We lived in Bayside Village for about a year and liked it a lot. It is a complex of several buildings with nice landscaping in between. Apartments are nice, modern and light, carpeted, some with a view. Bayside features free hot tubs (one inside, one outside), gym, two pools (one lap pool), quick and reliable maintenance when needed, and package service. A free shuttle runs to and from several sops downtown during commute hours -- very convenient. You can buy a parking spot in the garage for $175 a month (you want to since street parking is hard).
As for surroundings, there are plenty of amenities nearby (convenience store, coffee/sandwich shop, restaurants, dry cleaners, etc.). The whole SoMa district is becoming nicer and nicer, so this is a good area to be in. The location also offers easy access to the Embarcadero (for walking/jogging), the Ferry terminal, PacBell park and commuter train terminal (walking distance) and 101 and 280 freeways.
The downsides include high rent (upper teens for a studio or small 1-bd) and a bit of a corporate feel.
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