beaches within a few minutes drive nearby! Don’t let the weather stop you from exploring all that this exciting city offers and explore the best beaches in San Francisco!

  1. Ocean Beach

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Ocean beach is San Francisco’s widest beach and is the only one that has fire-pits and rings. From the month of March until October, visitors can use one of the sixteen fire rings located around the beach to warm up in the chilly evenings of San Francisco!

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To the northern end of the beach, there is also a cute cliff house that tourists can visit and rest in. There are also restaurants there that can help fill you up after a long walk on this beach!

  1. Baker Beach
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Photo by Dave Robertson on Pexels.com

Baker Beach is one of the most popular beaches in San Francisco, and there’s a reason for that! It’s wonderful view of the iconic Golden Gate bridge draws tourists in and is a perfect place for photography. It is a truly representative scenery of San Francisco, and is an ideal place for pictures, picnics, and relaxation.

  1. Clipper Cove Beach

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Clipper Cove Beach is a hidden gem in the big city of San Francisco. It is located on the east side of the beautiful Treasure Island and is mostly protected from the cold winds of the city as it is covered by a cove. The calm waters make this beach peaceful and relaxing, and is a great place to just sit down and enjoy the view of the Ocean.

  1. Fort Funston

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If you are a dog-lover, then this beach will be the one for you! As the name suggests, this beach is a ton of fun for both you and your furry friend! Although many of the beaches in San Francisco allow pets, Fort Funston is no doubt the most dog-friendly beach in the city. Dogs are allowed to roam with or without a leash and you will always see someone playing fetch or just hanging out with their friendly pups.

What are you waiting for? Head over to one of these beautiful beaches over the weekend and enjoy all that San Francisco has to offer with these amazing views of the Bay.

Need San Francisco housing? Check out our website for available rooms in the city of SF here!

Introducing Fun Social Nights at our 1080 Folsom Property!

Oct 07, 2018

Moving to a new home can be intimidating, especially in the big city of San Francisco! Sometimes, when moving to a new city, it can be difficult to get involved in a foreign community and make new friends. However, here at Urbanests we always strive to provide a welcoming community for our residents, where you can meet new friends and have fun with a great group of people. You will always be welcomed at all of our properties, and we make moving into a brand new residence fun and easy!

This week, our spotlight is on our 1080 Folsom building, and its superstar resident managers Ben and Collin. This property features many social nights and events where every tenant is invited to join!

 

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Recently Ben, along with the help of one of their wonderful current tenants Emily Mendez-castillo, has organized a number of exciting social events! One of the notable events of late at 1080 Folsom is Game Night, where the tenants are invited to join in on board games, video games, and other fun resident bonding activities. The building tenants frequently enjoy playing Card Against Humanity and Uno, but residents occasionally bring their own games! Best of all, fun prizes are given to the winners of the games.

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These nights are tons of fun and we encourage everyone to come and make new friends at your residence!

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Last week, Ben organized a double whammy Noodle Night and Game Night! It took place last Friday at 8pm and like always, all the tenants will be invited to join for some delicious noodles along with fun games!

More than a dozen tenants joined and enjoyed the free food generously offered at the party. There was also clean, non-alcoholic cider pong as a tournament, bringing back the college student vibe with mysterious fun prizes given to the winners!

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*Martinelli’s non-alcoholic apple cider was used in the game

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If you are not a current tenant at this property, we still have vacancies available and it is not too late to join the community! Click here to check out rooms available at 1080 Folsom on our website!

Don’t forget that our promotion has been extended to October and you are still able to receive $100 in a one-time rent credit if you sign a lease with us at any of our properties for 4 months or longer, and $200 if you sign a lease for 9 months or longer. If you are a current tenant, you can also get $100 for you and a friend by referring them to our properties.

Living in a new environment doesn’t always have to be scary, we make it fun and welcoming to move to your new home!